We then hurried off to Bisbee to visit the Copper Queen Mine. Its orebody ran 23% copper, an extraordinary high grade of copper. The mining operation started in the 1880’s. It was productive well after WWII.
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| Open Pit Mine |
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| Copper Queen Open Pit |
Eventually there was open pit mining there as well. The whole mining operation closed in 1975. Today you can take an hour tour underground. Our tour leader had actually worked in the mine before it closed. He was a wealth of information concerning the construction and process of mining. As we drove out of town the next morning we could see the very large pit that was dug during the pit mining faze of the operation.
Tonight we stayed at the Copper Queen Hotel in Bisbee. The town of Bisbee is built against a steep hill. The streets are very narrow, and often one way. Bisbee is one of the "quirkiest" towns in America.
A fascinating blend of the weird, whimsical, and brilliant made possible by its extraordinary history and eclectic population. Today the population consists mainly of artists of all genres.
Regrettably we did not have much time to explore the town when the various business were open.
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