The Architecture, Some Wandering, and a Magical Stairway - Bisbee, AZ

Bisbee is a free spirited town with lots of art and music located in south eastern Arizona close along the border with Mexico. It was once a large copper mining center and a huge open pit mine can be found here. We have visited the town on several occasions and this visit was before the impact of covid-19. We are sure Bisbee is really hurting, as are many predominantly tourist driven locations, due to the pandemic. We wish them all a quick recovery.

In this blog post we will look around at a bit of the sights and architecture that you will see in Bisbee and walk along a Magical Art Gallery stairway.

Welcome to down town Bisbee which is loctated in the Mule Mountains at about 5,500 feet elevation. The town is known as the “Queen of the Copper Mines” because during its mining heyday, it produced nearly 25 percent of the world's copper. There is a mine tour and a large open pit mine that we did not visit this excursion. We are, on this trip, looking at downtown Bisbee, perhaps the mine and the open pit will be visited next time.

This old ore train is in front of the Mineral Museum. The Museum is a fascinating place to visit to learn about the mining history of Bisbee.

This is one of several large mineral specimens on display in front of the museum. They are gorgeous rocks and a most fascinating method of presenting them.

On the front corner of the mineral museum you can find these three flies. They are most curious and the next image and section of writing will describe what they represent.

This is a placard along the side walk in front of the three flies shown above. So you don’t hurt your eyes trying to read the fine print here is what it says:

“In August, 1912, the Commercial Club of Bisbee went public with a novel method of fly control. The seriousness of the continuing typhoid problems experienced in Bisbee around the turn of the century found some relief in humor as well as creativity.

“The rules for a “systematic campaign of extermination” against those “advance agents of pestilence” were quite straightforward… and the pestiferous little nuisances must now take the consequences. “They will be bottled and trapped and caught, done up in packages and duly measured up and counted….

It makes no difference how the dead flies are obtained or where within the district. The may be killed either with sticky fly paper, caught in traps or just swatted with a swatter, folded newspaper, or any other fly-killing devise.

If caught on sticky paper, however, they must be picked off, the committee not volunteering to do this work for the contestants.

“When a contestant desires to turn in his or her proof of prowess as a fly exterminator, the files are to be placed in… a pasteboard box. The county health officer will be the judge of the contest and will count and measure flies that are killed.”

“Bisbee has taken a position at the front in advance of all other cities in the southwest in war upon the fly and typhoid fever germs….” Bisbee Daily Review, August, 1912

“The anti-fly crusade is at its end. Richard Phillips was the winner of the competition, exterminating within 5,000 of 500,000 flies.” Bisbee Daily Review, September 3, 1912

The effectiveness of such a campaign? Alas, “more flies this year than last, despite a more aggressive fly swatting campaign among the public generally….”

Here is a fascinating metal sculpture on the grounds in front of the Mineral Museum, the same structure where the flies are located. It is quite fascinating and rather free flowing but the cactus plants seem to distract from the object.

As you walk along the street you can find a wide variety of architectural details. Here is a neat object that is on a column for one of the buildings.

In front of one of the clothing stores they had these samples on display. It did not appear they would fit me and Deanna did not care for the style. Tie-Dye anyone?

Here is a look up one of the main business streets in Bisbee. There are a lot of old and fascinating buildings.

A closer look at the stained glass detail on the building across the street

There are a lot of architectural touches and interesting paint schemes. Bisbee is known as an artist community and as you look around you can see the free spirited, artistic influence.

For those who like bicycles there is a uniquely named bicycle shop to provide whatever your cycling needs might be.

Looking back along the street we see more of the old architecture. It is very fascinating and enjoyable to see all the old detail on the buildings in this modern day of malls and sterile looking shops.

Looking down an alley we find more detail. It is all not just on the front along the main street but it is part and parcel of the fabric in this town.

Another example of an old building being put to a new use in this case as Bisbee Realty. Note the detail work and paint scheme across the top.

As you wander main street towards the south end of Bisbee you will see this sign point up a street. Yes there is a brewery in Bisbee. Take this street to wander further around Bisbee.

There is an open stairway that climbs the hill between two buildings. Both sides of this narrow stairway are home to a fascinating art collection called the Bisbee Artway Stair Gallery. It is a fascinating walk.

There is a lot of art presented in this narrow passageway. We will just show some of the objects as we wander up the stairs. This is by no means a definitive presentation of the works of art, rather only a small sampling. It is a really fascinating place to see.

We hope you enjoyed this brief saunter around Bisbee and the fascinating magical stairway. It is a small town that you must visit and wander through to really appreciate. We will get back there again and if we find something new we will send that information along.

Please let us know if you have any questions or comments.
All the best – George & Deanna