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.
Frank Brophy interviewed by Harry J Finch - Jan 4, 1972
Content: Transportation 0:40, Illness 2:20, Hospital 3:00, Population 4:35, Apache raids 5:10, Sports 6:30, Cactus League 7:34, 4th of July 8:24, Churches 9:00, Schools 10:40, Y.M.C.A. 11:20, Douglas family 12:20, Burro 14:00, Water Company 14:40, Lumber 15:50, Phelps Dodge Mercantile 17:25, Proprietorship 19:10, Banking 22:15, Floods 27:00, Fire 28:40, Statehood 29:20
Date Recorded: 04/01/1972
Interviewed By: Harry J Finch
ListenFrank Lea interviewed by Carl Nelson-1977
Content: Art 0:10, Schooling 0:45, Depression 1:10, Illustrations 2:10, Salesman 2:49, Retirement 3:30, Photography 4:10, Vietnam War 4:30, Employment 5:12, Art Exhibition 6:30, Illustrations 7:59
Interviewed By: Carl Nelson
ListenFrank Wojick interviewed by Vlasta Mihelich-June 20, 1986
Content: Coming to Arizona 0:53, Great Depression 1:55, Mucking 2:37, Firefighters 3:51, Theater 5:11, Phelps dodge corporation 6:39, Underground mining 8:01, Retirement 10:59, mining flood 11:55, Mining fire 13:50, Employment 16:20, Hospitals in Bisbee 17:40, Flood gate 18:35, Street car 18:45, Miners 22:40, Brophy carriage company 23:50, Bank of Douglas 25:50, Ice plant 26:53
Date Recorded: 20/06/1986
Interviewed By: Valdosta Mihelich
ListenFrank Zaleski interviewed by Beverly Woods-Aug 31, 1993 (Part one of two)
Content: Lithuanian Immigration 0:30, Mail service 2:20, Marriage 4:05, Railroad 5:03, Mining 5:15, Miners consumption 5:30, Livery Stable 6:20, Homesteading 6:45, Well digging 8:20, Travel lodge 12:00, WWII rationing 18:38, Travel lodge 20:10, Hereford, Arizona 22:30, Cowboys 23:30, Hereford 25:00, Post Office 26:15, Palominos and Hereford schools 29:20, Model T Ford 30:25, Flooding 31:39, Transportation 33:15, Marriage 37:10, Cooking 38:50
Date Recorded: 31/08/1993
Interviewed By: Beverly Woods
ListenFrank Zaleski interviewed by Beverly Woods-Aug 31,1993 (Part two of two)
Content: Canadian Immigration 0:25, Cattle Ranching 1:30, Death by Miners consumption 2:10, Ranching 2:50, Fletcher's roundup 4:00, Gold strike 6:53, Beer garden 7:40, Ford Model A, Building locations 12:30, Real Estate 15:20, Blasting 16:30, Industrial accident 18:00, Automobile accident 20:12
Date Recorded: 31/08/1993
Interviewed By: Beverly Woods
ListenFred Corrin interviewed by Beverly Woods December 12th 2000
Content: Cecil Corrin 0:05, Hearing about Bisbee 0:54, Schools 2:04, Before Lavender Pit 2:40, Areas in Bisbee 3:30, Junction Row 4:30, Lowell Women’s Club 5:50, Mason Hill 6:10, Sacramento Pit 6:20, Relatives in Bisbee 6:55, Working in the Mines 9:20, Family and Growing up in Bisbee 12:30, Food 13:36, Phelps Dodge 14:50, Junction Road 17:00, Bisbee Road Homes 17:35, Hiring Process for the Mines 19:30, Different Jobs in Mining 22:00, Tunnels in the Mines 27:40, Working in the Mines 29:00, YWCA 32:40, Bisbee Pool 33:10, YMCA 34:35, Bisbee Schools 38:30, Marriage 39:35, After High School 42:20, Fort Huachuca 44:15, Teaching in Bisbee 46:40, Extension Courses through U of A 50:10, Computers 51:20, Last Minute Thoughts on Teaching 56:00
Date Recorded: 12/12/2000
Interviewed By: Beverly Woods
ListenFred Corrin interviwed by Beverly Woods-Dec 12, 2000
Content: Tennis 0:20, State championships 9:30,Coaching 29:00,
Date Recorded: 12/12/2000
Interviewed By: Beverly Woods
ListenFred McKinney interviewed by Carl Nelson
Content: Bisbee Ore Newspaper 1:20, Special Election of 1929 and Moving of the County Seat 6:10, Businesses 12:10, Weekly Newspapers 12:30, Transition of County Seat and Courts 20:10, Baseball 23:00
Interviewed By: Carl Nelson
