'Heartbreaking': Bisbee buildings hit by blaze were saved from 1908 fire

The two brick buildings located on Bisbee's bustling Main Street, which were destroyed in a fire on Wednesday night, were the same structures where a fire 116 years ago was eventually extinguished after causing significant damage to the historic thoroughfare.

"Looking at the photos, the 1908 fire on the south side of Main Street stopped right at two buildings that were burned last night," said Bisbee Mining & Historical Museum Executive Director Annie Graeme Larkin in an interview with The Arizona Republic.

Wednesday's fire ravaged the upper floors of Many Fine Things Gallery, an antique shop, and Bisbee Oil & Vinegar, Co., a specialty grocery store, located at 28 and 30 Main St., respectively. The cause of the fire has not been publicly disclosed. According to City Manager Stephen Pauken, the 100-year-old water system in Old Bisbee restricted water pressure and flow during the firefighting efforts.

Graeme Larkin, who is also executive director of the Bisbee Council on the Arts & Humanities, explained that Wednesday's blaze seared at the character of the historic mining town nestled by the Mule Mountains.

"Bisbee is recognized through her Main Street," Graeme Larkin said.

Both buildings are situated in Old Bisbee, a popular tourist destination offering boutiques, art galleries and restaurants.

"It's truly heartbreaking to see this happen to our beautiful Main Street," Graeme Larkin said. "It's incredibly sad to see a portion of our history that's gone. And, of course, it's incredibly sad for the business owners to have lost their businesses."

The fire on Oct. 14, 1908, left nearly 500 people homeless and caused $750,000 worth of property damage. Dynamite was used to blow up buildings in an attempt to contain the fire's spread, as reported by the Bisbee Daily Review newspaper the day after. Starting on the south side, the fire halted its advance at 30 Main St., as noted by Graeme Larkin. The Uncle Sam Loan Office was the final building to burn on the street, Graeme Larkin added.

More: Downtown Bisbee fire damages 2 historic buildings. What we know

Both buildings affected by Wednesday's fire appear to have shared walls. They were built around 1904, according to information from the Bisbee museum, which is affiliated with the Smithsonian Institution.

Graeme Larkin mentioned that the building at 28 Main St. has had many "lives," whereas 30 Main St. was Ball Drugs for several decades starting in the 1930s. The store was owned by prominent Bisbee resident John Ball, Graeme Larkin noted. An advertisement placed in the Aug. 6, 1966, edition of The Arizona Republic listed the business as priced to sell.

Nearly 3 million ounces of gold and 8 billion pounds of copper, along with silver, lead and zinc, were mined out of Bisbee since minerals were discovered there in the 1870s, according to the Bisbee Visitor Center website.

By the early 1900s, just 11 miles from the Mexican border, Bisbee had emerged as the largest city in the Arizona territory, boasting a population of 20,000 by 1910, according to the visitor center. In 1917, a posse of 2,000 forcefully relocated 1,300 striking miners, their supporters, and bystanders to New Mexico after workers attempted to unionize, as reported by the visitor center.

By 1975, mining came to an end, according to Graeme Larkin. Then-Mayor Chuck Eads began the effort of opening the Queen Mine Tour that led to the city thriving as a stop for tourists, she explained.

After Bisbee lost its leading industry, there was a period of "economic depression," Graeme Larkin said, adding, "But tourism has slowly been building since that period in 1975. And now it is definitely the number one contributor to our economy here."

Bisbee was named the Best Small Town of 2016 by readers of USA TODAY, which highlighted the town's "Victorian architecture, pretty scenery and laid-back vibe," along with the history museum.

Bisbee's population was estimated by the U.S. Census Bureau as hovering just above 5,000 as of July 2022.

What to know: As Bisbee reels from fire, we explore what makes the city special

This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: Bisbee buildings survived 1908 fire. Then came a recent blaze