A black and white postcard of the El Paso & Southwestern Railroad Depot. Also in the image is a Warren-Bisbee railway trolley. The front caption reads: “E P & S W Depot. Bisbee, Ariz.” The postcard is unused and was published by the Albertype Company, Brooklyn, New York. Ed & Elinore Henry 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.

1996.8.2