ListenFred Mckinney interviewed by Carl Nelson
Content: City directory 0:22, Democratic President 1:06, Mail theft 1:25, Police Force 2:20, Fire Dept 3:25, Identity theft of miners 4:20, Various Mine shafts 5:00, Brigs mine fire 6:00, Banks 6:40, business locations 7:43, The Bisbee review (Newspaper) 8:47, Hospitals 9:30, Ice wagon 10:50, Electricity 13:50, Prohibition 14:20
Interviewed By: Carl Nelson
ListenFred Thomas interviewed by Boyd Nicholl April 22nd 2004 (One of Two)
Content: Birth and Upbringing 00:10, Fort Huachuca and Employment 1:15, Junction Mine Word 2:50, Mucker 6:40, Close Calls in the Mines 9:35, Partners and Different Jobs 19:00, Mule Barn 23:30, Stope Cave in 24:50, Father Experiences in the Mines 27:20
Date Recorded: 22/04/2004
Interviewed By: Boyd Nicholl
ListenFred Thomas interviewed by Boyd Nicholls April 28th 2004 (Two of Two)
Content: Cross Cut Crews 00:10, Machinery 16:10, Temperatures in the Mines 25:00, Cross Cut Crews 25:20, Maze Underground 40:25, Working in the Bottom of the Pit 45:50, Underground Memories 46:50
Date Recorded: 28/04/2004
Interviewed By: Boyd Nicholl
ListenFred Valenzuela interviewed by Jim Cox
Content: Snow storm 1:19, Bad Recording*** 2:30, Death by exposure 4:55, Snow storm subsides 6:00, Tin town 7:35, Immigration 9:10, Murder investigation 10:48, Army soldiers 12:18, Chief of Police Sanchez murder investigation 18:39, Conspiracy of Murder 21:43, Murder 25:00
Interviewed By: Jim Cox
ListenFred Valenzuela interviewed by Jim Cox
Content: U.S customs 0:40, Capturing contraband 3:00, U.S customs patrol 4:50, murder by international smuggler 5:40, Mexican revolution-the 1st known bombing of American soil 1929 (accidentally) 8:01, Cattle drive 10:45, Gambling house 12:41, Mexican land ownership 14:19, Studebaker automobile 17:08, Naco hotel 18:50, Chinese immigration 20:32, Boarding house 21:15, Cabaret 25:30, Ranching 27:57, Wagon trails 29:50
Interviewed By: Jim Cox
ListenFred Valenzuela interviewer unknown
Content: Wagon trails 0:10, Roads 0:40, Snow 1:31, Evolution of Roads 1:45, Wagon trails 2:00, Patagonia, Arizona 2:39, Murder 3:30, Covered Wagons 4:38
Interviewed By: Not Set
ListenGarvin Frosco (tape 2) interviewed by Beverly Woods-June 7, 1999
Content: Phelps Dodge and the Lavender Pit closure 2:20, Unions 4:57, Model T Ford 6:42, Job Rustling 6:52, Bakery 10:30, Marriage 12:20, Navy Service 16:00, College 19:00, Injury 22:40, Sanitary Nipper 26:50
Date Recorded: 07/06/1999
Interviewed By: Beverly Woods
ListenGarvin Frosco interviewed by Beverly Woods-June 7, 1999
Content: Boarding house 1:15, Bed bugs 3:10, Shoes 3:40, Lincoln School 6:29, Hitchhiking 9:20, Miner violence and Alcohol abuse 10:28, "Canyon Rats" 16:00, High School 18:45, Mining 20:19, Mucker 22:39, Underground mining fires 27:00,Flooded mine 33:20, Water carts 44:20, Mining cage 46:59, Mining injury 52:30, Underground boon gang 58:30, Duties of a gang boss 1:00:40
Date Recorded: 07/06/1999
Interviewed By: Beverly Woods
ListenGene Bendixon interviewed by Beverly Woods-Interviewed July 15, 1998
Content: Mining 0:13, Underground Mining 0:45, Shafts 1:45, Mining accident 3:00, Workman's compensation 4:50, Drilling and Blasting 6:30, Diamond drilling 7:20, Lightning strike fire 36:50, Motor Men 38:00, Cave-ins 39:20, Open pit mining 40:45, Health of miners 41:50, Blasting 42:20, Mules 44:20, Racial inequalities 45:05, Mexican Immigration 46:00, Friendships 47:20, Theft 51:35, Copper water 53:30, Open pit mining 54:37, Flooding 56:20
Date Recorded: 15/07/1998
Interviewed By: Not Set
ListenGene Bendixon interviewed by Beverly Woods-Nov 16,1992
