History Up Close & Personal

Bisbee’s storied past is recorded, reflected, and retold in the Museum’s oral history collection. Share a smile at the memories of growing up, living, and working in Bisbee in its heyday as a thriving industrial city with a definite personality. If you are interested only in certain topics, such as mining, banking, holidays, ranching… you name it, use the keyword search.

Bena Cook interviewed by Coleen Crowliet

Content: Immigration 0:15, 1917 Bisbee Deportation 1:23, German Language 2:45, WWI 4:00, Income Tax introduced 6:08, Train 8:30, Death 10:30, Sports 11:20, Catholic School 13:15, WPA (Work Projects Administration) 14:40, German Language 16:10, Family Tree 18:10, Yugoslavia 18:45, Roaring 20's generation 19:28, P.D Store 21:00, The Great Depression 22:50, Clothing 23:30, Womens liberation 25:30, Tennis 27:50

Interviewed By: Coleen Crowliet

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Bena Cook interviewed by Coleen Crowliet September 18th 1980

Content: Birth 00:35, Coming/Moving to Bisbee 2:20, South Bisbee 5:35, Ethnic Makeup of the Neighborhoods and Bisbee 9:20, Salaries 13:00, Electricity and Water 13:30, Family House 14:30, Brothers Employment 20:10, Games 22:20, Baseball 22:30, Education 24:00, YWCA 31:25, Independence 33:00, Traveling 40:00, Wages 43:48, Employment 44:40, Housing 49:15, Socializing 49:45, Beer Garden 52:40, Prohibition 53:35, Dancing 56:00, Theatre Companies 56:30, WWII 57:30

Date Recorded: 18/09/1980

Interviewed By: Coleen Crowliet

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Bendixon, Gene interviewed by Beverly Woods - Nov 16, 1992

Content: Danish Immigration 0:15, Citizen sponsorship 2:35, Mining 5:27, Divide bypass 11:33, Communities 12:10, School life 15:00, Highland Park 20:18, Native American camps 23:00, Chinese Immigrants 23:50, Immigrant inequalities 24:35, Children games 26:00, Streetcar 27:53, Prohibition 30:20, Heating 34:35, Black Socks Scandal 44:20, Pastimes 48:30, The Great Depression 52:07, Hiking 59:30

Date Recorded: 16/11/1992

Interviewed By: Beverly Woods

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Bernice Barth interviewed by Ida Power

Content: Coming to Bisbee 00:10, Birth 3:20, Schooling 3:30, Men’s Store 5:00, Bisbee Nationalities 10:10, Father Manden 11:30, Library 11:50, Jewish Families 12:40, Pool Hall in Warren 13:05, Starr Williams 14:10, Nicknames 15:00, Swimming Pool 15:20, Baseball 15:40, YWCA 16:10, Entertainment 17:30, Naco 17:35, Unions 19:00, Deportation 19:25, Merging of the Copper Companies 20:28, 4th of July 21:35, Brewery Gulch 22:45, Cinco de Mayo 23:10, Bisbee Hospital 24:10, Fare Store 25:00, People Leaving Bisbee 25:10, Family Tree 28:50, Teachers 29:15, University of Arizona and College 30:00

Interviewed By: Ida Power

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Bernice Buckley interviewed by Beverly Woods-Sept 4, 1996

Content: Parents 0:28, Grandparents 5:29, Native Americans 6:01, Lumberjacks 7:21, Cowboys 11:21, Deforestation 12:59, Flooded mine 16:34, Chinese Immigration 17:03, Miner pay 21:55,Mining 23:45, Rattlesnake bite 24:01, Rattlesnake hunting 25:57, Cattle theft 27:30, Scarlet fever 33:44, Mining claims 34:28, Childhood homes 36:11, Children 38:21, Various businesses 42:20, Arizona street homes 44:23, The french Kitchen-Moriyoki Family 47:55

Date Recorded: 04/09/1996

Interviewed By: Beverly Woods

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Bert Watkins interviewed by Unknown

