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.
Guy Guess interviewed by None Noted
Content: Acting 0:36, Crew 2:20, Setting of Movie 4:05, Cutting film 4:54, Leading role 5:24, Shooting scenes 7:00, Camera cars 7:43, Native American Characters 8:06, Story 9:03, Extras 12:35, Female roles 13:39, Horse accidents 15:15, Wages 16:24, Schooling 17:38, Mining 19:45
Interviewed By: Not Set
ListenHannon Hogan-interviewed by Art Kent
Content: Timber man 1:09, Horse transportation, Mine shaft 3:00, Mining claims 5:30, Ore 7:15, Murder 8:00, Bisbee Extension 9:41, Flooded Mine 11:15, Rock formations 13:05, Bunkhouses 13:41, The Y 15:18, The Modern 16:14, Teamsters 17:54, Clydesdale 18:08, The Modern 21:23, School house 21:37, School 28:01, Death Bunkhouses 32:05, Stagecoach 34:50, Prison camp 36:23, Bridges 37:18, Death by car accident 40:41, Earthquake 42:16, Climate change 43:03, Deforestation 43:50, Railroad 45:53
Interviewed By: Art Kent
ListenHarriett Wilson interviewer Unknown-Dec 16,1978
Content: Ranching 0:15, Well water 2:30, Natural spring 3:04, Cattle market 3:12, Children 4:11, Mexican Immigration 5:15, Spanish Immigration 7:21, Family tree 8:00, Murder 8:19, Gadsden purchase 9:25, St. Augustine Cathedral 9:58, Marriage 10:52, Geronimo 12:29, Marriage 12:43, P.D Store 13:45, Ranching 14:08, Family tree 15:00, Death 16:48, Population of Bisbee 17:02, Asthma 18:14, Schools 18:40
Date Recorded: 16/12/1978
Interviewed By: Unknown
ListenHarry and Sylvia Hober interviewed by Coleen Crowliet (One of Two)
Content: Birth 00:20, Coming/Moving to Bisbee 00:30, First Impressions of Tombstone 2:30, Marriage 4:10, Clinic Closure 9:25, Hospital 10:00, Social Life 10:45, Shopping, 12:10, Churches 13:40, Movies 15:20, Christmas in Tombstone 15:50, Helldorado Days 16:35, Little League 18:25, Kid Hangouts 21:20, Tourism Starting in Tombstone 23:00, Remodeling of Tombstone Courthouse 24:00, Popular Eateries 26:01, Schooling in Cochise County 28:50, Open Range 35:20, Telephone Company 36:50, City Government 38:20, City Hall 44:10, Helldorado Days 46:10, City Clerk Job 48:40
Interviewed By: Coleen Crowliet
ListenHarry and Sylvia Hober interviewed by Coleen Crowliet (Two of Two)
Content: Fire 00:01, Paving the Streets and Adding Sewage in Tombstone 2:00, Activities for Kids in Tombstone 6:00, Schools in Tombstone 6:55
Interviewed By: Coleen Crowliet
ListenHarry Hannon & Keller Hogan interviewed by Art Kent
Content: Bisbee expansion (extension) 1:08, Aquifer 4:27, Bisbee expansion mining claim 6:01, Different miners 10:03, Bunkhouses 13:47, The "Y" (hwy 90 &hwy 80) 15:05, Miner housing 17:35, The Modern 20:15, School 21:35, Mines in Tombstone canyon 24:20, Schooling 27:03, Different miners 31:40, Midwifes 29:50, Railroad 34:14, Roads 35:34, Building bridges 37:19 Road Fatality 40:34, Mule trains 46:40
Interviewed By: Art Kent
ListenHarry Hannon interviewed by Art Kent
Content: Native American camps 0:25, Native American pottery 1:40,Native American camps 2:35,Native American cuisine 3:20, Juniper flats 6:00, Gold and silver mining 6:35, Pets 8:45, Irish Immigration 9:35, Box canyon 10:09, Mine Shaft 12:23, Wild pig attack 15:43, mine shafts 16:23, Dairy 18:21, Box Canyon
