1 Gleeson, Arizona
The town was originally called Turquoise after the mineral that local native tribes used to mine there, but it was changed after local miner John Gleeson filed a claim for copper and established the Copper Belle Mine. 500 persons lived in the town by 1900, the majority of whom were miners. Although a fire destroyed half of the town in 1912, it was rebuilt as demand for copper increased as a result of the First World War
2 Gleeson, Arizona
The town was abandoned after the post office shut down in 1939 and the mines collapsed in the 1930s. Even though there are still many families who reside here, the only establishment that sells rattlesnake items is here. Normally, visitors are free to explore the ruins of a hospital, a bar, and a jail that has been converted into a museum.
3 Cerro Gordo, California
Pablo Flores began mining and smelting operations close to the town after finding silver there in 1865. After a few years, the silver at Cerro Gordo became well known, attracting many new prospectors. Lead and ore were also found in the years that followed, and the town grew rapidly. It didn’t last, though; by the late 1870s, Cerro Gordo had been abandoned due to disputes over the town’s ownership, a decline in lead and silver values, and a brief drying up of the water tower
