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.
John Hamilton (2 of 2) interviewed by Alice Metz-June 25, 1987
Content: Mexican mines and ore 0:24, Nacozari mine 1:29, Cooking 7:30, U.S customs 8:14, Building a mil 11:15, ore stockpile 12:38, Mexico 13:44, Mexican mil 15:40, Nacozari 16:43, Family 18:15, Building mils in South America 27:52
Date Recorded: 25/06/1987
Interviewed By: Alice Metz
ListenJohn M Brown interviewed by Carl Nelson-June 4, 1971
Content: Coming to Bisbee 0:30, Various employment 1:30, Barber shops 3:30, Street car 5:35, African American 5:58, Mexican miner pay wages 6:48, Phelps Dodge corporation 8:20, Racial inequalities 10:05, Retirement 12:25, Various business locations 13:21, Various buildings and Saloons 17:01, Saloons on Main Street 19:21, Irish Immigration/St. Patrick's day 22:58
Date Recorded: 04/06/1971
Interviewed By: Carl Nelson
ListenJohn Vercellino interviewed by Rod Hutchinson September 16th 1980
Content: Birth 00:20, Weather 00:40, Gas Works 2:40, Evergreen Cemetery 2:55, Checked Dams 8:30, Neighborhoods 9:00, Family Tree 9:10, St Patrick’s School 9:55, Franklin School 10:35, Pension 11:50, Queen Tunnel 12:00, Ore 20:00, Dickey 23:30, Queen Tunnel 27:00, Mining Old Mines 27:20, Mine Temperature 30:00, Strikes and Bisbee Deportation 34:30, Accidents in the Mines 36:20, Incline Shaft 39:30, The Great Depression 43:40, Checked Dams 46:00, Growing Up in Bisbee 49:30, Shafts in Bisbee 51:08, San Jose Mountains 56:08, Prohibition 59:35
Date Recorded: 16/09/1980
Interviewed By: Rod Hutchinson
ListenJose Solano interviewed by Carl Nelson-Sept 14, 1973
Content: Employment 0:59, Mexican Immigration 1:48, **Bad recording
Interviewed By: Carl Nelson
ListenJose Solano interviewed lecture in Spanish
Content: Mexican immigration 0:38, Burro ranching 1:03, Mules and mines 2:28, Mining 3:55, burro train 4:58, Mule attack 7:50,The Great Depression 9:06, Mining wages 9:40, Cave-in 11:25, Retirement 14:13
Interviewed By: Not Set
ListenJosephine Sherman interviewed by Coleen Crowliet February 12th 1981
Content: Biography 00:10, Cementing the Gulch 3:30, Bakery 4:50, Schooling 5:45, Red Light District 6:40, Sacramento Hill 13:00, Housing for Red Light District 16:15, Schooling 19:20, Birth control 23:30, Working 24:45, Hot Water 27:50, Phelps Dodge Solicitation 32:10, Boarding Houses 34:30, Flirting 35:00, Courtship 35:40, Boarding Houses 39:10, Prohibition 43:45, Courtship 46:20, Gardening/Household Chores 49:45, Working in the Mines 52:40, Phelps Dodge 53:20, Wedding in Tombstone 54:40, Opera House 58:00
Date Recorded: 12/02/1981
Interviewed By: Coleen Crowliet
ListenJuan Hernandez interviewed by Mr. Valenzuela
Content: This interview is all in Spanish
Interviewed By: Mr. Valenzuela
ListenJuanita Tarin interviewed by Roberta Vaughn
Content: Coming/Moving to Bisbee 00:15, Family Tree 2:30, Housing 3:20, Catholic Church in Tombstone 6:10, Lincoln School 6:50, Chores 7:40, Traveling 9:00, Water Source 9:25, Baseball 9:35, Schooling 10:20, Electricity 11:08, Wood Canyon 11:15, Household Work 16:00, Globe, Arizona 20:10, Courtship 21:20, Work in California 24:20, Traveling by Train 24:30, Coming Back to Bisbee 25:05, Children 27:10, Death from Floods 34:10, Furniture Company Employment 34:50, Baking and Cooking 36:19, Going out to Eat 38:00, Dances 38:45, Water Source 40:10, Radio 47:20, Funerals 48:10, Swimming Pool 50:20, Fare Store 54:55, Accidents as a Child 55:40, Open Market 59:15, Punishment for Misbehaving 59:45