Content: 0:20 421 Black Knob, Danish Immigrants 0:30, Mining Corporations 5:30, Cager 6:40, Marriage 7:40, Irish Immigration 8:05, Family life 9:30, Infrastructure 11:40, Softball 12:40, Finnish Immigration 13:20, German Town 14:00, English Immigration 14:40, Lincoln School 15:20, Brewery Gulch 17:20, Sims road 19:20, Highland Park 20:20, Native American Tribes 23:00, Chinese Immigration Chinese Merchants 24:00, Skating 27:30, Street Car 28:30, Prohibition 30:25, Population and Deforestation 35:45, Fruit Orchard 37:15, Business locations 38:50, Baseball leagues 42:10, 4th of July 47:30, Softball 49:45, Theft 50:45, The Great Depression 52:10, Vacationing 53:50
Date Recorded: 16/11/1992
Interviewed By: Beverly Woods
ListenGeorge Hardt interviewed by Beverly Woods-May 26, 1993
Content: The Great Depression 0:40, Horse and Buggy 2:50, Underground Mining 3:11, Gardening 4:02, Bisbee Junction 6:39, Train 6:53, Childhood 9:43, Hiking 10:44, Fire 11:09, Collecting coal 12:54, Cow tips 12:54, Cooking 14:00, Refrigeration 14:15, Mail Service 14:50, School 16:09, Grocery stores 16:09, Lowell Market 21:27, Canning 22:35, Laundry 23:20, Naco Meat Market 23:50, Pig farming 24:30, Immigration 25:25, Christmas 26:17, Baking 28:12, Shows 28:45, Motorcycle Transportation 29:15, Mexican Revolution 30:03, Saddle theft 31:30, Rain 32:09, Farming 33:45, Snow 35:09, Hunting 35:26, Wildlife 36:50, Raising poultry 38:40, Supply truck 40:30, Phelps Dodge Corporation 41:55, Model "T" Ford 44:07, Dairy 46:22, Marriage 53:47, Adobe Home 59:01, International travel 1:02:01
Date Recorded: 26/05/1993
Interviewed By: Beverly Woods
ListenGeorge Wright interviewed by Rod Hutchinson August 13th 1980
Content: **00:00-00:30 Bad Feedback** Mine Work 00:31, Safety Procedures 2:45, Working for Phelps Dodge 3:05, Depression 4:32, Entertainment 4:50, Marriage 3:40, Pool Hall 6:00, Naco 6:10, Pay Schedule 6:45, Church 7:39, Traveling Outside of Bisbee 9:40, Brewery Gulch 10:45, Movies and Entertainment 11:15, Automobiles 12:27, Mules in the Mines 13:00, Old Bisbee Shopping 14:02, Dixie Canyon 14:59, Prospecting 15:15, Warren Shaft 17:05, Practical Jokes 18:55, Union 21:00, Wages 21:15, Nicknames in the Mines 21:45, Different Jobs in the Mines 21:55, Working in Mexico 22:54, Foreman in the Mines 23:30, Retirement 23:47, Living Conditions 24:30, Gas 25:00, Natural Gas 25:30, Electricity 25:50, Cost of Living 26:00, Grocery Shopping 26:20, Farmers Market 26:40, Collecting Minerals 31:39, Weather in Bisbee 34:30, Coming to Bisbee 35:39, Mucking 37:58, Turn Sheet 39:10, Accidents in the Mine 40:15, Development in the Mines 40:20, Dynamite 41:10, Wages 42:40, Shaft Work 45:40, Different Jobs in the Mines 49:00 Accidents in the Mines 51:20, **52:35-end of tape is all a direct repeat of 00:31-7:39**
Date Recorded: 13/08/1980
Interviewed By: Rod Hutchinson
ListenGeorgia Wilcox interviewed by Carl Nelson-May 9, 1975
Content: George Wittin Wilcox 0:15, Civil War 1:05, George Wittin Wilcox family tree 1:20, Army 2:40, The hunt for Geronimo/ Ft. Huachuca 3:35, Marriage 5:45, Native American encounter 7:05, The old Tucson Star 9:35, Childhood homes 11:15, Diphtheria outbreak 14:01,Schooling 15:40, Transportation 17:25, 4th of July Celebration 17:44, Drilling contest 18:25, Rough riders of Bisbee and Southern Arizona 18:49, Spanish American war 20:30, Religion in Bisbee 22:25, Childhood homes 24:00, Polio death 26:20, 4th of July fireworks 26:40, College education 30:10
Date Recorded: 09/05/1975
Interviewed By: Carl Nelson
ListenGertrude and Kathleen Waters interviewed by Dave Gorman July 8th 1992
