A Ghost Town, Abandoned Mines, and Artsy Shops – A Day in Bisbee, Arizona – Part 1
Lowell the Ghost Town
Unlike Tombstone its mining town neighbor to the north, mining in Bisbee flourished until the 1970’s and Bisbee is reinventing itself and living on. The ghost town of Lowell and the giant crater of Lavender Pit are reminders of the past while the shops and galleries of Old Bisbee are symbols of the future.
Bisbee is located in the southeast corner of Arizona. It’s just south of Tombstone and east of Sierra Vista. It’s also just a few miles north of the Mexican border and the town of Naco. Arizona routes 80 and 92 intersect in Bisbee. A number of adjacent towns have been incorporated into Bisbee including Lowell. Now a ghost town, Lowell was, at one time, a sizable mining town located just to the southeast of Old Bisbee.
Pit mining began in 1917 to keep up with the increasing demand for copper to support the World War I effort. It ceased in 1929 and restarted in 1950 with the Lavender Pit. Excavation of the open pit copper mine ate up the majority of the Lowell’s residential area. However, what remains of Lowell today is the intact, historical mid-century Erie street – which often utilized as a backdrop for film and video shoots, and well worth a visit to walk back in time. Lowell is perched at the southern end of the dramatic Lavender Pit, itself a must see while in Bisbee.
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Arriving in Lowell we are reminded of our proximity to the Mexican border.
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Border Patrol
The chain link fence around Lavender Pit warns us to "Keep Out"
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Keep Out
On to Erie Street. (it could be eerie street!) These are the reminders of Lowell's past life. Somehow things seem well preserved despite their age and what should be a battle with time and nature. It could be the ghosts or more likely the good citizens of the town who keep up the fight with the elements so that Lowell will not be forgotten.
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Erie Street
The cars, trucks and a bus
A 1935 Chevy
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Front view
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Rear view
1956 Dodge Royal Lancer
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Side view
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Steering wheel and dash
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Rear view
1955 Chevy Wagon
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Front view
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Side view
1959 Edsel Corsair
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Front view
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Side view
Studebaker Pick up
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Front view
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Steering wheel and dash
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Rear view
Checker Cab
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Front view
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Side view
1957 Chevy BelAir
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I learned to drive in one of these!
1956 Ford
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Front view
1954 Greyhound Bus
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Front view
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Driver's seat
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Chevy Truck
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Welcome to Lowell
The Bikes
Harley Panheads
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1948 Harley Flathead
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Harley Shovelhead
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The Indians
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Iron Man Kretz
Biker Patrol
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Lowell Police Department
Buildings and shops on Erie Street
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Claudia's Hat Shop
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Lowell Gym
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Old Lady Pickers
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Star Chevrolet
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The Palace
Heading out to Old Bisbee
One last peek though the fence at Lavender Pit.
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Lavender Pit
I plan on posting Part 2 in a day or two. It will have more photos of the pit and Old Bisbee. Keep checking back.
| Category | travelphotography |
| Settings | Various |
| Camera | Canon 60D |
| Lens | Canon EF-S 18-135mm f/3.5-5.6 IS |
| Location | Lowell Arizona |
Thanks to @majes.tytyty for the Enlarge Image function tutorial.
All photos and text in my posts are my original work.
@originalworks
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Enjoy!
Roger
Great post, I am so glad you followed it up with a more in depth look at Lowell. I would KILL for that Indian motorcycle! This was such an excellent read, I can't wait for part 2.
Thank you for your comments and sponsorship on @steembasicincome! Those Indians were sweet rides! All the bikes there were nice.
Amazing pictures @rwedegis love them all! I believe I haven't congratulate you in your recent curie reward :) Keep it up <3
Thank you @deborism for all your support and encouragement!
That is really amazing nice that u share
Thank you my friend!
Interesting to see a town abandoned but kept up for visits, you'd think they would try and bring in some folks to help those in need of homes instead of just keeping things around to look at..
Humans are definitely fascinating creatures, thanks so much for sharing these photos!
Thank you for your comments! I don't think that anyone is getting paid for any of the work that gets done there.
A walk down memory lane, some lovely old vehicle shares @rwedegis
First car my dad had was a Dodge 1955, a big blue sailing boat on the road. Comfortably took the full family of 6.
Thank you for your comments! The cars back then were awesome!
Nice picture!
You got an upvote, so it would be kind to follow this account for more upvotes in the future :)
Thank you!
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Wow, what a blast from the past. Great photos!
Thank you @bubbleboy!
Fascinating looking town, so much history all locked there! Actually quite a ghostly feel to everything. Well done on the pics of all the old motors, I really enjoyed the walk down the street. It all just looks so surreal to me. Thank you.
Thank you for your comments!
I love Bisbee, grew up on the base in SV and in high school we would ditch and go to that mine with our cameras. Thanks for sharing.
Thank you for your comments! We're staying in an RV park just up Rt 90 from SV and the Fort.