Bisbee isn't just one of the weirdest places in Arizona, it's one of the weirdest in the world. Don't get it twisted, they're proud of it.

A house in Bisbee decorated with all things red
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For decades now, Bisbee's been known as a hub for everything off-color, from weekends revolving around Alice in Wonderland cosplay to their "Talk Like a Pirate" weekend, weirdos from across the country flock to this tiny mining town.

It may be some time before someone upstages Bisbee's most interesting resident though.

Who Was Joseph Muheim?

No, Joseph Muheim is not Bisbee's most interesting resident, but he is the catalyst for their arrival. Muheim arrived in the United States in 1883, after immigrating from Sweden. He spent five years on the Pacific coast before joining his uncles in an unheard of mining town in southern Arizona.

Homes dotting the Bisbee mountains
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Muheim began to work as a bartender in early Bisbee, but started to work his way up the food chain before founding the Miners and Merchants Bank. Along with his uncles and Baptiste Caretto (another prominent businessman), he began building up the city, launching projects such as the Pythian Castle and the Bisbee Ore newspaper.

His wealth and power led him to some very odd decisions.

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Mr. Bear

Of those weird decisions, Mr. Bear might have been the most popular. The exact date is unknown, but sometime in the late 19th century, Muheim purchased a new pet. That pet was a black bear cup known only as "Mr. Bear".

A baby Black Bear
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He had a tendency to visit the local bars in the area with his owner, to the delight of other patrons. He spent much of his time at the Brewery Saloon, entertaining guests with his antics (and according to legend, even fist fighting them), to a point where he is now effectively a deity to the people of Bisbee.

A black bear sits in Bisbee's main street
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Unfortunately, Mr. Bear met an untimely death, but he never left the heart of Bisbee, and you can still hear stories of his antics all over town.

[Muheim House via Wikipedia][Big Jeep Tours][True West Magazine]

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