Interviewed By: Roberta Vaughn
ListenJulia Orton interviewed by Beverly Woods, Feb 28, 1995
Content: Lineage 0:15, English immigration 1:20, South Bisbee pt 1 3:30, 4th of July 4:25, Proprietorship 5:00, International travel 7:20, Warren Hill 13:00, Mason Addition 16:30, Trains 17:20, Streetcar 17:30, Tank hill 18:00, Mining Companies 20:30, Methodist Church 21:00, Mules 24:15, South Bisbee pt 2 25:30, Schools 26:30, Streetcar 28:15, Model T Ford 30:40, Church life 33:30, Tintown 40:00, Brewery Gulch 41:10, Flood 42:30, Phelps Dodge Corporation 50:30, Wages 52:30
Date Recorded: 28/02/1995
Interviewed By: Beverly Woods
ListenJulius Simon interviewed by Carl Nelson
Content: Railroad 0:16, Coming to Bisbee 0:50, Store locations 1:36, Coming to Bisbee 2:39, Employment 4:33, Retail clothing stores 5:45, Schooling 8:30, Retail clothing stores 8:58, Ration Stamps 10:19, Shoe Business 11:11
Interviewed By: Carl Nelson
ListenKathleen Capell Pelot, interviewed by Beverly Woods - Jul 18, 1994
Content: Lineage 0:20, J.C. Penny's 7:55, South Bisbee 8:45, Schools 10:00, School life 10:30, South Bisbee ethnicity 15:10, Tintown 15:35, Prostitution 17:00, Children games 17:50, 4th of July 18:10, Bandstand 19:00, Ramsey Canyon dances 21:10, Christmas 22:00, Spanish Flu 26:35, Lowell Market 27:00, Streetcar 27:50, Marriage 30:35, Divorce 37:40, Dance halls 39:50, Prohibition 43:00
Date Recorded: 18/07/1994
Interviewed By: Beverly Woods
ListenKeller Hogan
Content: Church life 0:20, Political election 1:50, **Bad Recording 2:50
Interviewed By: Unknown
ListenKeller Hogan interviewed by Art Kent
Content: Flood gates 0:58, Fire 1:45, Brewery gulch 2:45, Various businesses 4:11, Jailhouse 8:19, Various buildings 10:01, Hotels & rooming houses 13:59, Cemetery relocation 17:03, Various buildings and Rooming houses 18:58, Brewery 32:29, Dance halls 34:39, Various Businesses 37:53, Religious groups 38:21, reservoir 40:10, Rooming homes 40:59,Various business owners 42:32 , Building church 46:24, Various buildings and their owners 49:28, Various hotels 56:26
Interviewed By: Art Kent
ListenKeller Hogan interviewed by Art Kent
Content: Mining claim 0:30, Bisbee Arizona Mining Company 0:50, Juniper Flats Mine 2:20, Gold ore 2:50, Bisbee Hometown Development Company 3:05, Bisbee Mining and Development Company 3:40, Cochise Mining Company 4:06, Copper King Mining Company 5:20, United Verde Mining Company 6:20, Lone Star Mining Company 7:15, Copper Queen Mining Company 7:30, Tsar mine 8:23, Irish Mag mine 10:15, Phelps Dodge Corporation 13:28, Various mine shafts 13:25
Interviewed By: Art Kent
ListenKeller Hogan interviewed by Art Kent
Content: Water burros 0:35, Schooling 1:25, Streetcar 1:46, Candy Store 2:25, opera house 3:32, Restaurants 4:39, Mortuary 5:17, Slag dump 6:08, Rodeo 7:11, Airplane 7:45, Bunkhouses 8:01, Water supply 10:04, Sewer system 12:00, Cemetery relocation 12:18, Road shows 13:45, murder 14:18, Subway 14:50
Interviewed By: Art Kent
ListenKeller Hogan interviewer unknown
Content: The cribs 0:30, Dance halls; Mae Scotts, Number 9, Canadian club, Number 33 Roxy's, 41 0:44, The red light district 2:31, WWI 4:05, Segregation 4:25, Piano music 5:49, Automobile 6:35, Fire 7:03, Grocery 7:30, Zacatecas district 7:53, Wood burros 8:15, Mule transportation 8:20, Flooding 8:50, Mining 18:45, Open pit mining 19:21
Interviewed By: Not Set
