I've mentioned that Bisbee is an old mining town. If that conjures up quaint images of independent frontiersmen sluicing for gold, forget it. Bisbee was the location of some gigantic open pit copper mines. They are still here - the pits, I mean. The mines have been closed since the mid-70s.
The pits and the tailings are beautiful in a way, horrifying in another way. Some Bisbee residents are hoping that the mines will be reopened, providing jobs and money. Personally, I hope not, but I think it is good to have such a visible reminder of the damage we can do and have done to our planet. It is also a history lesson. Bisbee was incorporated in 1902 and became a booming mining town, with a population greater than today. In 1917 its mines were supporting the WWI war effort. The mines continued to provide copper - a lot of copper - up until the last mine was finally closed in 1975.
Bisbee would have disappeared then, had the artists and hippies not discovered it shortly thereafter. Lucky for us.
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