Content: Employment 0:42, Barbers 1:19, Barber shop proprietor 2:29, WWII 2:49, Barber 3:58, Grocery store 4:13, Furniture store 4:13, Lavender pit 5:04, County supervisor 5:52, Bisbee High School 6:14, Parker lake 7:29, Charleston road 10:29, Montezuma's Pass 11:38, Double Adobe road 12:10, Frontier road 12:53, Ore wagons 14:35, Earthquake of 1887 14:48, Johnson Addition 15:53, Business district 15:53

Interviewed By: Not Set

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Bertha Hemstead interviewed by Beverly Woods-Nov 7,1995

Content: Family 0:30, Marriage 0:45,Mining 1:10, Mexican Immigration 2:05, Sewing 3:50, Quilting 5:50, Baking 6:23, Cooking 7:48, Canning 9:55, Garden 13:20, School 13:39, Street Car 16:59, School 17:30, P.D Store 18:50, Marriage 22:50, Victrola 24:50, Radio 25:27, P.D Store 27:00, Ice cream 32:00, Icebox 33:01, Electricity 43:45, Laundry 36:01, Inflation 41:01, Automobile 45:45, Christmas 49:05, Baseball 54:09, Grocery stores 56:20, Marriage 58:24, Death 58:46, Rockwell International 1:00:00

Date Recorded: 07/11/1995

Interviewed By: Beverly Woods

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Bessie Davis interviewed by Carl Nelson

Content: British Immigration 0:40, Going West 1:15, Employment 3:00, Coming to Bisbee 4:45, Baking bread 5:50, Subway 7:08, Well Water 7:50, Opera house 8:59, Native Americans 10:03, Mining fire 11:45, Marriage 12:40

Interviewed By: Carl Nelson

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Bessie Davis interviewed by Carl Nelson-1976

Content: Tombstone 0:40, Shoe store 1:25, Construction of home 2:30, Birth 3:15, Central School 3:40, Flooding 4:05, Schooling 4:30, Shoe repair 6:05, Brewery gulch 7:35, Fruit vendor 8:55, Post office 9:35, Tombstone canyon 10:08, Shoe repair 11:21, Various shoe stores 12:40, Family tree 14:18, School teacher 15:20, Spanish Flu epidemic 16:39, Episcopal church 16:21, Marriage 19:23, Death 20:35, Grandchildren 20:59, Streetcar 23:35, Various buildings in Bisbee 24:20

Interviewed By: Carl Nelson

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Bessie Waters Davis interviewer unknown-Dec 6, 1976

Content: Shoe Repair 1:45, Roads and Infrastructure 3:40, Schools 4:30, Buildings 7:35, Transportation 10:29, River and Creek 11:05, Mining shoes 11:50, Colleges and Higher Education 15:20, Spanish Flu 16:40, Religion 17:20, Love and marriage 19:20, Children, Grandchildren and Great Grandchildren 20:50, Plumbing 23:46, Buildings 24:45

Date Recorded: 06/12/1976

Interviewed By: Unknown

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Bessie Williams interviewed by Roger Weller-May 15,1973,

Content: Mineral collection 0:55, Mining 1:43, Miners pension 2:11, Well water Refrigeration 3:52, Electricity 5:06, Grocery solicitor 5:58, Raising food 6:52, Musial instruments 7:55, Dance halls 8:47, Chihuahua hill 10:19, Schooling 11:01, Teaching 11:56, Art Work 13:30, Transportation 14:35, Deforestation 15:40, Family tree 17:52, Skating rink 18:06, LDS 18:37, Architecture 19:37, Native Americans 20:45, Medicine 23:09, Halloween 25:01

Date Recorded: 15/05/1973

Interviewed By: Roger Weller

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Betty Jones Crocker, Florence Jones Campbell, and Dorothy Jones Munsey Interviewed by Beverly Woods September 15th 1992

