Big Bear, CA
I quiet mountain community full of back country adventure.
White Tidy Tips (Layia glandulosa)
The White Tidy Tips (Layia glandulosa), also known as whitedaisy tidytips or white layia, is a charming annual wildflower in the sunflower family (Asteraceae) native to the arid and semi-arid regions of western North America, stretching from central Washington south to Baja California and eastward into Utah and Arizona. This low-growing, branched herb, typically reaching 4 to 24 inches in height, features hairy, glandular stems and linear to lobed leaves that give off a subtle fragrance. Its showy daisy-like flower heads bloom from March to June, especially following adequate winter rains, boasting pure white, three-lobed ray florets that encircle a bright yellow disk of central florets—creating a crisp, tidy contrast that evokes its common name—while the rays may occasionally fade to a delicate rose-purple. Thriving in sandy or open soils across desert scrub, grasslands, and coastal habitats, it adds bursts of ethereal beauty to spring landscapes, supports pollinators like butterflies, and provides seeds for birds, embodying the resilient grace of Western wildflowers.
Biological Classification
White Tidy Tips, also known as Whitedaisy Tidytips or White Layia, belongs to the following taxonomic hierarchy:
- Kingdom: Plantae (Plants)
- Clade: Tracheophytes (Vascular plants)
- Clade: Angiosperms (Flowering plants)
- Clade: Eudicots
- Clade: Asterids
- Order: Asterales
- Family: Asteraceae (Sunflower or Aster family)
- Genus: Layia
- Species: Layia glandulosa (Hook.) Hook. & Arn. (described in 1833; the specific epithet glandulosa refers to its glandular hairs)
It is an annual herb in the tarweed tribe (Heliantheae) within the Asteraceae family. The genus Layia is almost entirely restricted to western North America, with 14 species native to the region (12 of which are found in California).
Description of the Plant and Flower
Plant: Layia glandulosa is a low-growing, branched, pubescent annual herb typically reaching 4–24 inches (10–60 cm) tall (occasionally up to about 2 feet). The stems are erect, green to purple-streaked, and covered in soft glandular hairs that can feel sticky and sometimes produce a mild spicy or scented aroma. Leaves are thin, linear to oval-shaped, up to 4 inches (10 cm) long; the lower (basal) leaves are often lobed or pinnatifid, while upper leaves tend to be entire.
Flower: The inflorescences are showy, daisy-like flower heads approximately 1.5 inches (4 cm) across, borne on glandular stalks. Each head features 3–14 (typically 5–8) broad, white ray florets that are often 3-lobed at the tips; these pure white rays surround a central disk of numerous bright yellow disk florets. The involucre (base of the flower head) consists of green, hairy, glandular phyllaries. The rays may fade to rose-purple with age. After flowering, the plant produces hairy achenes (cypselae) with a pappus of stiff white hairs for seed dispersal.
The plant is rapid-growing and blooms primarily in spring, with flowering triggered by adequate winter rainfall; it may not bloom in dry years
Habitat
White Tidy Tips thrives in dry, open environments with well-drained, sandy or gravelly soils. It is commonly found on dry slopes, mesas, grasslands, meadows, desert uplands, and open clearings. It tolerates a range of conditions from lower to upper desert habitats and can occur in chaparral, coastal scrub, valley grasslands, and pinyon-juniper woodlands. Lean, nutrient-poor soils promote compact growth and abundant flowering, while richer soils may cause plants to become leggy.
Range and Distribution
Layia glandulosa is native to western North America. Its range extends from central Washington (and southern British Columbia) south through Oregon, Idaho, California, Nevada, Utah, Arizona, and New Mexico, reaching as far south as Baja California, Mexico. It is particularly common in the southwestern United States, with the largest populations reported in Nevada, Arizona, California, and Oregon. In the U.S., it occurs in the following states: AZ, CA, ID, NM, NV, OR, UT, WA.
Elevation ranges from near sea level up to about 5,000–7,500 feet (1,524–2,286 m), depending on local conditions.
Ecology and Additional Notes
As an annual, Layia glandulosa germinates with winter rains and completes its life cycle quickly in spring. It provides important resources for pollinators, especially native bees, and its seeds are consumed by birds and small mammals. Indigenous groups in the southwestern U.S., such as the Cahuilla and Luiseno peoples, traditionally used the seeds as food (ground into flour or porridge).