ListenLA Plummer interviewed by Boyd Nicholl January 22nd 2002
Content: Mining1:30, Oiler 2:20, Shovel operator 6:20, Pit mining 10:30, Shift Work 12:00, Strike 16:55, Training 20:20, Shovel operations 22:10, Mine closure 28:40, Turquoise 33:00
Date Recorded: 22/01/2002
Interviewed By: Boyd Nicholl
ListenLarry Christiansen (1 of 2) interviewed by Lecture-Mexican Revolution
Content: Mexican Revolutionary battle on American border 0:12, Battle of Agua Prieta 4:20, President Proferio Diaz versus I.E Madero leader of the revolution 4:20, Diaz resigns 8:20, Revolt against President Huerta by former revolutionaries 10:15, Battle of Nogales 13:01, Skirmishes between Mexican and U.S troops 14:35, Mexican refugees 16:39, Nogales falls to federal troops 18:10, Battle of Naco 18:40, Yaqui troops 21:15, Battle of Naco 23:10, General Ojeda surrenders after defeat at Naco 28:30, Mexican Presidential office; Proferio Diaz versus Madero 30:29, Mexican Revolt 33:05, American neutrality 35:18, Mexican reffugees 37:40, Battle of Agua Prieta 42:01, U.S casualties 47:30, Fall of Agua Prieta 49:58, U.S neutrality 53:25
Interviewed By: Not Set
ListenLarry Christiansen (2 of 2) interviewed by Lecture-Mexican Revolution/Civil War
Content: President Caranza versus Pancho Villa 0:10, Mexican Civil War 3:30, Battle of Naco 5:19, Cease fire 7:09, General Obregon versus General Villa 10:14, Battle of Naco 12:32, Battle of Agua Prieta 13:28, U.S.A recognizes the Caranza administration 14:56, Battle of Agua Prieta 19:04, U.S casualties 27:45, Cease fire 29:27
Interviewed By: Not Set
ListenLarry Sandoval interviewed by Art Kent
Content: Grocery Delivery 00:05, Fare Store 6:30, Birth 11:50, Family Tree 12:05, Dance Halls in Zacatecas District 18:40, 4th of July 21:45, Prostitution 24:10, Employment 24:30, McDonald Reservoir in Zacatecas District 30:00, Bakery in Zacatecas District 33:10, Dairy in Zacatecas District 38:50, City Park 39:40
Interviewed By: Art Kent
ListenLaura Champion interviewed by Arthur Kent
Content: Debriefing 00:30, Immigration 00:58, School 1:30, High School 2:30, Flooding 4:00, Subway street 3:50, Flooding 4:00, Doyle House 5:50, Street car 7:20, Vacationing 9:20, Methodist Church 10:10, Dance lodges 11:10, Boarding homes 11:30, Streetcar 13:26,Brewery gulch 14:40, Orpheum theater 15:08, Flooding 16:59, Post office 19:30, Family 21:20, Prostitution 21:45, Saloons 24:09, Crime 25:50, Arizona Statehood 27:50, 4th of July 28:07, Parades 29:20
Interviewed By: Art Kent
ListenLes Wolslagel interviewed by None Noted-Mar 24,1972
Content: Horse drives 0:33, Saloons 1:31, Fire 1:53, Saloons 2:17, Grocery store 2:41, Dairy 2:57, Schooling 3:52, Dairy 5:07, Well Water 6:23, Mexican revolution 7:26, Mine flood 11:19, Schooling 13:04, Furniture store Livery stable 15:28, Street Cars 15:56, Fire 16:18
Interviewed By: Not Set
ListenLewis Curry interviewed by Unknown
Content: Public drunkenness 0:22, Prohibition 3:30, Bootlegging with Hi Corbett 5:06, Bar fight in Mexico 8:17, Prohibition 13:19, Wine making/prohibition 15:33, Automobile 17:53, Bootlegging 19:23
Interviewed By: Not Set
ListenLewis Douglas interviewed by James Mcnulty April 7th 1973
Content: Introduction of Lewis Douglas 00:45, Coming to Bisbee 2:00, Family 4:25, Eureka Case 21:40, Grandfather 25:15, Early Memories of Bisbee 26:00, Schooling in Prescott, Arizona 27:15, Military Academy 30:15, Summers 32:10, Merging of Copper Queen Consolidated Mining Company 34:00, Grandfather 35:50, Birth 36:45, Copper Queen Consolidated Mining Company 39:30, Marriage 41:20, House of Representatives 41:40, Gerome Arizona 48:50, Discovery of United Verde 50:34, Mining in Bisbee 56:30
