Tucked into the Mule Mountains one-hundred miles east of Tucson, Bisbee was once the largest city between New Orleans and San Francisco.

Bisbee’s riches came not from gold or silver but from copper, and visitors today can tour one of the open pit mines that earned Bisbee the nickname “Queen of the Copper Camps”. Copper was first discovered here in 1877 by Army scout Jack Dunn, and in less than one hundred years mines in the area had generated more than 6.1 billion dollars. (Yes, that is Billion with a capital B).

Dunn didn't profit from his find. He ended up grubstaking with a prospector named George Warren, and Warren agreed to give Dunn half of his staked claims. But Warren cheated Dunn out of his share by putting only his own name on the claims.

But fate (and whiskey) made sure Warren was repaid for his scheming. During a drinking binge he lost all his shares to the Copper Queen Mine on a bet that he could outrun a horse. The shares would eventually have amounted to $20 million. Warren stayed in Bisbee, continued drinking, and died broke and insane in 1892.

Bisbee may look stark and peaceful today, but in the ear ...[continued]