Content: Lowell Grocery 00:20, Russell Drug Store 1:05, Coming/Moving to Bisbee 4:25, Housing on Cochise Row 6:40, Train 8:30, First Impressions of Bisbee 9:15, Streetcars 9:20, Working in the Mines 9:50, Strikes 10:25, Mucking 11:20, Farming 12:19, Double Adobe 13:50, Ice 15:20, Crops on the Farm 15:40, Cooking 17:25, Traveling to Town 19:00, Gasoline 19:30, Road Conditions and Travel Time 20:00, Shopping and Clothing 22:30, Schooling 25:00, Life on OK Street 28:35, Church Activities 31:20, Schooling 36:21, Utilities 36:50, Cabin 38:35, Fountain Job at the Drugstore 48:40, Friends 54:35, Funny Stories at the Fountain 55:45, Celebrating Holidays and Family Gatherings 56:50
Date Recorded: 08/07/1992
Interviewed By: Dave Gorman
ListenGilbert Dalgleish interviewed by Burt Watkins
Content: Birth 0:50, Coming to Bisbee 1:05, Death 1:20, Coming to Bisbee/Family Tree 1:30, Saloons and Pool Houses 4:50, Court House 5:45, Family Tree 6:40
Interviewed By: Burt Watkins
ListenGladys Kendall interviewed by Coleen Crowliet
Content: Chinese and Blacks 00:05, Chinese Leaving Bisbee 4:35, Station Masters 5:20, Christmas 6:20, Fort Huachuca 7:00, School Teaching 7:15, Shopping 13:40
Interviewed By: Coleen Crowliet
ListenGladys Kendall interviewed by Coleen Crowliet
Content: Texas 00:10, Cattle Ranching 1:40, Death 3:30, School 4:20, Tombstone 11:05, Traveling by Train 12:50, Initial Thoughts of Tombstone 13:00, Courtship 16:30, Employment 17:20, Homesteading 23:40, Indians 23:50, Excavation 24:10, Marriage 25:20
Interviewed By: Coleen Crowliet
ListenGloria Casanova interviewed by Carl Nelson
Content: Cananea Mexico 00:15, Birth 00:20, Coming to Bisbee 00:25, Discrimination 1:35, Bisbee Deportation 6:35, Central School 9:45, Working at Phelps Dodge Store 14:40, Marriage 15:15, Family Tree 15:30, Channel 7 27:40, Employment 28:45, 4th of July 38:40, St. Patrick’s Hall 45:10
Interviewed By: Carl Nelson
ListenGrace Conrey interviewed by Beverly Woods (One of Two)
Content: Family Tree 00:15, Bisbee junction 4:10, Discrimination 8:20, Marriage 17:40, Oliver House 17:50, Baseball 28:25, Music 23;10, Oliver Family 23:50, Church 24:45, Memorable Guests 25:10, The Great Depression 27:35, Important Guests 28:30, 4th of July 29:30, Centennial 32:30, Stock Brokerage 33:10, Lyric Theatre 35:50, Candy Store 37:50, Oliver House 38:10, Finances 43:45, Cars 45:15, Dances 47:00, School 48:10, Oliver House 50:40, Laundry 52:40, Chores 53:25, Dishes/China 56:30, Shopping 59:00, Brewery Gulch 59:20, ‘B’ Hill 1:00:00
Interviewed By: Beverly Woods
ListenGrace Conrey interviewed by Beverly Woods (Two of Two)
Content: Guests of the Oliver House 00:07, Bridge across Wash 00:25, Water Tanks 1:50, Growing Up 2:30, Murder 3:10, Suicide 3:50, Phelps Dodge 5:15, Closing of the Mines 6:20, Moving Around 6:50, Sewing 8:55, Navy Service 10:20
Interviewed By: Beverly Woods
ListenGrace Ferguson interviewed by Beverly Woods-Dec 8, 1993
Content: Family Tree 0:30, Various mining communities 0:58, Schooling 1:30, Baby clothes 3:01, Musicians 3:58, Embroidery 6:25,Coasters 8:58, House decorating 10:15, Knitting 11:45, Phelps dodge store 15:00, Embroidery 16:58, Clothing 22:00, Dresser scarfs 25:23, Needlework 31:25, Starching 35:25, Family 38:01
Date Recorded: 08/12/1993
Interviewed By: Not Set
ListenGrace Haymore interviewed by None Noted
Content: Family home 1:39, Fire 2:00, Business locations 5:17, B hill 7:06, Schooling 8:33, O.K Corral 11:35, Mining 12:12, Ice plant 13:18, Business locations 14:45, Bisbee deportation 16:53, Coming to Bisbee 20:50, Family Tree 21:45, Bisbee 23:39
Interviewed By: Not Set
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