Interviewed By: Art Kent
ListenHarry Mitchell interviewed by Boyd Nicholl February 11th 2002 (One of Two)
Content: Coming/Moving to Bisbee and Funeral Business 00:20, Bisbee Layout and Neighborhoods 4:30, Business Competition 12:00, Junior Chamber of Commerce 13:40, Involvement in the Schools and Community Unity 16:10, Friends and Colleagues 17:40, Funeral Business 21:10, King Ranch 38:20, Miracle Valley 38:40, Community Organizations 41:20, Ordained Minister 43:45, Children 53:00, Marriage 55:30, Friends and Colleagues 56:30
Date Recorded: 11/02/2002
Interviewed By: Boyd Nicholl
ListenHarry Mitchell interviewed by Boyd Nicholl February 11th 2002 (Two of Two)
Content: Coming/Moving to Bisbee 00:10, New Hospital 8:40, Parking and Traffic 19:00, Newspaper 22:00, Mortuary School 23:40, Funeral Business 27:30
Date Recorded: 11/02/2002
Interviewed By: Boyd Nicholl
ListenHazel Mckeown Interviewer Unknown October 3rd 1970
Content: Coming to Bisbee 00:30, Young Blood Hill 1:05, Water Supply 3:05, Grocery Store/Meat Market 5:10, City Park as the Cemetery 6:00, Amphitheatre in City Park 6:15, Opera House 7:00, Walking to School from Young Blood Hill 7:40, Dances in Brewery Gulch 9:40, Star Theatre 10:39, Muheim House 11:50, Brewery 12:10, Ice Man 14:40, Beer Delivery 16:25, Neighborhoods in Bisbee 18:15, “Evening Minor” Newspaper 22:45, Boardwalks and Sidewalks 24:40, Gamblers 26:20, Photography 31:30, Brewery Gulch 32:30
Date Recorded: 03/10/1970
Interviewed By: Unknown
ListenHelen Henderson interviewed by Carl Nelson
Content: Star Theater 1:05, Popcorn 2:23, Films 3:45, Musical bands 4:03, Elks Lodge 6:20, Orpheum Theater 6:35, Singing 7:25, Flooding 7:50, Orchestra 10:20, Ice cream parlor 11:10, Picnics 12:45, Walking 13:49, Ramsey Canyon 14:39, Box Canyon 15:20, Swimming 17:00, Dance pavilion 18:00, Circus 19:11, Parade 20:05, Train 20:50, Dances 22:05, Olympic games 23:20
Interviewed By: Carl Nelson
ListenHelen Henderson interviewer unknown-Oct 10, 1989
Content: Greenway School 0:29, WWII 1:13, County jail 2:30, Wine vendor 3:30, Philadelphia Hotel 4:05, Bicycle shop 5:15, Automobile 6:20, Pythian Castle 7:30, Bisbee ore office 8:00, Murder 8:30, Fire 10:29, Flooding 11:15, Brooks Apartments 11:57, Philadelphia Hotel 12:14, Boarding houses 12:30, Fire 14:20, Construction 15:01, Johnson and Prall Building 15:47, Silver King Hotel 17:01, Accident 18:03, Mile High Auto 21:55, Bakery 26:29, Old Star Lodging House 26:53, Serbian immigration 27:48, Italian immigration 28:00, Swedish immigration 28:27, The Green house 29:50, Grocery 31:11, Syrian immigration 31:49, Hotel Lamore 32:30, Produce 33:37, Wood yard 34:00, Wine making 34:59, Italian immigration 35:28, Miller house 37:10, Ira grocery 37:31, Finnish immigration 40:01, African Americans 41:28, Opera house 42:20, Segregation 42:58, Sunrise shaft 43:45, Muhiem family 45:10, Tay Dalton United States House of Representatives 46:13, Laundry 47:59, Murder 48:30, WWI 49:39, Henderson Lumber Yard 50:00,Western Union/Telegrams 51:30, Mason's Meat Market 51:51, Dairy 53:25, Grocery 54:20, Cemetery 54:59, Vienna Bakery 55:30, Parnell Bakery 56:19, The Miners Hotel 56:50, Shoe Repair Shop 57:07, Photographer 58:51, Post Office 59:15, Boarding House 59:45, Bevans House Of representatives 1:00:06
