b'was established on March 6, 1896. TheRailroad also arrived from Douglas. The town railroad station opened in 1903. Byprovided a movie theater, an ice cream parlor, a pool 1919, Pearce had a population of 1,500.hall, and a swimming pool for amusement. But, like The town declined in the 1930s andthe other area mining towns, Courtlands mines became almost a ghost town in the lateplayed out, and so did the town. It hung on through 1940s when the mine closed for thethe Great Depression, its post office finally closed last time. Several historic structuresin 1942. By then, many of its buildings had already like the general store and jail still existbeen razed or moved. What was left was quickly in and around Pearce, some still in use, others inclaimed by the desert.ruins. Our Lady of Victory Catholic Church was added to the National Register of Historic Placeswest of the town on the road to Tombstone.Today, Courtlands only remains are the old jail, a in 2004. The Gold Rush House was originallyA small population also remains and sellscollapsing store, several foundations, and plenty of built in Tombstone, but when gold and silver werehandcrafted rattlesnake products, making for mining evidence testifying to its more prosperous discovered in Pearce, it was dismantled and rebuilta truly unique experience. times. The hills surrounding Courtland are pocked there. There is also a cemetery dating back to thewith mines and old shafts, so visitors should beware Civil War where Abraham Lincolns bodyguard andContinue your trek through Gleeson on Gleesonthat hiking in the area could be hazardous. General Shermans adjutant are buried. Road. Just a mile or so beyond the town, you will come to Ghost Town Trail Road, turning north In 1900, a Pearce miner named John Gleeson beganto continue to Courtland and Pearce. All along prospecting the Turquoise area again. Finding largethe dusty road are remnants of the areas more deposits of copper, he soon filed several claimsprosperous past. Courtland is just about 3.5 miles and opened the Copper Belle Mine. More minersdown the road.flooded the area and new mines with names like Silver Belle, Brother Jonathan, Defiance, and PejonInterestingly, though Courtland got its start later also sprouted up. The new mining camp was calledthan nearby Gleeson, it grew to four times the size. Gleeson, which moved down the hill to be closer toEven more interesting is that this once larger town, water. On October 15, 1900, the post office opened,which died later than its nearby neighbor, has far supporting a population of about 500, almost allfewer remains.working in the mines.Getting its start in the early 1900s, miners flooded In 1912, a fire raged through Gleeson taking withthe area to work for the Copper Queen, Leadville, it some 28 buildings. However, with the minesGreat Western, Calumet, and Arizona Mining still producing ore in large volumes, it was quicklyCompanies. One of the largest companies, therebuilt. John Gleeson sold out in 1914, but copperGreat Western, was owned by W.J. Young, who production flourished, especially during World Warnamed the quickly growing settlement for his I. After the war, however, copper prices began tobrother Courtland.fall, ore production decreased, and by the 1930s, the mines had all shut down. Most of the populationIn March 1909, a post office was established and moved on, but Gleesons post office held on untilbefore long, the town boasted a population of 2,000 March 31, 1939, when it, too, shut its doors andresidents who supported two newspapers, several Gleeson became a ghost town. stores, a Wells Fargo office, and the Southernamericanexpeditioners.comArizona Auto Company. The Mexico and Colorado Today, the old settlement still supports numerous ruins, including a hospital, a saloon, dry goods store, several houses, a jail, numerous mining remnants, and the large foundation of what was once a large school. The Gleeson cemetery is justArizonaRealCountry.com May 2023 25'