Lowell AZ: Vintage Cars, Classic Storefronts, and Revival
Explore Lowell, Arizona—A Time Capsule on Erie Street
Lowell, AZ is one of the most unique and historic stops on every Big Jeep Tour through Bisbee. Located just southeast of Old Bisbee, this street looks frozen in time. You’ll see old-fashioned gas pumps, restored 1950s storefronts, and vintage cars lining Erie Street, all against the backdrop of Arizona’s mining history.
Once a booming mining community, Lowell is now a must-see destination for anyone who loves classic Americana, copper town heritage, and roadside photo ops. It’s an unforgettable part of the journey that makes Big Jeep Tours stand out from other Bisbee experiences.
Frank Hanchett, Founder of Lowell AZ
Lowell, Arizona began with the vision of Frank Hanchett, a mining entrepreneur from Lowell, Massachusetts. In February 1899, he purchased key copper claims and launched the Lowell & Arizona Copper Mining and Smelting Company. Within a few months, he opened a deep shaft—900 feet by March 1899—and created jobs for over 60 men with a $10,000 monthly payroll .
Frank built much more than a mine—he helped shape a new mining town. Lowell soon had boarding houses, a trolley line, a depot, saloons, and a working-class community that would become a vital part of Bisbee’s copper boom.
🧡 Personal Note: Travis Bishop, your Big Jeep Tours guide, has deep roots here. His great-grandfather settled in Lowell in 1913 and worked in the very same Lowell Mine founded by Hanchett. When you tour with Travis, you’re hearing stories from a 4th-generation Bisbee local whose family helped build the town from the ground up.
In 1902, the mine was sold to the Copper Queen Consolidated Mining Company. It was expanded, modernized with pumps to combat flooding, and became a major producer in the Bisbee mining district.
Every time your Jeep rolls down Erie Street, you're passing through land that holds both copper mining history and family legacy. It’s one of the reasons Big Jeep Tours gives such a personal and powerful look at Lowell AZ.
Jay Allen: The Biker Legend Who Revived Erie Street
Jay Allen isn’t just passionate—he’s legendary. Best known as the founder of the Broken Spoke Saloon, a biker bar icon at Sturgis and Daytona rallies, he brought motorcycles, showmanship, and community to towns across America.
With a career that includes setting land speed records, hosting motorcycle roadshows, and building the “World’s Biggest Biker Bar,” Jay has always been about celebrating culture and connection.
In Lowell, AZ, his passion took a new turn.
The result? Erie Street became a living photograph, a must-see stop on Big Jeep Tours that feels like stepping into a real 1950s Arizona town.
Jay Allen’s Biker Legacy
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Founded the Broken Spoke Saloon, a landmark at major motorcycle rallies
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Created traveling Road-Show productions at events like Sturgis
Jay’s history in motorcycle culture—and his skill in storytelling and staging—are part of what makes Lowell Americana so authentic and magical.
