The rugged stronghold
shows why soldiers stationed at Fort Bowie, Fort Huachuca and the
Butterfield Stage stop found
the Apache Indians so elusive. And, of course, a trip to Boot Hill in
Tombstone attests to the national fame of Cochise County as a historic
haven for outlaws and famed lawmen in the late 1800s.
About 2 miles south of Sunsites is the old mining town of
Pearce, founded in 1893 and the last of Arizona's gold and silver stampede
towns. The Commonwealth Mine made Pearce a boomtown with a population of 3,500.
The mine at the time produced more gold than any other mine in the Southwest.
Although Pearce is considered a ghost town, there are still
several families living there. The original school is in use today, with recent
additions. A scattering of deteriorating adobe and frame buildings remain in
Pearce as well as the old cemetery. Ghost Town Trail begins at Pearce
and winds its way through the
of Courtland and Gleeson, then on to Tombstone, "the town too
tough to die."
Now, the area draws sightseers, campers, hikers, nature lovers,
artists and photographers. Many movies have been filmed in and around