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.
Daniel White interviewed by Carl Nelson
Content: Elsie Mae Johnson's estate 0:40, Stockton Edmonds 1:20, Gunfight at the O.K corral 3:01, Edmonds daughters 3:40, Chrystal palace Saloon 6:00, Family tree 7:30, Flooding 8:01, Copper claims 11:00, Copper mine collapse 12:50, Edmonds Ranch 14:00, Congress and The Senate 17:00, Schooling 19:40, John Johnson ambassador to Beijing (China)? 21:00, Pancho Villa raid 24:05
Interviewed By: Carl Nelson
ListenDantiza Angius interviewed by James Mcnulty August 8th 1973
Content: Family Tree 00:30, Moving to Bisbee 4:00, Grocery Business 4:40, Maintaining the Business 7:20, Schooling 9:15, Fire of 1908 12:00, Stagecoach 20:10, Streetcars 21:30, Newspapers 23:40, Subway 24:45, Trees 27:00, Family Tree 28:35 **Tape Cuts In and Out From 29:30-End of Tape** Floods 37:50, Churches 38:40, Cultural Entertainment 39:55, Trolleys 46:45, 4th of July 47:10, Automobiles 50:20, Saloons 50:55, Labor Organizers 55:50, Water Sources 57:50
Date Recorded: 08/08/1972
Interviewed By: James Mcnulty
ListenDaun James interviewed by Beverly Woods
Content: Family Tree 00:10, Coming to Bisbee 2:15, Sulphur Springs Valley 2:55, Coolers 10:20, Building a House 11:30, Recreation 15:00, Heart Attack 17:20, New School 19:40, Cemetery 21:20, Stores in Bisbee 25:30, Coming to the Valley 27:10, Family Tree 33:00, Learning to Speak English 47:10, Marriage 55:50, Transportation 58:00
Interviewed By: Beverly Woods
ListenDavid Irwin interviewed by Henry Carlisle
Content: Early Mining Career 00:25, Phelps Dodge 3:05, WWI 3:30, A.T. Thompson 6:20, Copper Queen Mine 8:30, Sacramento Hill 8:40, T-Field 10:55, Employment/Management 12:10, Malaria 14:40, Progress of Mill 17:25, Metal Company 22:45, Employment after Leaving Rome 23:50, Retirement 27:20, Biography 32:15
Interviewed By: Henry Carlisle
ListenDavid Ruth & Ruth Riley interviewed by Beverly Woods - Aug 17, 1992
Content: Lineage 0:10, Mining ventures 3:40, Proprietorship 4:25, The Fair Store 6:45, Trains 9:15, 4th of July 12:34, Bucky O'Neil Hill race 13:35, Brewery Gulch 16:40, Roads 19:00, Swimming pool 21:10, Base raceway (Speedway) 26:45, Coaster races 27:20
Date Recorded: 17/08/1992
Interviewed By: Beverly Woods
ListenDiary of W.E Irwin July 11, 1908-July 21, 1908
Content: Train 0:20, New Mexico towns 0:28, Texas 1:34, Colorado 3:02, Cheyenne canyon 3:13, Burro as transport 3:40, Balance rock 4:00, Garden of the gods 5:50, Rainstorm 6:32, Pikes Creek 7:13, Denver 8:39
Interviewed By: Not Set
ListenDiary of W Irwin Part 1 of 2
Content: Hunting the Red River 0:45, Traveling on the Mule trains Camping 3:38, Hunting 5:01, Electricity 9:50, Hunting 10:31, Sewing 13:19, Camping 16:21, Sand storms 17:50, Dinner 22:21, Hunting Antelope 24:13, Hunting Deer 29:45, Hunting Wildcat 34:38, Killing Prairie chickens 38:10, grooming 39:25, Snowed in 43:00
Interviewed By: Not Set
ListenDiary of W Irwin Part 2 of 2
Content: Sand Storm 1:10, hunting 4:12, Hunting antelope 5:26, Hunting duck 6:49, Hunters health 9:35, Traveling in Texas 12:30, Hunting expedition 17:53, Hunting quail 19:12, Hunting deer 24:01, Hunting turkey 27:45
Interviewed By: Not Set
ListenDick Engle interviewed by Boyd Nicholl, 2002
