Bisbee is a town, the inventors of which have taken great care to make appealing to visitors. Southern Arizona is full of towns like those found along the I-90 Freeway in Washington State. With the exception of a few gems like the coffee house in Cle Elum and the Sultan Bakery, there are no attractions to be found between North Bend and Spokane. Bisbee is a tourist destination in the high desert near Mexico. Bisbee’s mothers and fathers have been intentional and vigilant in their shaping and care.
My brother Brandon took me on a tour of the Copper Queen Mine today. The mine has not been used for production since 1975 and yet, Mel, our tour guide, had 19 years at the elevator switch before it closed down. Our group took the old rail car lines down 1500 feet into the side of the hill before we disembarked and took the tour on foot. Mel took us through as only a veteran could; with confidence, wisdom, and surety. By the end of the tour we felt like we had an idea of what the miners were expected to accomplish on a daily basis. Death in the mine was a common thing.
Bisbee has taken what might have been nothing more than a relic and made it a part of what keeps the city alive. This place thrives where life is an unexpected practice of will.
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