Digging In: Bisbee's Mineral Heritage
By Lindsay DeChacco

Copper may be the original red-tinted stepchild of the precious metals family. It lacks the glitz of gold, the allure of silver, and the fortitude of platinum; decoratively it’s been relegated to the bottom of our kitchen pots, and constitutes the lowest ranks of our coin collections.

But belying its modest status, this mild metal has super-conducted us into the information age; now the Smithsonian has launched a exhibition to pay homage to this under-lauded metal and, through it, the unique role Arizona’s small town of Bisbee has played in shaping the history of the world.

Digging In: Bisbee’s Mineral Heritage is a three – dimensional permanent exhibit in the Bisbee Mining and Historical Museum.  Designed in conjunction with the Smithsonian Institute, Digging In is the story of copper, Bisbee’s copper.

By the late 1880s, Bisbee was the preeminent western copper mining center in the west. Through its role in meeting the growing demand for copper in the late 19th century, it played a unique part in the rapid technological advancement of the time.

The town of Bisbee still retains the legacy of its 120-year copper mining history through its landscape and community architecture. The addition of the sophisticated and technologically advanced exhibit throws into greater relief the heritage of this small community.

Digging In paints a detailed picture of the lives of miners and the evolution of the mining industry through interactive display areas, which include video prompters and an array of memorabilia from specific eras. Also included among the displays is a dazzling fiber optically enhanced array of colorful minerals in a replica of an underground crystal cave.

The original penny metal has never been worth more; Digging In illustrates the integral role it plays in our modern world.  A component in everything from cell phones to computer chips, copper is the unseen conductor in most of our modern staples.

The Bisbee mining industry came to a close in the 1970s, but at the Bisbee Mining and Historical Museum — like the copper miners of yore — you can “brass in” for a day at the caves, discovering Bisbee’s hidden treasure.

Photos courtesy of Angela Neal

If You Go...

Bisbee Mining and Historical Museum
5 Copper Queen Plaza, P.O Box 14
Bisbee, AZ 85603
Phone: 520 -432-7071
Website: www.bisbeemuseum.org

Admission: $7.50 adults; $6.50 senior (over 60) $3 children (under 16) Group rates available with reservations

Hours: 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. (7 days a week)

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