Tombstone, in Cochise County, Arizona, is no doubt
the most famous and glamorized mining town in America. Prospector Ed Schieffelin
was told
he would only find his tombstone in the San Pedro Valley. He named his first
silver claim Tombstone, and it later became the name of the town. Incorporated
in 1881, “The Queen of the Boom Towns” is situated on a mesa between
the Dragoon and Huachuca Mountains at an elevation of 4,540 feet.
While the area became notorious for saloons, gambling houses
and the O.K. Corral shootout, in the 1880s Tombstone had become the most cultivated
city in the West. Underground water flooded the mines though, and falling silver
prices ended the boom in 1904. Surviving the Great Depression and relocation
of the County Seat to Bisbee, in the 1930s Tombstone became known as “The Town
Too Tough To Die.”
Exploring the ruins from a by-gone era or "ghost towning" gives
you a unique look into the lives and history of the people that lived
there. Old buildings, mills, post offices, saloons
and other structures might have deteriorated over the years, but their
history becomes more interesting and important as each year passes. Take
a look at just some of the ghost towns in the Tombstone area, and you'll
be sure to find one that sparks your interest.
Charleston and Millville
Nine miles southwest of Tombstone on Charleston Road. Tombstone
silver ore was milled here in the 1880s. Used later by the U.S. Army
during World War II as a training site for house-to-house combat.
Park at the San Pedro River bridge and walk one-half mile north on
the west side of the river to reach the Charleston site. Millville
is directly across the river.
Courtland
Twenty-one miles north of Douglas, off Route 191.
One-time thriving mining camp named for Courtland Young, a mining
engineer.
Dos Cabezas
Fifteen miles southeast of Willcox on Route 186.
Semi-ghost town where a few residents still support a small post
office. Formerly an active supply center for surrounding mines and
cattle ranches. Wells, Fargo station 1885.
Gleeson
Sixteen miles east of Tombstone on Gleeson Road.
Even before the arrival of Spaniards in this area, Indians were mining
turquoise near this site. John Gleeson prospected the area in the
1880s. Later, Tiffany's mined the same blue gem while other interests
mined copper, lead and zinc.
Hilltop
Thirty-six miles southeast of Willcox on the east
side of the Chiricahuas. The mine there was established by Frank
and John Hands. The town was first established on the west side of
the range, then a tunnel was put through to the east side, where
an even larger town was started.
Pearce
Twenty-eight miles south of Willcox, off Route 191.
This old gold camp once had a population of 2,000, all supported
by the profits from the Commonwealth Mine. It was discovered by John
Pearce in 1894, and in its heyday was the richest gold producer in
southern Arizona.
