Copper Queen Hotel

The Copper Queen Hotel, started in 1898 and completed in 1902, was the product of a booming mining camp called Bisbee. Once the largest city between St. Louis and San Francisco, it is now a beautiful, quiet getaway. While the town of Bisbee has "grown up," it has not lost its charm. Soon after Bisbee became a town, Phelps Dodge Mining Company built the Copper Queen Hotel as a place for dignitaries and investors to relax in luxury. Construction was difficult because Phelps Dodge had to blast away and clear a large portion of the mountainside in order for building to begin. Although the most modern and up to date materials were used, it did not lessen the difficulty of each task. In order for concrete to be mixed, water had to be pumped up the hill from the mercantile, what is now called Copper Queen Plaza, on Main Street. The walls were constructed to be nearly 2 feet thick, which helps keep the hotel cool during the summer months. Once the hotel was completed, anyone who walked through the doors would notice the mosaic tile from Italy. Since the hotel was built in an Italian style, the tile was installed throughout the entire first floor lobby; the remaining tile can be seen in the hotel entrance. As the story goes, the cathedral ceiling in the Palm Room was all fitted with Tiffany glass. Nobody knows when it came down or what happened to it. There was an open air hallway behind two large windows along the southeast wall that acted as air conditioning for that era. The front desk was fabricated out of Tiger Oak and was surrounded with a wrought iron security cage. The unique safe behind the desk was once used at the Copper Mine until it became too small for the company payroll, which was all paid in cash. It was then passed down to the Copper Queen Hotel. Phelps Dodge cleverly paid their employees in cash, to have their money quickly returned to them in goods and drinks. The Copper Queen Hotel was one of the most modern hotels in the west during that time. One can only imagine what changes the hotel has gone through to accommodate the modern day traveler.