The species is drought-tolerant once established and is valued in native plant gardening and restoration for its cheerful blooms and ability to thrive in poor soils. It is not considered invasive and is a native component of western ecosystems.
This report is based on data from botanical authorities including the USDA Plants Database, Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center, and regional floras. Population sizes can vary greatly year-to-year depending on rainfall.
Desert Gold Poppy (Eschscholzia glyptosperma)
The Desert Gold Poppy, also known as the Desert Golden Poppy or Mojave Poppy, is a striking annual wildflower native to the arid regions of the southwestern United States. It is a member of the poppy family and a smaller, desert-adapted relative of the more widespread California Poppy (Eschscholzia californica). This species is particularly notable for its vibrant blooms during spring “superbloom” events following adequate winter rainfall, when it can carpet desert washes and flats in golden hues.
Taxonomic Classification
- Kingdom: Plantae
- Clade: Tracheophytes (vascular plants)
- Clade: Angiosperms (flowering plants)
- Clade: Eudicots
- Order: Ranunculales
- Family: Papaveraceae (Poppy family)
- Genus: Eschscholzia
- Species: Eschscholzia glyptosperma Greene (described by botanist Edward Lee Greene)
The binomial name Eschscholzia glyptosperma reflects the genus honoring Estonian botanist Johann Friedrich von Eschscholtz and the species epithet referring to its sculptured or “engraved” seeds (glyptosperma). It is a strictly annual herb.
Plant and Flower Description
Eschscholzia glyptosperma is a small, scapose (mostly leafless-stemmed) annual herb. It grows from a basal rosette of finely dissected, pointed, grayish-green leaves that are 1–4 times pinnately divided into narrow, pointed segments— an adaptation that reduces water loss in harsh desert conditions. The plant typically reaches 5–25 cm (2–10 inches) in height, with one or more erect, slender stems arising from the base. Each stem bears a single flower atop a long peduncle.
Flower Morphology: The flowers are bright yellow (occasionally with a subtle orange tint), solitary, and actinomorphic (radially symmetrical). They feature four broad, satiny petals, each measuring approximately 1–2.5 cm (⅜–1 inch) long, giving the bloom a cup- or saucer-like appearance when fully open in sunlight. The petals are silky-textured and close at night or in cloudy/cold conditions (nyctinasty). There are typically two (sometimes three) sepals that are glabrous (smooth), often glaucous (waxy blue-green), and shed soon after the flower opens. The center displays numerous yellow stamens surrounding a single superior ovary. Flowers bloom primarily from February to May, peaking in March–April depending on rainfall and elevation.
The fruit is a slender, cylindrical capsule (4–8 cm long) that dehisces (splits) from the base when dry, explosively releasing numerous tiny, rounded, tan-to-brown seeds.
Range and Distribution
The Desert Gold Poppy is endemic to the Mojave and Sonoran Deserts of the southwestern United States. Its distribution includes:
- California (widespread in desert regions)
- Southern Nevada
- Western Arizona (primarily central and western portions)
- Southwestern Utah
It occurs at elevations from near sea level (30 m / 98 ft) to approximately 1,600 m (5,249 ft). In suitable years, it contributes to spectacular desert wildflower displays.
Habitat and Ecology
This species thrives in desert washes, alluvial fans, dry streambeds, open flats, and gentle slopes within creosote bush scrub and Joshua tree woodland plant communities. It prefers well-drained, sandy or gravelly soils and sheltered microhabitats that protect against wind and extreme desiccation. As an annual, its population fluctuates dramatically with winter precipitation; it is a key component of “superbloom” events. The flowers provide nectar and pollen for native bees, butterflies, and other pollinators, while the foliage supports various caterpillars and the seeds are consumed by birds.
In summary, Eschscholzia glyptosperma exemplifies elegant desert adaptation—compact size, efficient water use, and brilliant, ephemeral blooms that signal the brief bounty of spring in the arid Southwest. Its presence in southern Nevada (including areas near Las Vegas) makes it a locally observable and ecologically important wildflower.
