Copper Queen Mine facts for kids
The Copper Queen Mine was a very important copper mine located in Cochise County, Arizona, United States. Its discovery and growth helped create the town of Bisbee in the 1880s. The mine was special because its ore had a huge amount of copper, about 23%! In 1885, a company called Phelps Dodge bought the mine.
In the early 1900s, the Copper Queen Mine produced more copper than any other mine in Arizona. Even though copper mining slowed down in the 1930s and 1940s, the Copper Queen kept going. After World War II, it started using a method called open-pit mining. The mine finally closed in 1985 because it was no longer making enough money.
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How the Copper Queen Mine Started
People might have known about copper in the Mule Mountains of southeast Arizona as early as 1876. But the first official mining claim was made on August 2, 1877. In 1877, a group of U.S. Cavalry soldiers from Fort Bowie were looking for Apache Indians. They camped at a place now called Iron Springs. The water wasn't good, so they sent a scout named Jack Dunn to find better water.
While looking for water, Jack Dunn found a spring near a big limestone cliff, now called Castle Rock. On his way back, he saw rocks that contained lead carbonate, which often meant silver was nearby. This area later became known as Tombstone Canyon. Dunn told his officer, Lt. John Rucker, and a packer, Ted Byrne, about his discovery. They named their find the "Rucker" and planned to claim it. However, they had to leave quickly to chase the Apache warriors.
Before they left, they met a 42-year-old man named George Warren. They asked him to file the claim for them. Warren agreed to name Dunn in all his mining claims. They gave him a "grubstake" (supplies and money) and a map to the site.
George Warren's Bet and the Mine's Ownership
George Warren did not keep his promise to Jack Dunn. On his way to the claims office, Warren stopped at a saloon. He gambled away the grubstake that Dunn and the others had given him. Then, he went to Fort Huachuca and found new people to support him from Tombstone.
On September 27, 1877, 56 days after Dunn found the Rucker Mine, Warren filed a claim for the Mercy Mine. It was about 1 mile up Mule Pass Canyon from Iron Spring. Over the next six months, Warren's name appeared on many other claims in the area. This led to the creation of what was called the Warren Mining District. Warren himself owned a small part, one-ninth, of the new Copper Queen mine.
Later, in Charleston, Warren made a friendly bet. He bet that he could outrun a man on a horse. He lost the bet, and with it, he lost his one-ninth share in the Copper Queen Mine. This share was later thought to be worth about US$20,000, which would be a lot of money today!
How Phelps Dodge Got Involved
In 1880, two businessmen, Edward Reilly and Levi Zeckendorf, got a chance to buy the mine for US$20,000. When tests showed the ore had 22% copper, Reilly became very excited. He bought out other people's shares in April 1880. Then, he went to San Francisco to find buyers for his option on the claims.
Reilly convinced engineers DeWitt Bisbee, William H. Martin, and John Ballard to visit the mine. They were impressed with what they saw. On May 12, 1880, Martin and Ballard agreed to provide money to mine and process the ore. In return, they received seven-tenths of the Copper Queen mine and two-thirds of the Copper King mine. Reilly kept the rest.
James Douglas from Phoenixville, Pennsylvania, knew a lot about copper. He had even invented new ways to process it. The Phelps Dodge company in New York City sent him to look at possible copper mines. Douglas thought it was a big risk, but he convinced the company to go ahead. He was offered a choice: a set payment or a 10% share in the mine. He chose the 10% share, which later made him very rich.
Phelps Dodge bought another mine called the Atlanta Mine. They spent over US$76,000 looking for copper before they found the main ore body. To avoid arguments and lawsuits over overlapping claims, Phelps Dodge joined with their neighbor, the Copper Queen mine. In 1885, they formed the Copper Queen Consolidated Mining Company.
Mining the Rich Ore
At first, the easily found lead carbonate (cerussite) on the surface ran out. But the owners discovered that the main ore had an amazing 23% copper, plus some silver and gold. Most mines back then could only make money from ore with 8% to 10% copper. So, the Copper Queen's ore was incredibly rich. The surface ore was gone after a few years, but miners dug deeper and found even bigger deposits of ore.
In the early 1900s, the Copper Queen was the most productive copper mine in Arizona. Many people thought it was the best-run copper mine in the United States.
Life in the Mine
Mining work was very difficult and sometimes dangerous. Miners faced tough conditions. For example, in 1917, miners tried to form a union and went on strike. The company, Phelps Dodge, did not want a union. They used private police to arrest more than 1300 miners. These miners were put on railroad cars and sent away from the town in an event known as the Bisbee Deportation.
Before engines were used, strong mules pulled the heavy ore cars out of the mines. These loaded cars could weigh up to 2,800 pounds! The mules lived inside the mines all the time, sleeping in special stables. They would work in the mines for about four years. After this time, their eyesight would get worse because they were always in the dark. To help them get used to daylight again, workers would put blinders over their eyes. These blinders had tiny holes that were slowly made bigger as the mules' eyes adjusted to the light.
The Mine's Later Years and Legacy
In the 1950s, Phelps Dodge started using open-pit mining at the Copper Queen. This allowed them to keep mining. Some underground work also continued. By the mid-1960s, the amount of copper in the ore from the Copper Queen had dropped to 4%. The mine stopped producing copper in 1975.
The mayor of Bisbee and volunteers wanted to find a new way for the town to make money. They suggested opening part of the mine for tours. The company agreed. Workers and volunteers fixed up an area of the mine to create a place for visitors. Since it reopened in 1976, more than a million people have visited the mine. Phelps Dodge's old main office building in Bisbee is now a mining museum. It teaches visitors about the history of mining and its impact on the area.
Later, a company called Freeport McMoRan bought Phelps Dodge. In the early 2000s, Freeport McMoRan began looking into new ways to mine in this area.
See also
- Bisbee Massacre
- Copper mining in Arizona
- Courtland, Arizona
- Lavender Pit
