Pearce, Arizona

History

Pearce is a mining ghost town named for Cornishman James Pearce, miner and cattleman, who discovered gold nearby at what became the Commonwealth Mine in 1894. The Pearce Post Office was established on March 6, 1896. The railroad station opened in 1903. By 1919, Pearce had a population of 1,500. The town declined in the 1930s and became almost a ghost town in the late 1940s when the mine closed for the last time.

The Commonwealth Mine became one of Arizona's major silver producers. Over 1,000,000 tons of ore were produced from 1895 to 1942. There are about 20 miles of underground workings. The mine produced about $8 million worth of silver and $2.5 million in gold at a time when silver was priced around 50 cents an ounce, and gold was $20 an ounce.

Sunsites was established in the 1950s and 1960s by New York lawyer Joseph Timan and his Horizon Land Company. Horizon sold undeveloped land to buyers. The Federal Trade Commission eventually ordered Horizon to pay money to the buyers due to false and misleading ads.

Historic sites

Pearce is the home of two properties on the National Register of Historic Places. The Pearce General Store opened in 1896. The store remained open as a tourist attraction until 1990. Our Lady of Victory Catholic Church was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 2004. There are a number of other historic structures still extant in and around Pearce, some still in use, others in ruins.

Climate

Pearce has a cold semi-arid climate (Köppen: BSk) with cool winters and hot summers. |Jan record high F = 82 |Feb record high F = 87 |Mar record high F = 90 |Apr record high F = 97 |May record high F = 103 |Jun record high F = 109 |Jul record high F = 108 |Aug record high F = 104 |Sep record high F = 102 |Oct record high F = 98 |Nov record high F = 89 |Dec record high F = 79 |year record high F = 109 |Jan record low F = 4 |Feb record low F = 2 |Mar record low F = 11 |Apr record low F = 22 |May record low F = 26 |Jun record low F = 41 |Jul record low F = 52 |Aug record low F = 50 |Sep record low F = 39 |Oct record low F = 22 |Nov record low F = 12 |Dec record low F = -8 |year record low F = -8

Notable people

• Burt Alvord, late 19th-century lawman in Pearce
• Daniel Barringer (geologist), part owner of Commonwealth Mine
• Bill Downing, a notorious late 19th-century outlaw
• Edward Landers Drew, Pinal County deputy sheriff buried in the Pearce Cemetery
• R. A. F. Penrose, Jr., part owner of Commonwealth Mine
• Effie Anderson Smith, Arizona Impressionist painter of landscapes, and wife of mine manager A.Y. Smith File:Historic Pearce Townsite.jpg|Historic Pearce Townsite Sign File:Our Lady of Victory Catholic Church, Pearce, AZ.jpg|Our Lady of Victory Catholic Church, Pearce, AZ File:Fittsburg AZ.jpg|The mill at Fittsburg, 1900. File:Historic Pearce Jail.jpg|Historic Pearce Jail File:Historic Pearce Jail Sign.jpg|Historic Pearce Jail Sign File:EA Smith behind the wheel circa 1900.jpg|Effie Anderson Smith in her Rambler Touring Car, circa 1907, near her home in Pearce.

References

References

1. [http://pearcesunsiteschamber.org/ Pearce Sunsites Chamber of Commerce], which also uses "Pearce–Sunsites"
2. "Cochise Stronghold – Coronado National Forest".
3. "Chiricahua National Monument (U.S. National Park Service)".
4. "Whitewater Draw Wildlife Area (McNeal) – 2019 Book in Destination – All You Need to Know Before You Go (with Photos)".
5. "Willcox Wine Country – Southeastern Arizona Wineries and Vineyards – Cochise County".
6. [http://www.city-data.com/zips/85625.html 85625 ZIP code map], scroll down
7. "U.S. Census website". [[United States Census Bureau]].
8. "U.S. Census website". [[United States Census Bureau]].
9. [http://www.azcommerce.com/doclib/COMMUNE/pearce-sunsites.pdf Pearce/Sunsites community profile] {{Webarchive. link. (March 13, 2009 at [[Arizona Department of Commerce]])
10. [http://www.ghosttowns.com/states/az/pearce.html Pearce and Fittsburg ghost towns]
11. [http://www.mindat.org/loc-10260.html Commonwealth Mine] at Mindat.org
12. (May 2020)
13. (2011). "Pearce and Sunsites". Arcadia Publishing.
14. "The Federal Trade Commission Friday ordered Horizon Corp. To... - UPI Archives".
15. "NOWData - NOAA Online Weather Data". National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.
16. "Summary of Monthly Normals 1991-2020". National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.