Gleeson Arizona
Gleeson is a classic semi-ghost town in southeastern Cochise County, Arizona, nestled on the southern slopes of the Dragoon Mountains at an elevation of approximately 4,924 feet. Located about 16 miles east of Tombstone along a dusty historic route, it exemplifies the rise and fall of Arizona’s mining communities in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Today, with virtually no permanent downtown population (estimated at zero in recent counts, though a handful of residents and ranchers live nearby), Gleeson preserves its legacy through evocative ruins, a restored jail museum, and its prominent position on the Ghost Town Trail—a scenic driving loop that connects it with the nearby former boomtowns of Courtland and Pearce.
Early Indigenous and Pre-Boom History
Long before Anglo settlement, the area was home to the Chiricahua Apache, who mined decorative turquoise from the hills for jewelry and trade. Navajo traders occasionally negotiated access to these deposits. After Geronimo’s surrender and the relocation or subduing of Apache bands in the 1880s, white prospectors moved in. The site was first known as Turquoise, with a post office operating from October 22, 1890, to September 17, 1894. Tiffany & Company of New York even operated a turquoise mine briefly, but the camp faded when richer gold strikes elsewhere (notably at Pearce’s Commonwealth Mine) drew miners away. The original Turquoise settlement sat a few miles uphill; it later relocated downhill nearer reliable water.
Founding, Boom, and Key Events (1900–1940s)
In 1900, Irish miner John Gleeson (from nearby Pearce) prospected the old Turquoise claims, discovered rich copper deposits, and patented the Copper Belle Mine. Other claims quickly followed: Silver Belle, Brother Jonathan (or Silver Bill), Pejon, and Defiance. The new camp officially became Gleeson when its post office opened on October 15, 1900. The town boomed as miners extracted copper, lead, silver, and zinc. Population swelled from about 500 (mostly mine workers) in the early years to over 1,000 at its peak in the 1910s–1920s, with some accounts noting up to 2,000 residents across a spread-out layout stretching north for over a mile.
A devastating fire on June 8, 1912, destroyed 28 buildings (starting at the B.A. Taylor warehouse), but the resilient community rebuilt using more durable adobe, brick, and concrete. Copper production surged during World War I to meet wartime demand. A railroad spur connected Gleeson to the Arizona & Colorado line by 1909 (abandoned in 1932). However, post-war copper price collapses, the Great Depression, and depleting ore bodies led to decline. Mines largely ceased by the late 1930s–1940 (some activity lingered until 1958). The post office closed permanently on March 31, 1939, and the school shut in 1945 (students bused to Tombstone). Gleeson faded into ghost-town status, though a few holdouts remained.
Notable events included numerous shootouts (including the last gunfight involving Cochise County Sheriff Harry Wheeler), bootlegging during Prohibition (the jail once stored confiscated whiskey), a 1938 filming of the Zane Grey adaptation The Mysterious Rider (using the jail in a lynch-mob scene), and colorful tales of bandits, con-men, and fugitive train robbers.
Notable Buildings and Structures
Gleeson’s surviving (or ruined) architecture vividly illustrates its mining heyday. Many structures are on private land—view respectfully from public roads or during open museum hours.
- Gleeson Jail (1910): The most iconic and best-preserved structure, a reinforced-concrete building costing $1,778 to replace a flimsy wooden predecessor (and earlier “jail tree” where prisoners were chained to an oak). It held 2–8 inmates for minor crimes or as a waystation en route to Tombstone. Restored in 2007–2008 and purchased in 2014 by local Joe Bono, it now operates as a small museum with artifacts, memorabilia, and a walking-tour map. Open typically the first Saturday of the month or by appointment; it features a 1910 plaque and has withstood a century of elements and vandals.
- Joe Bono Store / Saloon (originally Renaud outlet): Built as a branch store for Charles M. Renaud (who had outlets in Courtland and Pearce). It served as general store, saloon, gas station, hotel, and curio shop; operated into the 1980s. Features a 1982 mural inside depicting remembered townsfolk. Nearby basement ruins mark the 1912 fire’s origin.
- Shannon / Gleeson Hospital (c. 1913): Built by the Shannon Mining Company (which bought the Copper Belle in 1906). The only medical facility for a wide area, it treated mining injuries and Spanish Flu victims (1918–1920). Now a prominent adobe ruin with its own well.
