Published March 14, 2023, for State 48 A2Z
This ghost town in Cochise County, Arizona was formed in the late 1800s and named after a former Tombstone miner turned ranch owner, when he threw a rock at a larger rock formation and discovered gold and silver. It’s a wild story that appears to be a true legend. This week we complete our journey on the Ghost Town Trail with a stop at the old mining town of Pearce, Arizona.
If only it was that easy today… you throw a rock at a larger rock and strike it rich. Almost reminds you of how Jed Clampett struck oil while hunting on his swampland and subsequently moved to Beverly (Hills that is). But that is just what happened somewhere just before the turn of the 20th century when James Pearce, who had toiled the mines in Tombstone while his wife managed a boarding house, decided to take their hard-earned savings and purchase a ranch in Sulfur Springs Valley, northeast of Tombstone. Running a ranch is hard work, but Pearce was never one to shy away from heavy labor and was intent to make a good life for his family in the process.
It happens that Pearce was out tending to his duties on the ranch with his sons when the elder Pearce decided he needed to take a break. While resting a bit, Pearce picked up a rock and threw it at a larger rock formation, causing the smaller rock to break in half. Something in the rock’s inside drew Pearce’s attention and upon further investigation, he found what he believed to be gold. Pearce quickly made the ride into Tombstone to have his findings assayed.
The sample was assayed at $22,000 per ton for silver and $5,000 per ton for gold. Immediately following the assay report, the Pearce family filed claims for, and established, the Commonwealth Mine. However, Pearce’s sons were not cut from the same cloth as their old man and quickly found that mining was not for them and requested to return to the ranching life. The elder Pearce was not keen on the idea of trying to run the mine on his own and decided to put the mine up for sale.
As you can imagine, there was never a shortage of people looking to purchase mines during the old west days and, as fate would have it, a businessman from Silver City, New Mexico named John Brockman heard tale of the Commonwealth Mine and expressed his interest in purchasing it.
After a meeting with the New Mexico businessman, Pearce agreed to sell the mining operations to Brockman for $250,000 (about $8.1M today) with a couple of conditions. Condition one was that Brockman had 90 days to begin working the mine or control would fall back to Pearce. The second condition was that Mrs. Pearce be allowed to operate a boarding house next to the mine. The new owner had mining operations up and going quickly and it wasn’t long before a mining encampment named Fittsburg popped up about one mile east of what would become the town of Pearce. A U.S. Post Office was established in 1896 and the town of Pearce, Arizona was officially on the map.
News of the Commonwealth Mine and the new town of Pearce quickly spread across the Territory, and it was welcomed news by many business owners and miners in Tombstone where the mines had recently flooded busting the town and many businesses. Soon dozens of Tombstone businesses moved to the newly established Pearce and, as a result, the population grew rapidly and, by 1919, Pearce boasted a population of 1,500. Regretfully, criminal activity by miners and outlaws alike followed the population growth.
The Town of Pearce named Burt Alvord as its deputy, but it wasn’t long before Alvord himself turned outlaw and formed a gang dedicated to robbing trains throughout the Arizona territory. They were known as the Alvord-Stiles Gang and often used the Town of Pearce as their headquarters (I seem to remember an episode of Bonanza when Little Joe, lost in the desert, comes across a town run by outlaws). But Alvord wasn’t the town’s only infamous figure of the day.
Another notorious outlaw who called Pearce home was Bill Downing. Downing worked as a cowhand at ranches in the area when he was hired to work on the Esperanza Ranch. The Esperanza was known to willingly hire outlaws, rustlers, and renegade Apaches. Downing connected with the Alvord-Stiles Gang and, together, they successfully robbed the Cochise Train Station and attempted to rob the Fairbank train. Downing was eventually captured, tried, and sentenced to serve time at the even more notorious Yuma Territorial Prison.
While all the notoriety was happening in town, the Commonwealth mine was reaching its peak production of gold and silver, and, in 1896, the Soto Bros. and Renaud Store was built. The two-story building, now known as the Pearce General Store, was built using redwood and cedar beams and was one of the largest adobe structures in Cochise County at the time. This building is still in existence today and has recently been restored, and includes a one-bedroom residential apartment in addition to a museum that showcases the town’s history and is decorated with antiques and period furniture. The property also includes a garage that currently houses antique horse carts, as well as a working Blacksmith shop. As of October 2022, it was available at the asking price of $1.1M. Read that story here.
Pearce didn't have a jail until 1915 when Constable Charles Webster traveled to the county seat of Tombstone and met with the Board of Supervisors to express the town's need for a jail to be built. His request was granted and G.M. Porter of Bisbee was awarded the contract. The jail was completed later that same year at a cost of just over $615 ($18,000 today) and was constructed of layers of poured concrete with rebar re-enforcement, ten inches thick walls with ventilation provided by six windows, and iron doors. The jail remained in use as a holding facility until the mid-1930s.
The Commonwealth Mine became one of Arizona’s major silver producers with more than 1,000,000 tons of ore produced from 1895 to 1942. There are about 20 miles of underground workings. Additionally, the mine produced about $8 million worth of silver and $2.5 million in gold. At the time silver was priced around 50 cents an ounce, and gold was $20 an ounce.
The Pearce General Store building and Our Lady of Victory Catholic Church were added to the National Register of Historic Places, in 1978 and 2004, respectively.
The list of historic properties remaining in Pearce includes the Sheriff's Office (built 1915), the ruins of the prisoner’s cell (1915), the Old Pearce Pottery store (1899), the Soto Bros. and Renaud Store a.k.a. Pearce General Store (1896), the Old General Store (1894), Commonwealth Mine Manager's House (1895), the US Post Office (1896), Our Lady of Victory Catholic Church (1916), the Gold Rush House (1896), an old wooden bridge over Middle March Creek (1900), and the Pearce Cemetery (1916).
Today, you can reach Pearce via the primitive road, Ghost Town Trail, or via highway 191 to Pearce Road then head west. This is a must-see for any ghost town or old west history enthusiasts making their way through the area. If you do take the Ghost Town Trail, be aware that it is primitive, rarely traveled, and can be hazardous if you are not prepared. Be aware of weather and road conditions, carry plenty of water with you, and let someone know where you are going and when you plan to return. It may sound ridiculous to many, but these simple tips can save your life if you get a flat or your vehicle breaks down in the middle of nowhere. The desert conditions can be very unforgiving.
Thanks for riding with us to the ghost town of Pearce. We always appreciate the excellent company. So, until next week, thanks for reading, stay safe, and happy trails. Be sure to like and follow us on social media (links below), share our blog posts, and feel free to give us your feedback. We’d love to hear from you. Peace!
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