A Jump Back In Time

This is what MONSOON looks like on a map.   In spite of all that rain, barely a drop hit my house.  Our location on this side of the valley and mountain seems to keep it just out of reach.  Although they say it should be 71-75 degrees at 4:30, it's still up at 81.  Me thinks the cooling trend dissipated in the heat.

Back down at Bisbee, we hung a left.  Had we kept going, we would have run into the Thirsty Lizard.  Instead, to my surprise, Dan turned right onto a road that headed straight for the mine pit.  We were instantly transported back in time.

As the Bisbee Mining Company expanded, so did the mine claims.  In 1879 Mr. Salmon filed several claims, but never worked them.  In 1899 Frank Hatchett from Lowell Massachusetts purchased the property and started the Lowell and Arizona Cooper Mining and Smelter Company.  He had a monthly payroll of $10,000 for 60 employees.  That's about $166 per month per person.  Considering my first job in 1964 garnered me $142 a month, they were well paid!!

A tent community of miners grew almost immediately.  A real town named Lowell was soon developed with Erie Street being the center.  The first businesses were two saloons and a livery stable.  

From here it's confusing depending on what you read. Phelps Dodge owned Atlanta Copper Mine in 1882 and merged with the Copper Queen Mine to become one of the richest in the State.  This is what mining housing looked like.  Other accounts say the Lowell Mine bought the Cooper Queen.  I've no idea who is right.

In no time they even had an electric railway that ran from Bisbee to the Warren District, with about 8 miles of track to carry citizens from small town to small town.  By 1917 the town and the mines were booming.  This picture is looking down Erie Street in Lowell.

In 1917 Phelps Dodge mining company and the miners were in dire straights.  Phelps Dodge were union busters and the men were on strike.  In an early morning raid with the most likely paid-off Sheriff, they rounded up 1300 men, handcuffed them, marched them to the railroad station, loaded them up in railroad cars and shipped them off to New Mexico with a warning never to return.  

The Bisbee Deportation never hit the headlines.  The Sheriff seized all the telephone and telegraph lines so word would not get out.  Their excuse was the need for copper during World War I.  It was eventually found to be completely illegal, but no one was prosecuted.

This is what Erie Street looks like today.  The Lowell Americana Project came about because the local businesses owners wanted to save a piece of history.  They have worked hard to restore the town to the 50's, including adding a Greyhound bus at the end of Erie Street. 

In no time, Lowell became pretty prosperous.  They had cafes, barbershops, shoe stores and pharmacies.  The Lowell Clubhouse even held dances every Friday night.

Even the original gas station still stands.

By 1950, Lowell was in danger of demolition due to the increasing size of the Lavender Mine pit.  More than 250 homes and 20 businesses had to be moved.  Saginaw District became the new Lowell when over 200 homes were moved to that location.  Bakerville, Galena and Briggs came about the same way.

By 1957, few were remaining in Lowell.  Relocating Highway 80 due to the expanding pit didn't help.  Eventually all those little Districts created by the mining companies were annexed into Bisbee.

It's like stepping back in time to my childhood.  Once in a blue moon we got to head 50 miles down the hill to the big town of Bakersfield.  It looked exactly like this.

If your Harley needed repair, this was the place.  There's an amazing car dealership building next door.

I'm not sure Harley's were a thing in gold mining towns, but the local group made sure they were well represented.

Even the Police Department survived ... with a red-light-on-top police car.  How cool is that?   If you've got time to wander, this is a great place to do it.  It will definitely take you back in time to your childhood.

We also stopped at the mine proper ... the big hole in the ground, and I mean BIG!!  I'll post more about that tomorrow.  

Today I'll spend quilting (I hope) two more quilts.  I'm stuck at the moment since I can't seem to tell the machine exactly where it is and what I want it to do.  But first, I'm going to watch those six hummingbirds fighting over the nectar in my patio!!  And of course check my game camera.