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Things were so dry during the Summer of 1900 that in June and July the Bisbee Water Company required a daily water train from Lewis Springs. By that time Benson, along the Southern Pacific Main Line had a population of only 348, but despite shortage of water, Bisbee was booming with more than 3000 residents.
A mule train carrying water, near Bisbee circa 1900
None the less, the town was booming because the Copper Queen and the other mining interests in the Warren District were booming in their output. The Electric Age was in full swing and so was the demand for copper.
On July 20th, 1900 a ½ mile spur, with sharp curves and steep grades was completed between the smelter and Spray shaft. However, long before then it had become apparent that the location of the smelter within the narrow valley constantly filled the town with pollution, but more importantly limited the growth of the operation. The lack of water in the canyon became an even larger issue. It was clear that any expansion of the smelter required more room which meant another location. The obvious choice would have been on the Espinal Plain, just south of the Mule Mountains between Bisbee and Naco. Discussions about purchasing the land were started but the landowners demanded an exorbitant price.
Nine days before the Spray Shaft spur was opened, on July 11th, 1900 the construction of a new branch was begun, heading southeast from Don Luis. Up until that time, Don Luis was merely the location of a small yard south of Bisbee. The name “Don Luis” is an appellation given to Lewis Williams by Mexican workers as a sign of respect. The construction crews continued south-eastward and by the end of August the graders had started down Gold Gulch on the way to the site of the new Copper Queen smelter.
The location Dr. Douglas had purchased for the operation had enough land for a town for the smelter workers, and was right along the border with Mexico, 25 miles to the east of Bisbee. The land was available at a fair price and there was an abundant water supply, which was vitally important.
A postcard depicting the Copper Queen Smelter in Douglas, Az
By early February, 1901 the construction crews reached the newly founded town of Douglas, Arizona, just across the border from the Mexican town of Agua Prieta.
As this new branch was under construction, on October 19, 1900, the Southwestern Railroad of Arizona was formed.
Railway Review Volume 40, 1900
Incorporation papers stated that the line was to run from Don Luis to a point on the international border near Agua Prieta and then on to some point on the AZ-NM border. Before the start of track laying for the new route from Don Luis, the graders had already reached Douglas and two groups continued with the grading, with one team heading south towards Nacozari while the other crew turned toward the northeast. As this team continued eastward out of Douglas, on June 1st, 1901, the townspeople of Deming, NM were informed that “The Bisbee Road” was coming to their town. In fact, a few days later, grading crews started their work heading southwestward out of town towards the Arizona border.
Apparently in the first half of 1901 an order was placed with Baldwin for 2-8-0 type locomotives. (This point needs further research)
The Locomotives of the Southwestern Railroad of Arizona
In his book Railroads of Arizona, Vol. 3: Clifton, Morenci and Metcalf, Rails and Copper Mines : Arizona locomotives rosters, page 329, David Myrick states that all of the SWRRofA locomotives were 2-8-0 Baldwins. As this table shows, numbers 2 though 6 were essentially identical. It is reasonable to assume that #1 was also identical to the other 5 and arrived on the property in August, 1901 with the first delivery. I expect that if the amazingly prolific Myrick could not determine more information about #1, her details may be lost to time.
Things were happening fast in 1901. So fast in fact that various companies were formed and rapidly became obsolete as laws, profits and empire building changed the landscape forever. Before the year 1901 had ended, all of these locomotives became part of the roster of yet another new railroad. This one with the name of the El Paso & Southwestern.
A panoramic image of Douglas, Arizona.
Made in 1908 from the Copper Queen Smelter
Next Chapter - The End of the Road
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