Content: Family Tree 00:15, Coming/Moving to Bisbee 00:45, Family Tree 2:25, Working for the Mines in Bisbee 5:40, Nursing Jobs for Drs. In Bisbee 6:00, First Home 7:30, Moving to Warren 9:27, Cattle 12:58, Bisbee Junction 16:20, Birth 17:30, Working in the Mines 19:20, Grocery Shopping 21:50, Market in Lowell 22:20, Cooking 23:00, Mexican Revolution 25:20, Schooling 31:20, Mohave Trail 33:39, Chores 34:45, Rattlesnakes 35:10, Long Days Working 36:30, Going to Naco 37:29, Mohave Trail 38:35, Warren Drug Store 41:30, Geronimo Springs 44:20, Open Mine Shafts 44:55, Telephone 48:04, Mohave Trail 48:20, Various Jobs in Bisbee 52:00, Orchestra 58:38, Dances 1:00:00, Streetcar 1:01:30, Dances 1:02:10

Date Recorded: 15/09/1992

Interviewed By: Beverly Woods

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Bigelow, Abbie interviewed by Beverly Woods - Mar 27, 1992

Content: Lineage 0:05, Apache raid 1:37, House calls 6:15, Schools 7:25, Grocery deliveries 8:20, Miners arrive 9:19, Transportation 11:25, Library 12:15, Wallace's Pool Hall 12:35, Transfer wagons 13:27, Social structure 14:20, Ford Model T 14:45, Lewis Springs 15:05, Chinese Immigrants 15:25, Racial inequalities 16:40, World War I 18:48, Diet 20:00, Cattle ranch 21:20, Tombstone 24:10, Ranch Life 26:55, Women's Rights 28:80, Sunset Limited Train 30:20, The Great Depression pt 1 31:40, Food storage 32:40, Children past times 33:30, Sewer line 35:55, Septic tank 37:36, Deportation 39:06, The Great Depression pt. 2 41:30, Courtship 43:00, McWhorter's soda jerk 45:43, Marriage 47:10, Travel 48:27, Employment 48:50, Lowell Open Market 54:22, Hippie culture 56:15

Date Recorded: 27/03/1992

Interviewed By: Beverly Woods

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Bill Crawford interviewed by Beverly Woods

Content: Central School 0:08, Housing 2:09, Fist fight 3:25, Commuting 5:45, School system 6:54, Street car 9:43, Soldier miners 10:35, Architecture 12:20, Lowell Architecture 16:14, Business locations 16:40, Farmers market 18:23, Sheriffs Dept 19:53, Laws 20:34, Traffic circle 20:55, Construction 22:35

Interviewed By: Beverly Woods

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Bill Crawford interviewed by Beverly Woods April 25th 2000

Content: Family Tree 00:10, Dairy 3:50, Growing up in Bisbee 6:10, Neighborhood 10:15, Gangs/Kid Groups 14:10, Siblings 15:40, Chores 16:10, Gambling 19:15, The Great Depression 21:10, Commodity Foods 22:20, 4th of July 22:50, Pool Hall 25:15, Horseman School 28:09, Air Force 30:40, Nicknames/Working in the Mine 34:25, Saw Moving 36:20, Grocery Shopping 38:50, Jobs While in the Air Force 41:30, Coming Back to Bisbee 46:40, Maintaining Machines 59:10, Retirement 59:35

Date Recorded: 25/04/2000

Interviewed By: Beverly Woods

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Biography of John Campbell Greenway-Presented by Tom Jay

Content: Calumet mining company 0:50, Biography of John Campbell Greenway 1:19, Schooling 2:05, Bisbee ballpark 3:30,Various Mining communities 4:45, Mining process and smelting 9:00, Rough Riders and Theodore Roosevelt 9:45, WWI 12:00, Distinguished Service cross 12:40, Business Meetings with Greenway 15:55, Marriage 16:45, Death of John C. Greenway 19:05, Funeral 20:30, African Americans 22:10, 1924 Packard 24:40, Franklin D. Roosevelt 29:00, Isabella Greenway the First female Congresswoman of Arizona 29:30, Recording becomes distorted Bad recording*** 31:35

Interviewed By: Tom Jay

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Blanche Werner interviewer Unknown

Content: School Staff and Administrators 0:08, School locations 0:20, Streetcar 0:38, Physicals 1:10, Dentist 1:55, Tuberculosis 2:00, Special education 2:48, School donors 3:20

