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For
much of its 100-year history, Douglas was dominated by two
copper smelters - the Copper Queen and the Calumet and Arizona.
But Douglas thrived on the Mexican-American border because it
was always more than just a smelter town.
It
was a section headquarters for the El Paso and Southwestern
Railroad, host to three distinct Army camps, and a hub for
area ranchers and farmers. Douglas residents were crazy about
aviation and built an airport where many aerial firsts took
place.
Although
it may seem that the often-deadly intrigue surrounding the
Mexican Revolution and the two battles fought in Agua Prieta,
the Sonoran town across the international boundary from Douglas,
would limit trade and tourism possibilities, the opposite was
true.
After
the last smelter closed in 1987, Douglas relied heavily upon
border trade of all sorts for its growing economy. Today,
Douglas and Agua Prieta capitalize on a vibrancy from the
meeting of two cultures. |