Date Recorded: 10/10/1989
Interviewed By: Unknown
ListenHelen Jennison interviewer unknown-Feb 14, 1976
Content: Revolutionary war 0:25, Marriage 1:40, Tuberculosis 2:22, Gender roles 4:20, Chinese immigrants 4:40, Homesteading 5:45, Teaching 7:20, Marriage 8:53, Building of church 11:47, Minister of Church 15:30, Tuberculosis 16:10, Red light district 17:10, Boxing 18:20, Marriage 19:50, Cemetery 21:20, Desegregation 23:01, School board 25:55, Teacher requirements to teach 27:00, State legislature 30:25, Segregation in schools 32:26, Boarding house 34:29
Date Recorded: 14/02/1976
Interviewed By: Not Set
ListenHelen Wasser interviewed by Carl Nelson- March 11, 1974
Content: Irish Immigration, Scottish Immigration 0:45, Canadian Immigration 1:05, Infrastructure 1:40, Lavender pit 2:25, Family tree 3:12, Typhoid fever, Smallpox 3:45, Marriage 4:03, Grant's Shoe store 4:38, WWI 5:15, Boarding houses 5:40, Farmers market 7:35, Music box 8:20, Jiggerville 9:00, Jefferson School 9:58, Tempe Normal school (ASU) 10:10, Family 10:45
Date Recorded: 11/03/1974
Interviewed By: Carl Nelson
ListenHelen Williams interviewed by Judith Fabry-Dec 17, 1980
Content: 0:48 Birthday , Tombstone 1:23, Cattle business 1:50, Warren, Arizona 3:05, Mrs. Reilly's Private school 3:55, Washington D.C. 9:10, Prominent Bisbee Families 6:10, Senator Barry Goldwater 7:08, Family Tree 8:05, Politics 8:40, Washington D.C 9:10, Music School 10:09, Covered Wagon 12:00, Meat market 13:40, O.K Corral 17:20, Gunfight at the O.K Corral 17:50, Brewery Gulch 18:43, Meat Market 19:45, Mrs. Reilly's Private school 20:02
Date Recorded: 17/12/1980
Interviewed By: Judith Fabry
ListenHenrietta Sisk interviewed by Carl Nelson-1972
Content: Bisbee deportation 0:59, Copper Queen miners 1:45, Transportation 2:58, Flood 3:30, Teaching 5:10, Great Depression 6:25, Flood 7:52, Pesthouse 9:25, Canadian immigration 10:25, Pesthouse diseases, smallpox and typhoid fever 10:40, High School fire 12:10
Interviewed By: Carl Nelson
ListenHenry Smith interviewed by Carl Nelson
Content: Rattlesnake hibernation 0:20, Rattlesnakes in Sun/sunning 2:24, Mating 2:48, Feeding/hunting 4:12, Snake Venom 6:50, Snake skin shedding 8:22, Various Rattlesnake species 16:00, Coral snakes 17:29, Gender Identifying 19:00, Birth 20:43, Predators of Rattlesnakes 21:46, Snake venom 23:01, How to treat a snake bite 26:20
Interviewed By: Carl Nelson
ListenHerlinda Valenzuela Tafoya interviewed by Beverly Woods July 12th 1993
Content: Family Tree 00:10, Coming/Moving to Bisbee 5:25, Orphans 8:40, Adoption 11:40, Growing up in Brewery Gulch 16:50, Ice Cream Shop 18:30, Holidays 18:50, Car and Transportation 21:20, Garden 22:50, Franklin School 23:30, Shopping 32:40, City Park 34:50, Dubaker Canyon 37:10, Businesses in Lowell 41:20, Christmas 45:22, Wood Burning Stove 49:55, Plants for Remedy Use 53:19, The Great Depression 55:30, Chickens 1:02:10
Date Recorded: 12/07/1993
Interviewed By: Beverly Woods
