03) The Copper Queen, the foundation of Bisbee and early transportation

A snapshot of Bisbee looking southeast, January, 2012.

The A&SE used to enter the town through the pass in front of the viewer.

The Copper Queen Hotel is visible near the center and the Copper Queen Mine entrance is on the right.

The copper camp around the Copper Queen claim were in constant flux in the early years after the incredibly rich ores of red metal were discovered as were the various mining claims.

Things moved rapidly and the Copper Queen and Copper King claims were combined and profitably went through the hands of several owners in quick succession. Eventually in 1880 a metallurgical and mine development company in San Fransisco run by Judge DeWitt Bisbee, his brother-in-law John Williams and his sons, John, Lewis and Ben, was contacted to ascertain if the claim was worth investing in. Apparently it was as the camp was soon named "Bisbee" in honor of the venture's minor partner.

With the installation of a small "Mexican Furnace" smelter, production rapidly increased. It wasn't long before the Copper Queen Mining Company was incorporated on April 2^nd, 1881. Just 2 months earlier, Dr. James S. Douglas arrived in Bisbee. He had arrived to determine the value of the Atlantic claim for his employers, Dodge, Phelps and Company of New York City. It did not take him long before he started emphatically recommending they act on the claim, but they delayed. Eventually Dodge & Phelps did purchase the claim, but only after the price had increased due to speculation. Douglas was so confident of his recommendation that when offered cash or stock as compensation for his work, though he needed the money, he immediately took the stock.

A total of $1.35 million in dividends had already been paid by the Copper Queen, but 1884 was when a small panic rippled through Bisbee as it became apparent that the vein of ore was starting to be mined out. A new source of ore was found but as the Copper Queen mined the ore, it eventually became obvious to everyone that it ran across the boundary and into the Atlantic claim. It was agreed to save all interests of those involved in lawsuit to merge instead of fight in court only making the lawyers richer. Since the location of the claims and the found deposits were no longer dispute, the Copper Queen & Atlantic claims were merged together and the resulting operation became the Copper Queen Consolidated Mining Company on August 6^th, 1885. The Atlantic claim had been owned by Phelps Dodge and the merger had been recommended by Dr. James Douglas.

As a side note, copper mining has been a large part of Arizona right from the start. There are multiple mining districts throughout the state, and the copper deposits extend into the surrounding states and Mexico. Indeed the Dr. Douglas' efforts in mining and railroads eventually involved in many interests throughout the region.

A photo taken inside the Copper Queen. Note the miners standing on the cribbing

The Copper Queen smelter was already outputting 20,000 tons of copper annually before 1887! Hauls were made to the New Mexico & Arizona's depot at Fairbank using 18 to 20-mule and horse teams pulling two or three high sided wagons hitched together. These hauls were over Mule Pass which bounds the west end of the valley that Bisbee occupies. Mule Pass was private property and the owners charged a toll for anyone using the pass, which added even more to the costs of transportation.

Two twenty mule team wagon trains meet near Mule Pass, approximately 1887

A steam traction engine manufactured by John Fowler & Co. (Leeds, England) was tried in January, 1887 but had little traction over much of the route when it was dry, its wheels often spinning in the sand and dust. If there was any moisture in the soil at all, the engine was made immovable. Even if it could have traversed the 30 mile route to Tombstone, the water and fuel capacity of the engine was too limited to be effective. All was not lost however as it was used to haul loads of copper from Bisbee 9 miles over the 10% grades of Mule Pass. After surmounting the pass, the wagons were then exchanged with those being hauled by the mule and horse teams the remainder of the way to and from the railroad in Fairbank. The return trip to Bisbee would usually be loads of coal or coke destined for the mines.

The actual steam tractor in Bisbee

The hauling contract using mules and horses was renewed without much fanfare shortly after the steam tractors trials.

This state of things could no longer be tolerated and in early 1888, things began to change.

Next Chapter - Building the rail road