Content: Family Tree 00:10, Underground Mining 0:30, Coming West 2:50, Silver City Mining 4:00, Bisbee Mining 5:00, Getting Jobs 7:17, Jobs in the Mine 9:02, Coming Back to Bisbee 11:17, Smaller Companies vs. Larger Companies 12:40, Injuries 13:20, Underground Mining 13:50, Dry Drilling 22:18, Trap Miners 23:36, Time off 24:44, Underground Mining 25:40, Leadership Positions 26:25, Differences in Mining Elsewhere 28:00, **Tape Sound Stops From 30:33-30:38** Gold Mining 32:30, Dangerous Situations 35:05, Retirement 37:50
Interviewed By: Boyd Nicholl
ListenDon Brisco interviewed by Arthur Kent-Feb 27, 1976
Content: Construction 0:42, Business locations 1:45, Lowell fire 2:03, Fire dept 2:55, Construction 3:45, Warren 5:29, Contractors 8:10, Building materials 10:55, Population of Bisbee 13:55, Crime 14:30
Date Recorded: 27/02/1976
Interviewed By: Art Kent
ListenDonald Owens interviewed by Lecture
Content: United States Border Patrol 0:15, Immigration policy 0:48, Justice Department 2:03, District offices 3:20, Various jobs of Border Patrol 5:03, Transportation of smugglers 6:10, Tracking 7:09, Visas 8:39, Nationality Act 10:43, Training 14:21, Drug smuggling 15:29, State Law 17:59, Border markers 19:58, Animal smugglers 20:57, Qualifications and requirements of Border patrol 22:52
Interviewed By: Not Set
ListenDonald Riggs interviewed by Beverly Woods and Jim Burnett - Apr 9, 1996
Content: Lineage 0:10, Native American relations 2:50, Home ranch 8:30, Family tree 9:00, State Land Department 23:25, Ft. Bowie 27:50, Schools 31:50, Burros 33:58, Horses 34:33, Chores 35:35, Ranch life 38:30, Diet 41:15, Hunting 44:10, Galeyville 49:30, Eagles 50:40, Bears 51:25, Boy Scout's Camp 51:45, Trapping 52:30, Chickens 54:40, Canning 55:55, Stafford Ranch 56:30, Hot springs 58:00, Jerky 59:00, Wonderland of Rocks 100:00
Date Recorded: 09/04/1996
Interviewed By: Beverly Woods
ListenDr French interviewed by Beverly Woods
Content: Driver’s License 00:05, School Bus 00:53, City Bus 2:10, Sleeping on a Sleeping Porch 3:50, Summer Rains 5:50, Main Street Stores 7:50, KKK/Discrimination 15:40, YMCA 16:00, Mother 17:50, Browder Store 20:50, Jim Henderson 22:10, Brashear’s 23:20, Hiking 24:25, Geronimo Springs 28:45, Stealing Corn 30:00, Lyric Theatre 32:10, Halloween 34:50, Traveling by Train 36:25, Blacks in Bisbee 38:30, Mexican Segregation 39:00, Closing of Catholic Church 39:45, Quality Hill 42:50, Phelps Dodge Store 44:10, Pharmacy 45:20, Goats 47:55, Ranches 49:10, Sulphur Springs Valley 50:20, Biggest Changes in Bisbee 57:00
Interviewed By: Beverly Woods
ListenDr Hicks interviewed by Art Kelly
Content: Early life 0:40, Church 1:03, Irrigation ditch 1:35, Summer heat 2:30, President Taft 2:58, Halley's Comet 3:29, Arizona statehood 3:45, Employment 4:30, Ford Motor Company 5:25, Employment 6:10, Marriage 7:30, Phelps Dodge Corporation 8:40, Prohibition 9:45, Leg amputation 12:00, Heart attack 13:10, Dentures 14:05, Dentist 15:18, Ft Huachuca Buffalo soldiers 17:30, 4th of July 19:29, Coaster races 19:33
Interviewed By: Art Kelly
ListenDr. G Harry Hess interviewed by Beverly Woods
Content: Family Tree 00:01, Sacramento Hill 3:45, Hospital 4:20, Great Depression 8:15, WPA 8:30, Social Gatherings 10:00, Playing Golf 10:45, Woman’s Club 11:30, Heating Sources 15:30, Phelps Dodge Mercantile Fire 17:50, Pharmacy 21:20, Emergency at the Mine 23:20, Mine Injuries 25:10, Juniper Flats 27:50, Emergencies/Incidents in Bisbee 28:00, Wartime Shortage for Drs. 35:20, Blood Transfusion in Arizona 37:20, Prejudice and Discrimination in the Mines 42:45, Education System 45:55, Grandchildren 51:30, Honors for Nature Work 52:35, Ventilation Problems in the Mines 1:00:50