Southeast Arizona Ghost Town Visit Gleeson Down by the River Bed and Breakfast
- Gleeson School (1918): Massive two-story building ($65,000 cost) with classrooms upstairs and storerooms below; hosted community events. Closed 1945; largely dismantled (floors reused in Tombstone’s Crystal Palace). Only the large foundation remains.
- Other ruins: Adobe walls of houses (e.g., Musso House, linked to bootlegging), mining remnants (headframes, tailings, Pemberthy shaft winch on Copper Belle claim), dry goods store remnants, and scattered homes. A row of mailboxes and the pioneer cemetery (west on the Tombstone road, with graves including Yee Wee’s) are visible.
- Jail Tree: Historic oak where early prisoners were chained.
These structures highlight the shift from makeshift wooden camps to more permanent concrete and adobe builds after the 1912 fire.
Townspeople and Community Life
Gleeson’s residents were a diverse mix of miners, ranchers, merchants, and families. Founder John Gleeson (Irish immigrant) drove the copper boom before selling out in 1914. Charles M. Renaud operated key stores. Yee Wee, a Chinese restaurateur, ran a downtown eatery for decades and is buried in the cemetery. The Martinez family was the last to reside in “downtown” proper until around 2003; their tilting, multi-stage home lacked running water but hosted family reunions.
Joe Bono stands out as a living link to the past: born in Gleeson in 1948, a Vietnam veteran and Douglas High School graduate, he purchased much of the historic core (including the jail in 2014) to preserve it for his family and visitors. His father ran the family store/saloon; Joe maintains the museum and offers tours. Other colorful figures include bootleggers, deputies, and transient miners. Community life featured a theater, multiple restaurants/bars, a bank, and social events—yet also violence, as reflected in gunfight lore.
Role on the Ghost Town Trail
The Ghost Town Trail (also called the Gleeson–Courtland–Pearce route) is a historic driving path beginning east of Tombstone on Gleeson Road, highlighting Cochise County’s mining heritage amid stunning Dragoon Mountain scenery. Gleeson serves as the first (or gateway) stop after ~16 miles from Tombstone—visitors encounter its ruins and jail immediately upon arrival. Continuing north on the unpaved Ghost Town Trail Road leads ~3.5 miles to Courtland (larger boomtown with ~2,000 peak population, now mostly foundations and a ruined twin jail) and then ~10.5 miles to Pearce (best-preserved of the trio, with an operating post office and restored general store on the National Register). The trail blends ghost-town exploration with ranchland vistas, drawing history buffs, photographers, and off-road enthusiasts. Gleeson’s accessibility and restored jail make it a highlight, symbolizing the shared boom-and-bust fate of these copper/gold towns.
Current Status and Legacy
Gleeson remains a quiet, evocative place with a few energetic residents maintaining private properties and the jail museum. The last commercial venture (a rattlesnake products shop) closed in 2014. It attracts respectful visitors seeking authentic Old West atmosphere rather than tourist traps. Preservation efforts by locals like Joe Bono ensure its stories—of turquoise, copper, fire, flu, and frontier grit—endure. Gleeson stands as a poignant reminder of Arizona’s mining past and the impermanence of boomtowns, yet its spirit persists along the Ghost Town Trail.
For visits: Respect private property; check gleesonarizona.com or local sources for museum hours. The site offers a walking-tour map highlighting key stops. Gleeson’s ruins, museum, and trail context provide an immersive window into Arizona’s rugged history.
Courtland, Arizona
Courtland is a classic example of an Arizona ghost town, born from the rapid boom-and-bust cycle typical of early 20th-century mining communities in the American Southwest. Located in Cochise County at the foot of the Dragoon Mountains, approximately 15 miles northeast of the famous town of Tombstone, Courtland played a brief but significant role in the region’s copper mining industry.
Early Mineral History and Pre-Town Activity
The area’s mineral wealth dates back further than the town itself. Mining claims in the broader district (now known as the Turquoise Mining District or Courtland-Gleeson Mining District) were first discovered and located in the early 1890s. The region had even earlier significance, with Native American groups like the Navajo and Apache mining turquoise in the Dragoon Mountains for centuries, trading it for jewelry and other items. In the late 19th and early 20th centuries, turquoise mining gained prominence, particularly after a fad boosted by retailers like Tiffany & Co. in the 1890s. Nearby Gleeson (originally called Turquoise) was tied to this activity, but turquoise production declined when the fashion waned.
