The towns of Gleeson and Courtland along the old ghost town trail have an extensive history of mining operations. They are located three miles apart in the Turquoise Mining district in the southeastern part of the Dragoon Mountain Range, about 15 miles east of Tombstone.
The range itself extends northwesterly with a length of 26 miles and a width up to 12 miles. Geologic activity in the district includes faulting and igneous intrusions. Rocks include quartz monzonite, granite and felsite.
Principal ore deposits include copper, lead-silver and zinc. Turquoise can be found near the surface in stringers and lenses in altered granite and quartzite. Gleeson Ridge includes manganese deposits found in Pennsylvanian Naco limestone fractures.
This area was the site of early mining activities involving the Apache who worked the shallow surface deposits for turquoise and again by Anglo miners involved resurgence in turquoise mines sparked by a fashion trend involving the polished blue-green stone by the renowned Tiffany & Co. of New York. Silver-lead deposits were also worked around Gleeson.
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