The Story Behind The Bisbee Deportation Of 1917

Bisbee, Arizona, is home to one of the most prosperous copper mines in the country. By 1917, copper prices had nearly doubled, making the mines more profitable than ever. However, growing frustration among workers, dangerous conditions, and unfair labor practices pushed the town to a breaking point. As miners began to organize, Bisbee became the site of one of the most controversial labor actions in American history.

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white and brown concrete houses on mountain during daytime — Photo by Drew Dempsey on Unsplash

War and Labor

By 1917, Bisbee's mines produced more than 25% of the nation's copper. With World War I underway, companies like Phelps Dodge, owned by Walter Douglas, operated vast underground networks supplying copper essential to the wartime economy.

The work was grueling. Hours were long, conditions were dangerous, and workers' complaints were often ignored. Cave-ins were frequent, the air was filled with silica dust, and miners saw little of the prosperity their labor created.

READ: Exploring The Haunted History Of Bisbee's Copper Queen Hotel

an american flag on a pole in front of a building — Flag on the front of the old Phelps Dodge company store. / Photo by Jim Witkowski on Unsplash

The Industrial Workers of the World

Labor tensions had been building for years, but the arrival of the Industrial Workers of the World (IWW), a union founded in 1905, gave miners the confidence to demand change.

In June of 1917, the IWW's Metal Mine Workers' Union No. 800 presented Bisbee's mining companies with a list of demands, including $6 daily wages, safer working conditions, and an end to blasting while miners were underground. By June 27, more than half of Bisbee's copper miners were on strike.

The mining companies condemned the strike as unpatriotic wartime sabotage. The conflict divided the town. Many residents supported the miners, while other civilians and business leaders viewed the IWW as a threat to economic stability and national loyalty.

"Don't like it, leave."

The conflict between companies and workers reached its peak on July 12, 1917, when Walter Douglas enlisted Cochise County Sheriff Harry Wheeler. Wheeler and his deputies recruited local civilians, forming a posse of more than 2,000 armed men.

At 4 a.m., they swept through Bisbee, rounding up striking workers and marching them at gunpoint to a baseball field. More than 1,200 men were detained, loaded into cattle cars without food or water, and transported to the desert near Columbus, New Mexico. There, they were abandoned and warned never to return, or they would be shot.

Aftermath

Many Civilians were injured or killed during the confrontation, and one worker was shot while being removed from his home. The situation was so severe that President Woodrow Wilson ordered a presidential hearing.

Although the deportation was deemed illegal, Wheeler, his deputies, and Walter Douglas faced no legal consequences. Federal troops eventually provided food, water, and protection for the deported workers, but few returned to Bisbee, and the IWW was effectively destroyed.

READ: Why Bisbee is Named Bisbee, and Why Its Namesake Hates It

a black and white photo of an old train car — Photo by Carolina Jorquera on Unsplash

The Phelps Dodge mining company continued operating, and no major labor unions appeared in the area until the 1940s. Today, the Bisbee Deportation remains a reminder of how fear, economic pressure, and mob mentality can override democratic norms.

CONTINUE READING: How Bisbee Became The Queen Of Copper Mines

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Gallery Credit: Christopher Cappiali