The shift to copper transformed the area. In 1908, rich copper ore veins were discovered in the hills, with assays showing exceptionally high grades—around 7.5% copper in some deposits, far above the typical 2-3% that made large-scale operations viable elsewhere.
Founding and Boom Period (1909–1910s)
Courtland was officially founded in 1909 amid a copper mining boom. It was named after Courtland Young, one of the owners of the Great Western Mining Company (his brother W.J. Young was more actively involved in establishing the town). The Young brothers, lumber magnates from Clinton, Iowa, capitalized on the rich ore discoveries by acquiring significant land holdings.
Four major mining companies quickly entered the scene:
- Great Western Mining Company
- Calumet & Arizona
- Copper Queen (associated with Bisbee operations)
- Leadville Mining Company
These operations drew hundreds of settlers almost overnight, turning the site into a bustling tent city that rapidly grew into a proper town. At its peak, Courtland had a population of over 2,000 residents.
To support the influx, two railroads extended lines to the town:
- The Mexico & Colorado Railroad (owned by the El Paso & Southwestern Railroad)
- The Arizona & Colorado Railroad (owned by Southern Pacific)
These rail connections linked Courtland northward to Cochise and helped transport ore and supplies, making it a key hub in the local mining network.
The post office opened on March 13, 1909, reflecting the town’s rapid establishment and official recognition.
Historic Events and Daily Life
Courtland’s heyday was marked by typical boomtown activity: mining operations, general stores, hotels, cafes (such as the Crescent Cafe documented in 1909 photos), a jail, and community infrastructure. It formed part of the “Ghost Town Trail” alongside nearby Gleeson and Pearce, a string of mining settlements in the Sulphur Springs Valley.
While no major violent events like those in Tombstone are prominently recorded, the town experienced the standard challenges of mining camps, including labor demands and economic fluctuations tied to copper prices. Some later remnants include concrete structures from copper precipitation (cementation) processes near the Mame Mine, though these post-date the initial boom.
Major activity in the district peaked around 1919, after which production declined.
Decline and Ghost Town Status
The copper boom was short-lived. As ore quality diminished and market conditions changed, mining operations wound down. The population dwindled rapidly, and the post office closed on September 30, 1942, marking the end of Courtland as an active community. By 1938 or the early 1940s, it had largely been abandoned, with the bust completing the classic boom-to-bust cycle seen in many Arizona mining towns.
Today, Courtland is a true ghost town with no permanent residents (though some ranches occupy the broader area). Scattered ruins remain, including remnants of buildings, a jail, sidewalks, old mine sites, and a cemetery. It attracts off-road enthusiasts, history buffs, and those exploring the Ghost Town Trail. Some turquoise mines in the vicinity are still privately operated for collecting and sales by appointment.
Role in the Region
Courtland served as an important satellite in southeastern Arizona’s copper mining economy during the early 20th century, complementing larger operations in nearby Bisbee (Copper Queen) and contributing to the region’s output of copper, along with some base metals, manganese, and turquoise. Its railroads made it a transportation node connecting remote mines to broader rail networks. Part of Cochise County’s mining heritage—tied to the post-Apache Wars settlement boom—Courtland exemplified how mineral discoveries could spawn instant communities in the desert, supporting the growth of southern Arizona as a key U.S. copper-producing area.
Though short-lived, Courtland’s story highlights the transient nature of resource-based towns in the American West, leaving behind a legacy of ruins that preserve Arizona’s mining history for modern visitors.
Baldwin Lake-Bear Valley Mining District
The Baldwin Lake-Bear Valley Mining District (also referred to as the Baldwin Lake District or encompassing parts of the broader Bear Valley area) is located in the northern San Bernardino Mountains of San Bernardino County, California, east of Baldwin Lake and in the vicinity of Big Bear Valley and Holcomb Valley. This high-elevation region (around 6,700–7,000 feet) saw episodic gold mining activity, primarily from the mid-19th century through the early 20th century, with some intermittent prospecting later.