ListenHerman Adams interviewed by Rod Hutchinson January 15 1981
Content: Coming to Bisbee 00:10, Birth 2:50, Working in the Mines 3:50, Bisbee Deportation 4:20, Automobiles 9:45, Underground Work 10:20, **Recording is Bad From 10:25-11:07**Mules in the Mines 11:08, Underground Work 12:15, Accidents 13:30, Rescue Team 14:50, Working for Phelps Dodge 17:55, Ore from the Mines 19:45, Entertainment 21:39, Country Club 22:05, Mexico and Naco 23:24, Masonic Lodge and Church 24:25, Neighborhoods in Bisbee 25:10, Gas and Electricity 27:07, Office of the Lumber Yard 29:25, Automobile Dealers 29:45, Unions 31:20, Bisbee Deportation 31:40, Shotgun Johnson 34:00, Different Groups/Nationalities 35:50, Traveling 37:20, Fort Huachuca 38:00, Coaster Races on the 4th of July 40:30, Warren Ballpark 42:30, Louis Springs Picnic 43:05, Leaving Bisbee 43:40, Nicknames in the Mines 45:37, Rain Storms 48:10, Swimming Pool 50:20, Coming Back to Bisbee 51:05
Date Recorded: 15/01/1981
Interviewed By: Rod Hutchinson
ListenHouston Davis interviewer unknown
Content: Marriage 0:07, Protestant 0:37, Marriage 1:24, Cattle drive/Drought 2:26, Mexico 4:11, Pasturing cattle 5:33, Cattle market 7:08, Apple Orchard 9:40
Interviewed By: Not Set
ListenHouston Davis Interviewer Unknown
Content: Ranch Life 00:05, Rattlesnakes 3:10, Chuck Line Riders 5:05, Traveling 8:55, Funerals 17:55, Coming to the Southwest 18:30, Schooling 26:40, The Great Depression 38:30, World War II 48:00, The Great Depression 54:40
Interviewed By: Unknown
ListenHoward & Elizabeth Geer interviewed by Art Kent
Content: Family 0:46, Central School 1:37, Mexican Immigration, Irish Immigration English immigration German Immigration 2:25, Recreation 3:40, Various residents 5:30, Pharmacy 6:15, Military barracks 7:01, Mexican revolution 8:49, Childhood playmates 10:25, Mayor Muirhead fist mayor of Bisbee Arizona 15:24, Lyric theater 16:13, Business locations 17:15, Various residents 19:01, Employment 19:40, Mining equipment 21:50, Family 24:05, Badd recording*** 25:00, Soldier miners 26:49, Bus Station 28:58
Interviewed By: Not Set
ListenHoward Staniger interviewed by Fred Johnson 1981
Content: Underground mining 0:20, Cleaning track 1:18, Mucking 2:10, Cleaning track 3:29, Mule Skinner 5:28, Mule barn 11:30, tool nipper 13:01, Station 15:41, Muck 17:15, Underground mining 18:51, Sacramento hill 19:30, Mucking a Crosscut 20:15, Blasting 25:03, Drilling 27:18, Plugger 28:59, Miners pay 30:32, Boarding house 31:50, Miners lunch box 33:15, Mining conditions 35:43,Timber man 38:50, Tombstone, Arizona 43:35, O.K Corral 44:21, Schooling 46:19, School district valuation 50:28, Pool Hall 52:08, O.K corral 53:14, Buggy and Wagon 54:27, Mexican Immigration 56:39,Charleston 57:30, Gunfight at the O.K corral 59:09
Interviewed By: Fred Johnson
ListenHowell & Elsie Ragsdale interviewed by Carl Nelson - Dec 5, 1974
Content: Lineage 0:40, Miner wages 7:00, School Life 8:10, Proprietorship 17:30, Phelps Dodge Mercantile Fire 22:29, Main Street Fire 24:00, Coaster races 24:42, Automobiles and streetcars 26:32, Lowell motel 28:10, World War II, Floods 32:10, Airplane 33:20, Bandstand 34:15, 4th of July 34:52