Date Recorded: 07/04/1973
Interviewed By: James Mcnulty
ListenLewis Douglas interviewed by Mcnulty
Content: Schooling 0:36, Military School 1:45, Various mining camps 3:30, Coppper Queen mine 4:15, Phelps Dodge Corporation and Calumet merger 5:05, Chairman of the board 7:55, Bisbee hospital 9:01, Childhood home 10:21, Copper Queen mine 11:06, Teaching 12:03, Arizona House of Representatives 13:14, Mucking 16:56, Various employment 20:38, Mining claims 22:21, Phelps Dodge Corporation and Calumet merger 24:05, Merger 27:29
Interviewed By: Not Set
ListenLewis Douglas interviewed by Ross Rice-March 23, 1974
Content: House of Representatives 0:32, Election of House of Representatives 2:01, Hearings over electoral campaign fraud 5:25, Democratic party 11:51, Campaigning 13:05,Campaigning in Benson, Arizona 17:30, Campaigning 23:01, Isabella Greenway 25:50, Carl Hayden 26:01, Copper Mining tariff 29:31, Bolder Canyon Project Act 32:32, Marble Canyon Dam 36:25, Carl Hayden 42:00
Date Recorded: 23/03/1973
Interviewed By: Ross Rice
ListenLewis Grizzle interviewed by Rod Hutchinson October 7th 1980 (One of Three)
Content: Birth 00:02, Coming/Moving to Bisbee 00:38, Railroads 7:10, Gleeson Turquoise Mine 10:45, Water Issues 13:30, Brophey Hill 17:20, Valley in 1910 20:15, Brophey School 26:30, **Voices become deep and hard to understand 26:40-33:40** Windmill 33:40, Cattle Companies 34:40, Homestead 35:38, Cattle Companies 38:00, Crops 39:25, Roads in Cochise County 41:20, Traffic 45:10, Willcox 49:40, Pearce 51:00, Automobiles 51:30, Sulphur Springs 53:34, Natural Water Sources 54:40, Mule Mountains 55:50, Home 57:30, The Great Depression 1:05:00
Date Recorded: 07/10/1980
Interviewed By: Rod Hutchinson
ListenLewis Grizzle interviewed by Rod Hutchinson October 7th 1980 (Three of Three)
Content: Memories 00:10, Hauling Lumber 4:40, Chiricahua Mountains 5:25, Dos Cabezas 6:20, Leslie Canyon 7:50, Coming to Bisbee 11:40, Flu Epidemic 12:50, Burying Areas in Cochise County 16:00
Date Recorded: 07/10/1980
Interviewed By: Rod Hutchinson
ListenLewis Grizzle interviewed by Rod Hutchinson October 7th 1980 (Two of Three)
Content: Weather 00:12, Mesquite Trees 1:30, Range Conditions 4:10, First Successful Homesteads 5:30, Orchards 10:55, Cotton 13:50, Trees 19:50, Traveling to Douglas 25:00, Introduction to Automobiles 25:45, Soil 29:05, Public Transportation 30:45, Prohibition 31:40, Nationalities in Bisbee 42:50, Pearce 46:20, Mining Areas in Cochise County 49:00, Nationalities 50:30, Ku Klux Klan 54:15, Delivering Peaches 56:00
Date Recorded: 07/10/1980
Interviewed By: Rod Hutchinson
ListenLillian Wittig interviewed by Ida Power 1981
Content: Family Tree 1:01, Homesteading 1:56, Rough Riders 4:15, Marriage 4:40, Kalamazoo stove 5:39,Tuberculosis 6:35, Thrift Stamp for the WWII effort 8:35, Movie theater 9:30, Burlesque show 11:00, Warren park 11:45, Schooling 12:57, Woblies 15:25, Mexican Revolution 16:39, Reservoir hill swimming hole 17:45,Firefighters 20:25, Jiggerville 21:08, Jewish immigration 22:47, Phelps Dodge store 25:07, Horse Wagon 27:30, Cooking 28:23, Home burglary 30:00,Schooling Tempe normal school 31:35, Various employment 34:40, Family 37:10, Marriage & Children 48:35, Bisbee 51:56
Interviewed By: Ida Power
Listen