Geology
The district features a complex geologic setting typical of the San Bernardino Mountains, including metamorphic rocks such as mica schist, quartzite, and limestone, intruded by granite. Ore deposits primarily consist of irregular quartz-calcite veins hosting free gold, along with scheelite (tungsten mineral) and various sulfides (e.g., pyrite and others). Gold occurs in lode (vein) systems, with some associated placer deposits in alluvium from erosion of these veins. The area lacks a major “mother lode” but has numerous small to medium quartz veins and stringers, often fault-controlled. The region’s rugged terrain, with colluvial and alluvial processes, has influenced deposit exposure and mining challenges.
History and Significant Developments
Gold mining in the broader San Bernardino Mountains dates to reports of placer activity by Mexican miners possibly as early as the 1800s (or 1850s in some accounts), but the district’s main activity began around 1860. The nearby Holcomb Valley gold rush (triggered by William F. “Grizzly Bill” Holcomb’s 1860 discovery) drew prospectors to the region, leading to boom towns, violence, and short-lived placer operations. The Baldwin Lake area saw lode quartz mining emerge later.
The Rose Mine was active by 1860, marking early lode efforts. Activity increased in the 1870s with quartz vein discoveries. In 1873, Elias Jackson “Lucky” Baldwin—a wealthy investor known for prior mining successes elsewhere—purchased claims (including what became the Gold Mountain Mine, originally Carters Quartz Hill) for around $30,000. He formed the Gold Mountain Mining Company, shifting toward larger-scale quartz operations.
The area transitioned from individual placer prospecting to company-driven lode mining. Towns like Doble (also called Bairdstown) boomed briefly in the 1870s–1890s near the mines, supporting miners with stores, saloons, and mills. Belleville (in nearby Holcomb Valley) rivaled San Bernardino in population during peak rushes but declined quickly.
Mining peaked in the 1890s–early 1900s, with renewed interest in the 1930s (e.g., at some properties during the Great Depression). The district never produced at the scale of major California districts, lacking rich bonanzas, and activity waned by the 1920s–1940s as high-grade ore depleted and economics shifted.
No large towns or extensive mills were permanent fixtures solely in the Baldwin Lake sub-district; support came from nearby Holcomb Valley/Big Bear settlements. Small stamp mills or arrastres processed ore locally, but details on major mills are limited.
Significant Mines
- Gold Mountain Mine (also Baldwin Mine or Lucky Baldwin Mine): The district’s most prominent, overlooking Doble and Baldwin Lake. Operated intermittently into the 1920s (last major activity ~1923). Focused on quartz veins with free gold.
- Rose Mine: Active 1860; one of the earliest lode operations.
- Erwin Gold Mine: Near Big Bear City/Baldwin Lake area; historical producer.
- Doble-area claims (e.g., Gold Mountain group): Multiple unpatented claims in the 1870s onward.
- Others: Numerous small prospects (e.g., Gold Hill Mine, various Gold Mountain extensions); some with scheelite or polymetallic potential.
Mine Owners/Operators
- Early prospectors: Individual miners (including Mexican placer workers pre-1860) and discoverers like the Carter brothers (filed claims in 1873).
- Elias J. “Lucky” Baldwin: Dominant figure from 1873; purchased and developed Gold Mountain claims into a company operation.
- Later operators: Various small companies and lessees in the 1890s–1930s; no single long-term corporate dominance.
Production, Money Earned, and Tonnage
Specific district-wide totals are sparse in records, as much activity was small-scale and unreported. The broader San Bernardino Mountains gold region (including Holcomb/Bear Valleys) yielded modest placer and lode output compared to Sierra Nevada districts—likely in the low hundreds of thousands of dollars total (at historical gold prices of ~$20–$35/oz).
- No comprehensive tonnage or value figures exist for the Baldwin Lake-Bear Valley District alone; it was not a major producer.
- Individual mines like Gold Mountain/Baldwin had limited documented output, with operations described as modest.
- Nearby Holcomb Valley placers were richer per square mile in Southern California but short-lived (~1860s boom).
- Overall, the district contributed to Southern California’s minor gold output, with values far below millions; activity was intermittent and often unprofitable long-term.
Today, remnants (e.g., Gold Mountain Mine ruins) are visible along trails like the Gold Fever Trail, and the area is part of recreational and ecological reserves near Baldwin Lake. Mining claims persist (some active), but commercial production ceased decades ago.