Interviewed By: Beverly Woods
ListenDr. Joe Saba and Dr. Harry Hess self interviews May 19, 1974
Content: Dr. Saba Coming to Bisbee 0:30, Family Tree 2:20, Dr. Hess Coming to Bisbee 3:00, Family Tree 4:20, Bisbee Doctors 5:35, Medical Process 6:50, Blood Transfusion 8:00, Pneumonia treatment 8:30, Home births delivery 11:00, Patient count 12:10, Anesthesia 18:20, Diseases 23:45, Contagious disease hospital - Pest House 28:45, Single Nurses 29:45, Armed Doctors 32:03, House Calls 34:20, Cancer treatment 39:00, Doctor Code 40:00, Doctor salary 43:00, 1974 Hospital personnel 44:00
Date Recorded: 19/05/1974
Interviewed By: Dr Harry Hess
ListenDr. Raphael Durfee interviewed by Elaine Saba
Content: Sanitation & Public health 0:59, Coming to Bisbee 2:39, Dental health of Mexican children versus Anglo children 4:15, Tuberculosis 6:55, School Lunch program 9:31, Milk refrigeration 11:04, Various Bisbee area Physicians 13:01, Milk bacteria culture 16:50, Bisbee Deportation and the I.W.W 20:55, Spanish American War 22:54, Flu epidemic 25:00, Schooling 25:59, Coming to Bisbee 30:24, Medical school 34:38, 4th of July celebrations 35:17, Minerals 39:45, Mexican revolution 47:23, Border patrol bi-planes 49:28, WWII 52:10
Date Recorded: 22/04/1991
Interviewed By: Elaine Saba
ListenDushan Vlahovich interviewed by Beverly Woods April 18th 1995
Content: Family Tree 00:10, Coming to Bisbee 7:50, Lowell School 11:10, Gardens 12:28, Canning 12:40, Family Tree 13:10, House Growing Up 15:05, Neighbors Nationalities 17:10, The Great Depression 18:52, Grocery Shopping 23:00, Lyric Theatre 24:40, Bisbee as a Community 26:30, Library 27:10, Bisbee High School 27:20, Sports 28:00, Bisbee High School 28:10, Courtship 30:50, Coming to Bisbee 32:40, Legal Work for Local Serbians 34:50, Serbian Church 35:55, Holidays Serbian and American 38:15, Serbian Dishes and Food 40:55, Lowell Farmers Market 41:40, Doing Things in Bisbee 43:10, Social Class Structure 45:15, Helping at Restaurant 49:30, 4th of July 50:40, Lowell Drug 51:50, Copper Queen Hospital 53:10, Children 53:30, Retirement 56:00
Date Recorded: 18/04/1995
Interviewed By: Beverly Woods
ListenEd Goldwitzer interviewed by Dr. Harry French-Jan 5, 1973
Content: Copper mining 0:50, Copper industry personnel 2:00, Drug store 2:55, Holiday pay for miners 6:20, Mexican Revolution 4:15, Marriage 4:40, IWW Wobblies 5:20, Bisbee Deportation 6:20, Pastimes 8:50, Copper Industry personnel 10:05, Phelps Dodge Corporation 11:35,**BAD RECORDING, Mining 13:05, Copper pricing 18:58,**BAD RECORDING
Date Recorded: 05/01/1973
Interviewed By: Dr. Harry French
ListenEd Lehner interviewed by Carl Nelson
Content: Archaeological Discoveries in Bisbee 00:40, Evidence of Mammoths in Bisbee 3:20, Taking Bones to the Smithsonian 8:00, Saber Tooth Tiger bones 10:00, Casa Grande Ruins 16:05, Establishing a Museum 17:55, Funding 19:50
Interviewed By: Carl Nelson
ListenEddie King interviewed by Beverly Woods January 10th 1995
Content: Family Tree 00:05, Coming to Bisbee 1:40, Family Tree 4:15, Courtship/Marriage 6:10, Family Cooking 6:25, Theatres 17:30, Birth/Siblings 18:40, Entertainment 21:50, Solomon Springs 23:20, Golf Course 24:30, Central School 28:20, Diet 30:00, Death 30:25, 4th of July 33:45, Golf Course 36:15, Newspaper 37:00, Schooling 39:10, Cars 40:50, Streetcars 44:00
Date Recorded: 10/01/1995
Interviewed By: Beverly Woods
ListenEdith Hanley interviewed by Arthur Kent
