Bisbee Arizona Flood Disaster Railway 1910 Real Photo Postcard

Bisbee, Arizona, in 1910 was a bustling copper mining town characterized by its challenging mountainous terrain. The Bisbee Street Railway, which commenced operation in 1908, was a crucial electric streetcar system designed to navigate the steep grades and connect the town's various districts, serving as the primary public transit for the tightly packed community nestled in a canyon. The inscription "Street Railway Out of Commission" on July 22, 1910, indicates a significant interruption to this vital infrastructure, which would have profoundly impacted daily routines and local commerce.

Such utility disruptions were common in rapidly developing industrial towns of the American West during this era, particularly in environments susceptible to natural forces. Bisbee's steep topography and canyon setting made its streetcar lines vulnerable to damage, with flash floods frequently impacting railway beds and electrical systems. The proximity of this date to a major flood that significantly damaged Bisbee just six days later, on July 28, 1910, suggests that heavy rainfall or related conditions were likely causes for the street railway's temporary closure, underscoring the precarious nature of infrastructure in early 20th-century mining communities.