A color postcard showing the eastern entrance to Bisbee. The front caption reads: “Naco road, Showing El Paso & Southwestern Depot, Bisbee, Ariz.” The back caption reads: “Naco Road connecting the towns in the Warren Mining District is the most traveled thoroughfare in Arizona being the main highway to Douglas and points east and west on the Borderland Transcontinental Highway.” The postcard is unused and was published by Curt Teich American Art, Chicago, Illinois. Grace Ferguson Collection.

The expansion of the railways was pivotal to Bisbee’s development. For new arrivals into town the train provided a far faster, smoother mode of transport as compared to horse or mule drawn stagecoaches. It accelerated the flow of ore outgoing ore and incoming flow of people and product into town. The Copper Queen Consolidated Mining Company built their own railway that laid thirty-six miles to reach the town of Fairbank. The Arizona and Southeastern Railroad Company incorporated on May 24th, 1888 and Ben Williams served as its president. The main line was laid out by El Paso & Southwestern that laid 1,100 miles of train tracks. The train depot in front of the Phelps Dodge Mercantile Warehouse was the gateway for new visitors to Bisbee. In the area were the train depot once stood are three flag poles bearing the American, Arizonan and Mexican flags.

1980.71.8