Pearce, Arizona facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Pearce, Arizona
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 Pearce, Arizona
Location in Arizona
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| Country | United States |
| State | Arizona |
| County | Cochise |
| Settled | 1894 |
| Zip code |
85625
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Pearce, Arizona and Sunsites, Arizona are two small towns right next to each other in Cochise County, Arizona. People often call them "Pearce–Sunsites" because they are so close.
Pearce is known as a historic ghost town. This means it was once a busy place, but most people left when its main industry ended. Sunsites was started later, in 1961, and is a newer community. Other small areas like Sunizona and Richland are also nearby. All these places share the same post office and ZIP code, 85625.
The area is a great spot for different activities. It's located between Cochise Stronghold, Chiricahua National Monument, and Whitewater Draw. This makes it popular for people who love watching birds, learning about history, hiking, and climbing. The area is also about 4,400 feet high, so its summers are milder. This cooler weather is perfect for growing good quality grapes for wine. The economy here mostly depends on people who have retired and visitors.
A place called Fittsburg was once home to the Commonwealth Mine. It is located about one mile east of Pearce.
Contents
The Story of Pearce: From Gold to Ghost Town
Pearce is a mining ghost town. It got its name from James Pearce, a miner and cattleman. He found gold nearby in 1894. This discovery led to the creation of the Commonwealth Mine.
The Pearce Post Office opened in 1896, and a train station followed in 1903. By 1919, Pearce was a busy town with about 1,500 people. But in the 1930s, the town started to shrink. By the late 1940s, when the mine closed for good, Pearce became almost a ghost town.
The Commonwealth Mine became one of Arizona's most important silver mines. Between 1895 and 1942, it produced over 1,000,000 tons of ore. There are about 20 miles of tunnels underground! The mine produced about $8 million worth of silver and $2.5 million in gold. Back then, silver was worth about 50 cents an ounce, and gold was $20 an ounce.
Sunsites was developed in the 1950s and 1960s by Joseph Timan and his company.
Historic Places to See
Pearce has two special places listed on the National Register of Historic Places. This means they are important historical sites that are protected.
- The Old Pearce General Store opened in 1896. Even after Pearce became a ghost town, the store stayed open. It is still open today as a place for tourists to visit.
- Our Lady of Victory Catholic Church was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 2004.
You can also find other old buildings and ruins around Pearce. Some are still used, while others are just historic remains.
Weather in Pearce–Sunsites
Pearce has a cold semi-arid climate. This means it has cool winters and hot summers.
| Climate data for Pearce–Sunsites, Arizona (1991–2020 normals, extremes 1913–1918, 1950–1980, 1988–present) | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
| Record high °F (°C) | 82 (28) |
87 (31) |
90 (32) |
97 (36) |
103 (39) |
109 (43) |
108 (42) |
104 (40) |
102 (39) |
98 (37) |
89 (32) |
79 (26) |
109 (43) |
| Mean daily maximum °F (°C) | 60.0 (15.6) |
63.7 (17.6) |
70.4 (21.3) |
77.5 (25.3) |
85.8 (29.9) |
94.8 (34.9) |
92.6 (33.7) |
90.7 (32.6) |
87.7 (30.9) |
80.0 (26.7) |
68.8 (20.4) |
59.3 (15.2) |
77.6 (25.3) |
| Daily mean °F (°C) | 44.6 (7.0) |
47.9 (8.8) |
53.4 (11.9) |
59.6 (15.3) |
67.7 (19.8) |
77.1 (25.1) |
78.9 (26.1) |
77.2 (25.1) |
72.5 (22.5) |
62.9 (17.2) |
52.2 (11.2) |
44.4 (6.9) |
61.5 (16.4) |
| Mean daily minimum °F (°C) | 29.1 (−1.6) |
32.1 (0.1) |
36.5 (2.5) |
41.7 (5.4) |
49.5 (9.7) |
59.4 (15.2) |
65.1 (18.4) |
63.6 (17.6) |
57.4 (14.1) |
45.8 (7.7) |
35.5 (1.9) |
29.4 (−1.4) |
45.4 (7.4) |
| Record low °F (°C) | 4 (−16) |
2 (−17) |
11 (−12) |
22 (−6) |
26 (−3) |
41 (5) |
52 (11) |
50 (10) |
39 (4) |
22 (−6) |
12 (−11) |
−8 (−22) |
−8 (−22) |
| Average precipitation inches (mm) | 0.85 (22) |
0.75 (19) |
0.55 (14) |
0.19 (4.8) |
0.23 (5.8) |
0.56 (14) |
2.58 (66) |
2.86 (73) |
1.47 (37) |
0.68 (17) |
0.67 (17) |
0.80 (20) |
12.19 (310) |
| Average snowfall inches (cm) | 0.7 (1.8) |
0.2 (0.51) |
0.1 (0.25) |
0.0 (0.0) |
0.0 (0.0) |
0.0 (0.0) |
0.0 (0.0) |
0.0 (0.0) |
0.0 (0.0) |
0.0 (0.0) |
0.2 (0.51) |
0.0 (0.0) |
1.2 (3.0) |
| Average precipitation days (≥ 0.01 inch) | 4.2 | 4.6 | 3.2 | 1.6 | 2.0 | 2.5 | 9.4 | 10.8 | 5.5 | 3.2 | 3.1 | 4.5 | 54.6 |
| Average snowy days (≥ 0.1 inch) | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.1 | 0.2 | 0.3 |
| Source: NOAA | |||||||||||||
Famous People Connected to Pearce
Here are some notable people who had a connection to Pearce:
- Burt Alvord – a lawman from the late 1800s.
- Daniel Barringer (geologist) – partly owned the Commonwealth Mine.
- Bill Downing – a well-known outlaw from the late 1800s.
- Edward Landers Drew – a deputy sheriff buried in the Pearce Cemetery.
- R. A. F. Penrose, Jr. – also partly owned the Commonwealth Mine.
- Effie Anderson Smith – an Arizona painter known for landscapes, and wife of a mine manager.
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Historic Pearce Townsite Sign
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Our Lady of Victory Catholic Church, Pearce, AZ
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The mill at Fittsburg, c.1900.
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Historic Pearce Jail
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Historic Pearce Jail Sign
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Effie Anderson Smith in her Rambler Touring Car, circa 1907, near her home in Pearce.