Date Recorded: 05/12/1974
Interviewed By: Carl Nelson
ListenHugh Detloff interviewed by Art Kelly
Content: Coming to Bisbee 0:38, Mule Trains 1:23, Native American attacks 1:59, Road grading 2:45, Catholic church 3:38, Earthquake of 1887-Glory hole collapse 4:45, Native American Attacks 5:35, Miller Peak 7:01, Silver Discovery 8:40, Geronimo 9:05, Gunfight O.K corral 10:05, Chinese immigrants 12:00, Sea shells in the desert 12:48, Schooling 14:38, Dance Hall 18:40, Accidental shooting 19:45, Earthquake of 1887 diverts rivers and lakes 21:29, Shattuck Family 23:00, Street car Flooding 26:43, Auto fatality 29:28, Fire 30:52, Road Shows 36:01, Bad Recording** 37:27, Naco, Arizona 38:25, Great Depression 40:40, Business locations 43:10
Interviewed By: Art Kelly
ListenHugh Dugan interviewed by Keller Hogan
Content: Family Tree 0:30, Funeral Homes 1:07, Mine floods 1:53, Funeral Homes 2:30, Livery Stable 3:29, Baseball 3:49, Marriage 4:00, Schooling 4:50, The Great Depression 5:25, Employment 5:45, Embalming School 6:31, Dugan Funeral Chapel 7:29, Schooling 8:41, The Great Depression 9:15, Model T Ford 9:30, Mining 10:45, Dugan Funeral Chapel 10:21
Interviewed By: Keller Hogan
ListenIda Coggin interviewed by Carl Nelson August 12th 1974
Content: Family Tree 00:39, Coming to Bisbee 9:05, School 11:40, Teachers at Horse Man 12:20, Family Tree 14:40, YWCA 16:40, Pioneer Living 19:20, Camp Washington 24:50, Patagonia 29:20, Railroads 30:00 **Tape Sound Stops from 31:10-31:27 and 36:36-36:40** Miners 32:43, Farming 36:41, Rattlesnakes 42:00, Mexico 45:05, Marriage 50:25, Family Tree 50:30, Riding the Train 53:50, Baking Bread 56:15, Buying Grapes 56:40, Making Raisins 57:50
Date Recorded: 12/08/1974
Interviewed By: Carl Nelson
ListenIda Power interviewed by Coleen Crowliet
Content: Religion 0:05, Episcopal Church 0:24, Baseball 1:05, Boxing 1:26, "Yellow Dog Brown" 1:45, Boarding Houses 2:35, Mexican culture 2:55, Cooking 3:30, Home Remedies 4:22, Medicine 5:45, Pharmacy 6:50, Communism 8:20, Traveling 10:00
Interviewed By: Coleen Crowliet
ListenIda Power interviewed by Coleen Crowliet March 17th 1981 (One of Two)
Content: Biography/Family Tree 00:10, Boarding Houses 3:50, Family Tree 4:30, Women’s Employment 9:40, Family Tree 11:10, Childhood Memories 12:35, Chores 13:45, Schooling 14:50, Women’s Employment 18:20, Tucson 21:10, Recreation 22:30, Nights of Pithius 23:10, Traveling Shows 24:45, Opera House 26:40, Curfews 28:00, Phelps Dodge Store 29:15, Sewing 31:10, Women’s Employment 31:50, Teaching 34:00, Supplies for Students 43:20, Ethnic Groups/Discrimination 44:55, Politics 51:30, Airplanes 52:45, Bisbee Deportation 54:00, Dating 55:20, Art 55:50, Library 58:25
Date Recorded: 17/03/1981
Interviewed By: Coleen Crowliet
ListenIrene Anderson interviewed by Arthur Kent
Content: Jiggerville 1:00, Transportation 3:00, Lowell School 4:30, Wildfire 5:30, Horse and Buggy 6:25, Automobile 6:50, Jiggerville 7:45, Street car 8:21, School 9:50, Open pit mining 11:00, Mining 13:00, Ore waste 13:59, Bisbee Deportation 15:50, Jiggerville school 17:50, Fire fighting 20:00, Lowell mine 21:40, Lowell fire 24:45
Interviewed By: Art Kent
Listen