Interviewed By: Not Set

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Bond, Irwin interviewed by Carl Nelson - Jul 5, 1974

Content: Lowell night life 1:44, Copper Queen Hotel 3:15, Paved road 4:30, Ghost Writers in the Sky 8:50, Slaughter's Ranch 10:00, Geronimo's Trail 11:05, First house 12:00, Site anecdotes 13:40, Leslie Canyon Rd 13:45, Naco 16:50, Sierra Vista 18:40, Tombstone preacher 19:50, Apache raid 21:50, Coronado National Monument 24:50, Crystal Cave 28:30, Three Sisters Mountains 29:30, Pottery 30:20, Solar energy 32:30, Gleeson 37:10, Springs 37:55, Bisbee Douglas football game 40:00

Date Recorded: 05/07/1974

Interviewed By: Carl Nelson

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Bonnie Petsche interviewed by Beverly Woods - Apr 6, 1990

Content: Lineage 0:10, Grocery solicitor 1:35, Homesteading 3:30, Grocery delivery 6:50, School life 9:00, Statehood 11:00, 4th of July 11:20, Marriage 13:10, Courtship 13:35, Mail service 15:10, Jiggerville 16:00, Utilities 18:15, Hospital work 19:40, Wages 22:20, Food 23:10, Sacramento pit 29:20, Flu 31:05, Deportation 33:30, Bisbee 4th of July 37:30, Coaster races 39:10, Ice boxes 42:00, Christmas 44:40

Date Recorded: 06/04/1990

Interviewed By: Beverly Woods

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Boyer, Walter interviewer unknown

Content: Civilian Conservation Corp :40, Phelps Dodge 2:55, Jackhammer 4:28, Drills 4:45, Processes 6:20, 1967 Strike 16:30, Injury 16:55, Mine closure 30:20, Changing rooms 33:45, Work schedule pt. 1 35:30, Pay rate 36:10, Union 36:54, Workman's Comp 37:45, Coupon books exchange 39:15, Phelps Dodge company store 40:10, Miner's housing 41:00, Family illnesses 45:40, Minerals extracted 48:45, Real Estate prices 11:50, Training 54:15, Work schedule pt 2 54:55, Lavender Pit 56:30

Interviewed By: Unknown

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Brashear, Conrad and Betty (brother and sister) interviewed by Beverly Woods - Mar 9, 1993 (part 1)

Content: Lineage 0:20, Proprietorship 4:30, Gambling 5:30, Lowell 5:48, Tennis Club 11:23, Swimming Pool 11:45, Bandstand 12:45, Shattuck family 17:15, Sheriff Ivy Pruitt 20:15, The Great Depression 25:10, Courtship 31:00, World War II 32:25, Marriage 33:00, Family life 35:00, Greenway School 35:30, Tailings dump 36:10, Phelps Dodge 36:45, Hillcrest Apartments 37:00, Loma Linda 37:15, Greenway House 38:35, Warren 41:50, Movie theater 42:55, Underground mining 44:20, Fourth of July 47:25, Bartering 51:40, Wallace's Pool Hall 54:30, Youth hangouts 56:50

Date Recorded: 09/03/1993

Interviewed By: Beverly Woods

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Brashear, Conrad and Betty (brother and sister) interviewed by Beverly Woods - Mar 9, 1993 (part 2)

Content: School life 0:05, Manufacturer shipping 2:50, Marriage 3:40, Christmas 7:40, Streetcar 9:00, C&A Hospital 9:50, Baking 11:00, Johnson Addition stores 13:30, Proprietorship 15:00, Bus rides 24:25, Lyric 25:10

Date Recorded: 09/03/1993

Interviewed By: Beverly Woods

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Brockbank, Walter interviewed by Carl Nelson - Feb 23, 1972, other unknown interviewees, unknown interviewers

