We went to jail

 Yep, and not just a jail, so let me clarify that: we explored three old, abandoned jail houses along the Ghost Town Trail.

Everyone knows Tombstone, which is a lovely tourist attraction. However, just a few miles further we drove in the direction of Gleeson. The road weaves through desert wilderness winding across rolling hills for about 14 miles. The scenery is beautiful with views of the Dragoon Mountains.

Gleeson was once a thriving mining town and during its heydays had a population of over 1,000. It was named after John Gleeson who discovered copper deposits. Today there are only a handful of ranchers living near the town’s limits. We stopped at its Cemetery and read the town’s history before taking a look at the graves.

A couple of Gleeson residents purchased and restored the old 1910 Gleeson Jail. We wandered around looking at the collected artifacts and thought it was a unique place. Next to it is a picnic area with a trailer for catering to visitors once a month when the Jail is open.

Here are a few tidbits: Before the jail was constructed, the constable of Gleeson chained his prisoners up to the “jail tree”, a large oak located in a nearby wash with a metal cable wrapped around it. The prisoner’s right hand would be attached to the cable and he would remain there for however long, rain or shine. When it rained, water would fill up the wash and “clean out the jail.”

The original Gleeson Jail was fabricated from wood and stood immediately in front of the current concrete jail. It didn’t last long as some inmates attempted to escape by raising the building’s tin roof. The jail was replaced by a reinforced concrete structure that cost $1,778 in 1910. The old wooden jail was sold for $25. In 1940 the county removed the metal gates and windows for use in the new jail at Benson, which left the front of the building exposed.

A mile further we made a left turn onto the Ghost Town Trail Road in the direction of Courtland. It is a dirt road but was in pretty good shape.  There are only ruins or scattered foundations left of the once 2,000 population. However it has the unrestored twin of the Gleeson Jail which was constructed a year later. Sadly inside it is smeared full of graffiti and its gates and windows also went to the new jail in Benson.

Another tidbit: While the Courtland jail was under construction and not yet ready for “guests” the original jail was an unused mine tunnel with a wooden door. During the night, the prisoner tried to break his way out by piling his bedding against the door and lighting it on fire. The smoke and fumes, having no where to go, quickly filled up the tunnel, and the prisoner passed out. He was revived when the Sheriff brought him breakfast.

 What we thought was more interesting than the jail ruins was a sign of an abandoned mine shaft we spotted along the road. So we scrambled through the thorns and brush to have a look. 

At the end of the Ghost Town Trail we reached the town of Pearce. When gold was discovered in 1896 many miners with families relocated from Tombstone where mines had flooded and with them came gangs that made it necessary to build a jail house. This concrete building was constructed in 1915 for $615.45  and used until 1938 just like the other two. It changed hands many times after that and became someone’s storage room. It was donated to the Old Pearce Preservation Association but not with the only key for both cell doors. An expert locksmith had to come to the rescue to make a new key so the jail house could be cleaned out.

Having had enough of jail houses we continued on to Cochise via Hwy 191, where the famous historic Cochise Hotel is located and where Big Nose Kate was hired to work in the hotel after Doc Holliday’s death. The hotel is now privately owned and was not open for visitors but we looked through the window. 

The return trip home via I-10 with a quick stopover at the rest area with the majestic rock formations of the Dragoon Mountains in the background rounded up our outing of Arizona’s bygone days.

Just something to smile about: After I had downloaded the following photo and showed it to Benno, he said: "Shit, this looks like I am peeing, doesn't it? I was just looking at the little solar panel and noticed someone had walked off with the battery from the info board light."

Thanks everyone for dropping in again and your patience reading to the end ;-)