Content: Immigrants from Finland 1:00, Mining 1:30, Cave in 2:10, Fire 2:51, Fire dept 4:15, O.K street 5:18, Fire 5:42, Flooding 6:30, Main street 7:45, School 8:30, Bisbee High school 10:19, Loss of limb 10:31, Automobile 12:00, Brewery gulch 12:50, Star Theater 13:40, Saloons 16:10, City park 17:50, Horse stables 19:00, Business locations 20:15
Interviewed By: Art Kent
ListenEdna Wishart (1 of 2) interviewed by Deborah Meus
Content: Coming to Bisbee 0:28, WWI 2:30, Piano/music store 2:48, WWII 5:11, Boarding homes 5:34, Miner lunchboxes 6:30, Jiggerville Boarding houses 9:05, Finish immigration 11:58, Dance halls 13:01, Schooling 14:11, Streetcar 19:12, Social structure 21:33, Orphean Theater 23:50, Population 24:53,School district 27:00, courtship 29:13, Divorce 32:08, Teaching 34:38, Women s club 37:00, Shootout 39:40, Funeral 41:44, P.D store 46:00, I.W.W 48:01, Mexican miners 48:48, Finish 49:40, Mine visits 51:15, Lowell school 58:01
Interviewed By: Deborah Meus
ListenEdna Wishart (2 of 2) interviewed by Deborah Meus
Content: Great Depression 0:23, Orphans building 1:20, Movie 6:20, Winery 9:35, hippies 11:50, Old photographs 16:21
Interviewed By: Deborah Meus
ListenEdna Woods-Aug 12 1976
Content: Chicken pox 1:00, Parents 2:48, Bisbee deportation I.W.W 5:00, Mexican Revolution 9:52, Circus 12:09, Airplane 15:18, Bandstand 20:15, Death 22:53, Showgirls 24:01, Murder 29:14, Arizona Statehood 38:30, Oil prospecting 40:00, Farming 42:19
Date Recorded: 12/08/1976
Interviewed By: Not Set
ListenEdward Downs interviewed by Beverly Woods August 1st 1994 (One of Two)
Content: Family Tree 0:08, Irish Immigration 2:10, Downs Pool Hall 4:50, Proprietorship 5:40, Down's Barber Shop 7:15, Gas baths 8:00, Clientele 15:45, O'Hare neighborhood 17:30, City Ordinance on Horses 19:00, Automobile 19:30, Police Parking 20:30, Phelps Dodge Mercantile 22:00, Main Street Businesses 23:00, Wallace Pool Hall 24:30, Grocery Stores 26:30, Homesteading 32:00, Farming 33:30, University of Arizona Experiment Station 35:00, McNeil School 36:30, Hunting 42:15, Canning 44:30, 4th of July 50:00, Coaster Races 50:45, Children Games 52:45, Desert Vegetation 54:45, Ponds 56:45, Dances 1:01:00, Catholic School 1:01:45
Date Recorded: 01/08/1994
Interviewed By: Beverly Woods
ListenEdward Downs interviewed by Beverly Woods August 1st 1994 (Two of Two)
Content: Fire 0:05, Phelps Dodge Fire 2:00, Reservoir 3:15, Floods 4:00, Swimming Pool 5:45, Prairie Dog 7:30, Dirt Roads 10:30, Dinosaur bones 13:00, Native American artifacts 14:15, Changes in Weather 16:45
Date Recorded: 01/08/1994
Interviewed By: Beverly Woods
ListenEdward Siria interviewed by Art Kent-May 8, 1975
Content: Construction 0:05, Store locations 0:45, Transportation 1:10, Bus and Trolley 1:45, Warren district 2:25, Jiggerville mine 3:15, South Bisbee 3:40, San Jose district 4:08, Old Bisbee 6:00, Tombstone Canyon 6:30, Mule Mountain Tunnel 6:50, Highway 80 8:08, Interstate 10 8:42
Date Recorded: 08/05/1975
Interviewed By: Art Kent
ListenEdward Siria interviewed by Art Kent-May 8, 1975
Content: Employment 1:38, Unemployment 4:00, Poor audio quality 5:00, Employment 9:30, Wages 11:03, Military service 12:20, Employment 17:50
Date Recorded: 08/05/1975
Interviewed By: Art Kent
ListenEdwin Muheim interviewer unknown
Content: Swiss Immigration 0:45, Muheim family history 1:00, Muheim family tree 1:35, Train 2:01, Swiss Immigration 3:33, Saloon 3:50, Employment 5:01
Interviewed By: Not Set
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