Pearce Arizona
Pearce/Sunsites is located in historic Cochise County, Arizona about 85 miles southeast of Tucson and 28 miles southwest of Willcox. In 1894, a rancher named Jimmy Pearce struck gold in this vicinity and the Commonwealth Mine was begun. Pearce was a miner in Tombstone who had put up a ranch near where the town of Pearce is today. In 1896, the peak ore production was reached but the mine continued until 1904. It was shut down that same year due cave-ins. However, the following year, the mine went back to operation after the erection of a cyanide plant. It closed down by the 1930’s and the mining town diminished in size.
Today all that was left of the old mining town is a few ruins. Pearce is considered by many as a ghost town but the area around it slowly growing. Many communities are springing up and it seems to be on its back to its old glory. The town offers a mild climate at an elevation of 4,500 feet.
