No, not that one! The Copper Queen in Bisbee, Arizona! She died in 1975 but the grave is still open for tourists to peer into. One can go deep into her frame some fifteen hundred feet below the surface. There are more than 2,500 miles of tunnels. The Copper Queen, as she is called, was one of the greatest copper camps ever. She operated for one hundred years. Eight BILLION pounds of copper came from her. Two million eight hundred thousand ounces of gold was found. She produced 77,162,986 ounces of silver. There were tons of lead and zinc. It was one of the greatest treasures of copper ever found. It came at a time when copper was beginning to be needed for electricity.Phelps Dodge Company eventually became the sole owner. Bisbee became a "melting pot" of European immigrants as they came to work the mines. At one time the population had mushroomed to 35,000. Today it is around 10,000. Many of the quaint old homes survive. Two massive holes are right downtown to gaze into. Folks built on the sides of the mountain. I counted 100 steps leading up to one house!
We spent two nights in Bisbee while we birded the surrounding area. Our favorite breakfast was eaten there. Bisbee has a touch of San Francisco...in several ways. I would not want to live there but seeing the place was an experience. You can read more by going to Copper Queen or Bisbee, Arizona on the net. O, the breakfast place....Bisbee Breakfast Club. I am holding a coffee cup from there as I type.
