Friday, February 17, 2017

The Fanciest Digs In Town

The Copper Queen Hotel in Bisbee, Arizona was built between 1898 and 1902 by the Phelps Dodge mining company.  It was used as a place to entertain and lodge investors and dignitaries that came to town to visit the Queen Mine, the only reason people came to Bisbee.

For nearly a hundred years, the mine produced "8 billion pounds of copper, 102 million ounces of silver and 2.8 million ounces of gold along with millions of pounds of zinc, lead, and manganese."  Phelps Dodge made a lot of money in what was the most productive copper mine in Arizona in the early 1900s.

The hotel is a four-story Victorian-era structure, built in the style of an Italian villa. Construction of the hotel was not easy as it was built into the side of a mountain which had to be blasted away to make room for the structure. The walls of the hotel are nearly two feet thick to keep it cool during the summer.

It is considered to be the longest continuously operated hotel in the state of Arizona.

The mosaic tile, seen above in the entry hall and below in the lobby, is an original feature and was imported from Italy.  
The front desk is made from Tiger Oak and back in the day was encased in a wrought-iron security cage.  The safe behind the desk came from the copper mine across the street.  It was used to house the payroll for the miners but eventually became too small for the amount of money it needed to hold.

Phelps Dodge liked to pay their workers in cash, knowing it would come back to them when the employees bought goods and drinks.

The hotel is said to be haunted and has been featured on TV shows that focus on the paranormal.

According to Wikipedia, "The most famous ghost is that of a woman in her thirties by the name of Julia Lowell. It is said that she was a prostitute and she used the hotel for her and her clients. She fell madly in love with one of her clients and when she told him this he no longer wanted to see her. She took her own life at the hotel. Guests and staff at the hotel say that they feel her presence on the second and third floors of the west side of the building. Male staff and guests have reported hearing a female voice whispering in their ear. Others have also reported seeing her dancing provocatively at the foot of the stairs."

This nude, which hangs in the hotel saloon, is said to be Julia Lowell.

The hotel has 45 rooms and "modern" conveniences like air conditioning, color TV, and wifi.

We did not stay at the hotel as we were only there for the day, but my brother and his wife got engaged there and they've been married now for 24 years.

So the Copper Queen isn't only haunted, it's also a good luck charm.




~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
2016: Moon Rising
2015: Almost There
2014: Winter Water Running Through Watertown
2013: The Pretty Pink Sailor
2012: Many Thanks To Those Of You Who Come To Peer Through My Window
2011: And I Thought My Feet Were Big!
2010: ABC. Easy As 123. As Simple As Do Re Mi, ABC, 123, Baby You And Me
2009: Under The Black Palm Tree
2008: The Zoo In Stateroom 7377
2007: Pillars
2006: Fiori Di Como
2005: Sorry, no post on this day. The blog didn’t start until May 2005!

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