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BISBEE, ARIZONA - USA
Bisbee is a city located in Cochise County, Arizona, USA. As of the 2000
census, the city had a total population of 6,090. The city is the county
seat of Cochise County.
History
Bisbee was founded as a copper, gold, and silver mining town in 1880, and
named in honor of Judge DeWitt Bisbee, one of the financial backers of the
adjacent Copper Queen Mine. Mining in the Mule Mountains proved quite
successful: in the early 20th century the population of Bisbee soared.
Incorporated in 1902, by 1910 its population swelled to more than 25,000 and
it sported a constellation of suburbs, including Warren, Lowell, and San
Jose, some of which had been founded on their own (ultimately less
successful) mines. In 1929, the county seat was moved from Tombstone,
Arizona to Bisbee, where it remains.
By 1950, boom times were over and the
population of the City of Bisbee had dropped to less than 6,000, but the
introduction of strip mining and continued underground work would see the
town escape the fate of many of its early contemporaries. However, in
1974-1975, the Phelps Dodge Corporation finally halted mining operations in
its massive Bisbee mine, the Lavender Pit.
The resulting exodus of mine employees might have been the end of the town.
Still, as the county seat, the city's economy soldiered on. The sudden flood
of real estate onto the market and crash in housing prices, coupled with an
attactive climate and picturesque scenery, led to Bisbee's subsequent
rebirth as an artists' colony. The rediscovery of Bisbee by baby boomers in
the 1990s saw it develop a more polished look, complete with coffee shops
and live theater. Many of the old houses have been renovated, and property
values in Bisbee now greatly exceed those of other Southeastern Arizona
cities.
Today, the original city of Bisbee is known as "Old Bisbee," and is home to
a thriving downtown cultural scene. Old Bisbee is also noted for its
architecture, including its Victorian houses and elegant Art Deco courthouse.
The "City of Bisbee" now includes the historic downtown Bisbee, as well as
the geographically spaced but administratively combined satellite towns.
Warren's small downtown is economically depressed, but its residential
district houses a significant portion of the population and it boasts
ownership of many public services including City Hall and the elementary and
high schools. San Jose, on the southern side of the Mule Mountains, has seen
the most new growth in the last two decades, as it is not restricted by
mountains. It hosts many newer county government buildings and a large
shopping center.
Bisbee is also known for the turquoise called "Bisbee Blue".
Geography
Bisbee is located at 31°25'6" North, 109°53'52" West (31.418390,
-109.897772)1.
According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of
12.5 km˛ (4.8 mi˛). 12.5 km˛ (4.8 mi˛) of it is land and none of it is
covered by water.
Demographics
As of the census2 of 2000, there are 6,090 people, 2,810 households, and
1,503 families residing in the city. The population density is 488.8/km˛
(1,266.3/mi˛). There are 3,316 housing units at an average density of 266.2/km˛
(689.5/mi˛). The racial makeup of the city is 84.12% White, 0.46% Black or
African American, 1.22% Native American, 0.49% Asian, 0.07% Pacific Islander,
11.07% from other races, and 2.58% from two or more races. 34.38% of the
population are Hispanic or Latino of any race.
There are 2,810 households out of which 21.7% have children under the age of
18 living with them, 36.8% are married couples living together, 12.8% have a
female householder with no husband present, and 46.5% are non-families.
39.1% of all households are made up of individuals and 14.6% have someone
living alone who is 65 years of age or older. The average household size is
2.15 and the average family size is 2.90.
In the city the population is spread out with 21.6% under the age of 18,
6.8% from 18 to 24, 24.1% from 25 to 44, 27.8% from 45 to 64, and 19.6% who
are 65 years of age or older. The median age is 43 years. For every 100
females there are 90.6 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there
are 85.1 males.
The median income for a household in the city is $27,942, and the median
income for a family is $36,685. Males have a median income of $29,573 versus
$23,269 for females. The per capita income for the city is $17,129. 17.5% of
the population and 12.9% of families are below the poverty line. Out of the
total people living in poverty, 23.2% are under the age of 18 and 9.0% are
65 or older.
Sites of interest
(excluding those mentioned under History)
The Lavender Pit is an inactive open pit mine site in the center of the city.
The Warren Ball Park, a baseball stadium built in 1909, has housed a number
of professional teams and can make a legitimate claim as the sport's oldest
park still in use.
Sports teams
Professional:
Bisbee/Douglas Copper Kings (2003)..
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