-The El Paso and Southwestern Railroad (EP&SW) was a major American railway that operated from 1888 to 1961 across Arizona, New Mexico, and Texas
- Originally established by the Phelps Dodge Corporation to haul copper ore from mines in Bisbee to smelters in Douglas, Arizona, it eventually grew into a 1,200-mile transcontinental link
- It began as the Arizona and South Eastern Railroad in 1888 ... Its primary goal was to provide Phelps Dodge with an independent route, avoiding the high freight rates of the Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railway
- By 1917, the system stretched from Tucson, Arizona, to Tucumcari, New Mexico, with international branches into Mexico ... It became a critical piece of the "Golden State Route," a premier passenger and freight corridor between Chicago and Los Angeles
- In 1924, the Southern Pacific Railroad (SP) leased the system, and it was fully merged into SP by 1955
- As copper prices fluctuated and truck transport grew more efficient, Southern Pacific began abandoning parts of the line in the early 1960s
-Several historic structures from the EP&SW still stand today:
=Tucson Depot: Built in 1912 at 419 W. Congress St., this Classical Revival building is now on the National Register of Historic Places
=Douglas Depot: Completed in 1913, this station currently serves as the Douglas city police station and government offices
