Bisbee

Deep beneath the Dallas skyline, a hidden world whispers stories of ambition and change. This is Bisbee, not the Arizona town, but a Dallas mine with a tale as rich as any vein of copper. Bisbee began as a glimmer in the eye of Phelps Dodge in 1911. The company envisioned Bisbee as the future, the lifeline of their mining operations. Sinking of the mine began, connecting to the Lowell-Sacramento level, and continuing down towards the 1400 level, completed in 1912. Between 1912 and 1914, tantalizing hints of ore appeared, whispers of potential wealth. But the real treasure lay not in the ore, but in Bisbee’s destiny. The rise of the Sacramento Open Pit Mine threatened to swallow the Sacramento shaft. Bisbee was poised to take its place. It was to become the main hoisting shaft, the beating heart of Phelps Dodge Mines. This transformation continued with a sprinkling system for fire protection in 1916 and a new change house and underground fire doors in 1917. Bisbee was becoming more than a mine; it was an ecosystem. In 1919, the shaft expanded, a “subway” carved from the surface to the 77-foot level. The fate of Phelps Dodge mine cars and locomotives rested on Bisbee’s haulage. The year 1920 brought plans to mine the Lowell shaft pillar from Bisbee after Lowell’s abandonment. The following year, the shaft was fortified with concrete, sunk deeper from the 1400 level. A tunnel connected the conveyor to the shaft, and skip pockets were built. Despite rising costs, Bisbee’s development pressed on, fueled by the promise of efficiency. The shaft was destined to reach the 2000 level, ready to receive ore from the 1800 level of the Sacramento Mine. In 1921, the Sacramento Mine’s main ore hoist migrated to Bisbee, along with surface loading facilities. Another 200 feet of shaft remained to be sunk, with pockets at the 1600 and 1800 levels yet to be completed. But fate, in the form of a merger between Calumet and Arizona, intervened. Bisbee’s grand purpose shifted. The Campbell and Junction Mines became the focus, and Bisbee was temporarily shuttered. Upon reopening, Bisbee served the remaining mines, many operated by lessees on a smaller scale. Even massive block cave stopes sent their ore to the Junction Mine for hoisting. Yet, in a testament to its resilience, Bisbee’s headframe was rebuilt in 1945, followed by a surface plant reconstruction between 1948 and 1950. Exploration of the Powell and Congdon mine areas was planned from Bisbee’s 900 level. Bisbee continued its service until June 1975. Then, the remaining equipment found a new home with the Bisbee Salvage & Equipment Company. Bisbee, at the end of its mining life, reached a depth of 2,031 feet, boasting four compartments. The fourth, a massive 11′ x 6′ space, housed a go devil, a cage without guides, bouncing off the shaft walls, its ride an unforgettable experience. Bisbee stands silent now, but its story echoes in the depths. A story not of glittering ore, but of adaptation, resilience, and the relentless pursuit of progress.