Historic Lowell Arizona
Welcome to Historic Lowell Arizona! While it ~technically~ was incorporated into Bisbee in the early 1900s, it still feels like a separate town. It’s easy to miss if you’re not paying attention while driving south of Bisbee. Cruising the winding edge of the Copper King Canyon along AZ-80 admiring the quarry below, it’s hard to believe a little town is perched on the side of a gaping pit.
That’s the thing about Arizona, the landscapes will amaze you whether they’re human made or straight from Mother Nature herself. Fortunately during this visit we were Staying in a Tiki Bus at The Shady Dell just across the road, so we had ample opportunities to drive by and notice it.
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The History of Lowell Arizona
How the town of Lowell came to be was because of the mass population growth in the area as more people came for mining jobs. Since the town of Bisbee was becoming overcrowded, Lowell served as a suburb providing houses to miners and their growing families.
The town itself began to boom in the early 20th century due to its proximity to the Sacramento Hill mine. As the copper business flourished so did the town that sat next to it.
The Decline of Lowell
By the 1940s, the demand for copper was no longer as consistent as it had been before which made the mining of copper less profitable than it had been decades prior. When a local economy is based solely on one sector, it has a cascade effect throughout the community. Jobs disappeared when the Sacramento Mine was shut down and so did the relative wealth of the area.
The Opening of the Lavender Pit
The town of Lowell began to shrink, literally and figuratively, in the 1950s when the Lavender Pit opened. Exceeding the footprint of the former Sacramento Mine, the Lavender Pit expanded substantially. It became one of the world’s largest open-pit copper mine at the expense of the town beside it. Residents homes were demolished to make way for the enlarging of the pit which caused both a decrease in population and a diminished in size town.
What Remains of Lowell
With the residential part of the town cleared out for the sake of copper mining, all that remained of the town was a commercial strip aptly named Erie Street. Because that’s exactly what it is, eerily deserted. With no citizens around to help the local economy, businesses struggled and ultimately shuttered creating this frozen in time Ghost Town standing today.
Why Was It Called The Lavender Pit?
I wrongly assumed the open air copper mining pit was named due to its colour. Despite knowing that copper makes a magnificent redish colour or green when oxidized, I thought perhaps there was lavender somewhere in there. Nope.
The Lavender Pit was named after a mining engineer, Harrison Lavender. He introduced the Bisbee area to the process of open-pit mining. He died shortly after the opening of the mine in 1952.
The Businesses of Lowell
There are a few businesses still operating in Historic Lowell Arizona though many are phoney storefronts kept up by residents to maintain the ambience. I think they’re doing a stellar job of that. The streets are lined with an array of classic cars which can almost trick you into thinking there’s a bustling mainstreet.
Perhaps one of my favourites of the parked vehicles is this “Strayhound” Bus.
We didn’t stop by during operating hours but Old Lady Pickers looked like an antique hounds manic dream (me). And I’ve heard the nearby Bisbee Breakfast Club is a great place to dine as well.
The Movie History of Lowell
Since Lowell had became a town frozen in time, it’s the perfect location for shooting movies. According to this IMDb list, several movies have been shot there. My favourite on that list (solely based on the fact that it stars both Kyle MacLachlan AND Dwight Yoakam) is Roswell.
Outfit Details
HAT – Bailey’s of Hollywood – c/o
JACKET – Thrifted
BELT – Thrifted
SUNGLASSES – Ray Ban Aviators
DRESS – Bought at Sanctuary (RIP)
BOOTS – Dan Post Cowboy Boots – gifted from my trip to Stampede
Other Arizona Travel Guides
Thanks so much for stopping by! If you dig this post, may I point you in the direction of my YouTube Channel. Or peep my previous posts from Arizona such as: Weird Arizona – 5 Strange Places to Visit on a Trip to the Arizona Desert, my Mesa Arizona City Guide, a tour of Classic Rock Couture Bisbee Arizona, or Object Limited Bisbee Arizona!
photographs – jesse sand & sandy joe karpetz
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