Content: Shattuck mine 1:00, Miner wages 1:30, Youth pastimes 3:00, Schools 3:40, C&A Mining Company picnic 7:00, Orchestra 7:45, Church life 8:30, South Bisbee population 9:45, Mining 10:15, Silicosis 12:00, Bisbee newspaper deliveries 13:00, Burro transportation 13:50, Boarding houses 15:45, Warren bandstand 16:10, Coaster races 16:55, World War I newspaper delivery 18:55, Pigeon racing 19:25, New speaker Mr. Shattuck 20:55, New Speaker Hospital sites 23:30, Lowell 23:45, Doctors 25:00, Miners 26:00, Unions 26:30, Cemetery 28:25, Underground fights 28:50, Strike 29:15, Deportation 31:00, Pancho Villa 31:40, Firearms 32:00, C&A Mining Company 33:30, Social Security laws 37:00, Fraternal organizations 37:15, Catholic Church 40:40, Miners 42:45, Federal forces 44:30, Statehood 45:50, Banks 47:50

Date Recorded: 23/02/1972

Interviewed By: Unknown

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Camila Brockbank interviewed by Carl Nelson - Jun 4, 1975

Content: Lineage 0:40, Rucker school house 4:40, South Bisbee ethnicity 6:10, El Rancho Shopping Center 8:25, Contract Post Office 9:05, Bisbee City Council 10:45, El Rancho Shopping Center businesses 11:30

Date Recorded: 04/06/1975

Interviewed By: Carl Nelson

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Camila Brockbank interviewed by Carl Nelson June 4th 1975

Content: El Rancho 00:40, Family Tree 00:50, Creation of El Rancho 8:30, First Woman on Bisbee City Council 10:55, Shopping Center Today 11:10

Date Recorded: 04/06/1975

Interviewed By: Carl Nelson

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Carl Vidano interviewed by Coleen Crowliet

Content: Family Tree 0:22, Native American raids 1:24, Founders of Bisbee 2:40, Italian Immigration 4:05, Swiss Immigration 4:23, Mining companies 6:08, Family tree 8:45, Family home 10:40, O.K saloon 14:33, Arizona Historical society 15:21, Governor Hunt 19:45, Vineyards 21:45, Real Estate 22:53, Bisbee name origin 24:13, Mining claims 25:30

Interviewed By: Coleen Crowliet

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Carl Fultz interviewed by Boyd Nicholl -Jan 16, 2002

Content: Open pit mining 0:59, Track gang/ Rail gang 2:35, Pitman 3:45, Drilling and Blasting 4:30, Shovel operator 6:01, Tool lubricator/ Oiler 6:46, Bid sheet 9:10, Falling Rocks and land slides 13:12, Open pit mining 18:29, Summer Vacation 20:30, Smelting 23:50, Vietnam War 32:25, Mine Closure 33:01, Strike 33:18, Mine conditions 35:50, Turquoise 35:59

Date Recorded: 16/01/2002

Interviewed By: Boyd Nicholl

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Carl Fultz interviewed by Sabrina

Content: Miners 0:41, Smelter 2:01, P.D Store 3:34, Mining 6:16, Miner relationships 8:53, Digging out boulders 13:21, Various mining positions 17:14, Skimming 19:00, Temperature in smelter 20:30, Ore 23:05, Pit mining 26:53, Shovel operator 30:25, Auto accidents at mines 33:54, Miner health 37:54, Underground fire 41:38, Shovel Maintenance 44:59, independent contracting 52:10

Interviewed By: Not Set

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Carl Nelson

Content: Rodeo 0:10, Carnivals 1:00, Lumber theft 2:40, Ice Wagon Theft 4:15, Practical jokes 3:10, Halloween Practical jokes 5:30, Jail 7:26, Fire 9:50, Fire dept 11:30,C & A Mining company 14:21, U.S Navy 15:03, Railroad 16:30, Telegraph service 19:14, Various business locations 21:50, Various buildings 24:50, Smelter 26:45, Milk handling/sanitation practices 27:45, Recording Repeats from beginning****Bad editing(great info, nonetheless)***

Interviewed By: Not Set

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Carl Nelson

Content: Lumber theft 0:15, Ice Wagon Theft 2:20, Practical jokes 3:10, Halloween Practical jokes 4:44, Jail 7:10, Various buildings 9:30, Central School 10:11,Practical jokes 11:01, Ice Wagon theft 12:15, Jail 15:50

Interviewed By: Not Set

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