Cochise County
Gleeson
First called Turquoise, this copper mining camp near Tombstone still has a few residents today.
Gleeson is a former mining town located 13 miles east of present day Tombstone. First called Turquoise, the town would later go on to produce copper and be named after its founder, John Gleeson. Located only a couple miles away from its successful neighbor — Courtland – the two towns were essentially one in the same during their heyday. Today, most of town remains on private property, although some historic structures and workings are visible from the public road.
Much like Courtland, Gleeson was first prospected by early Native Americans, who pursued turquoise. By the 1870s, white prospectors had discovered copper, lead, and silver in the area. At first, the area was called Turquoise. A post office was open from 1890 to 1894. In 1896, an Irishman named John Gleeson staked a copper claim in the area. The mine had decent success, but a lack of water slowed production. In 1900, a new post office was opened and named Gleeson. In combination with the Courtland boom, Gleeson boomed as well.
The Gleeson Jail, built a year after Courtland’s has been restored and houses a museum today.
Almost one in the same, the two separate towns were connected, with many residents of Courtland traveling to Gleeson for services not offered in their town. Gleeson featured an actual hospital, bank, Chinese restaurant, and other buildings. In 1910 a new jail was constructed. Built just a year after Courtland’s and using the same plans, the jail in Gleeson today looks much like what the Courtland Jail would have looked like. Today, the owner Joe Bono, has turned it into a museum and offers tours on select days.
In 1912, a catastrophic fire ripped through town, burning 28 buildings and claiming $100,000 in damage. While some of town was rebuilt and the town continued to produce copper through World War I, the mines played out in the 1930s. In 1938, Gleeson was the filming location for Paramount Pictures production of a Zane Gray novel called ‘Mark of the Avenger’. However, the post office was closed just a year later in 1939.
Several old buildings can be seen from the public road, and back towards the hill, several mining structures remain – including a headframe, tailings, and other workings, all of which are on private land today. The jail, which has been fully restored, is the most popular stop in town. It houses a nice museum of the area and is open the first Saturday of each month or by appointment when the owner is free. Down the road is the Gleeson Cemetery, which contains some old graves from throughout the town's history, and is still currently used by residents today. Other than this, there wasn’t much to see from the public road. While there are some side roads, a large number of private property and no trespassing signs remain in most places.
Sources:
Coming soon