Echoes of the Southwest

This creepy looking mummified creature is in a glass box, near the entrance of the Bird Cage Theatre’s display room. Many wonder how a mermaid would be found in the desert, so far from a body of water. The best explanation is that sometime in 1934 someone donated it to the Bird Cage Theatre’s tiny little museum. Whatever it is and however it got there, it is still a weird little artifact.  Don't you just love the look on the face of the blowfish above?  He looks like he is either in agony or singing.

(From Wikipedia) “Tombstone Courthouse State Historic Park, located in Tombstone, Arizona, United States, preserves the original Cochise County courthouse. The two-story building, constructed in 1882 in the Victorian style, is laid out in the shape of a cross and once contained various county offices, including those of the sheriff, recorder, treasurer, and the Board of Supervisors as well as courtrooms and a jail. Inside, the courthouse contains a museum with numerous artifacts from the town’s history while outside, a replica gallows has been constructed in the courtyard to mark the spot where seven men were hanged for various crimes. The park was one of the first to be designated as a state park and in 1959 was the first to open following the 1957 establishment of the Arizona State Parks Board.” History In 1877, Ed Schieffelin discovered silver minerals in southeastern Arizona and shortly afterwards he founded Tombstone.   This mining town grew quickly from all the p...

Inside one of the buildings on Tombstone’s dusty main street is where the Ghost and Legends Tour can be found.   This self-guided tour is located where the Wells Fargo Company once stood, also a saloon, barber and cigar shops.   Now it is a walk through attraction where Tombstone’s history comes alive. Using Hollywood special effects and computerized animation, you are guided by the famous gunslinger, Doc Holliday, through Tombstone’s history.   He takes you back to 1880’s when the town was booming and all hell broke loose. In the first room is an old stagecoach used as part of the famous stage line.   This stagecoach was also used in almost 50 movie even including ones with John Wayne.   Doc explains how dangerous traveling in a stagecoach really was.   Many of the stagecoaches were robbed with some of its passengers murdered by unforgiving outlaws. The next room is the recreation of Morgan Earp’s murder in the Campbell and Hatch Sa...

One of the must-see places while in Fairbank, AZ is its tiny little cemetery.   The cemetery is about ½ mile from the town and historic buildings.   That half a mile seemed much longer to me but I didn’t want to be a wimp so I hiked it with the others.   It was warm with a slight breeze so I sucked down the water to keep hydrated.   The dirt trail was flat for the most part except when you got near the cemetery. On top of the hill you can see the amazing views of the San Pedro River Valley where the cemetery sits and only three graves are currently marked.   Most of the graves were barely noticeable from the many years of harsh weather and lightning strikes.   Many of the Fairbank’s past residence are more than likely buried in those graves.   By all the interesting artifacts discovered in the cemetery, historians and others believe the cemetery has been used for centuries.

Near Tombstone, Arizona and built in 1881 on the old San Juan de las Boquillas y Nogales Mexican land grant, sits the tiny mill town of Fairbank.   The almost abandoned site was named for, Nathanial Kellogg Fairbank, a Chicago businessman who put up his money to build the first railroad in the region.   By 1889, Fairbank had five saloons, a meat market, general store, grocery, three restaurants, a hotel, a Wells Fargo Office, livery stables, train and stage depots, a school, post office and many residents’ houses.   The town quickly grew with a transportation center and a large Chinese immigrant population who grew vegetables for Fairbank and surrounding communities. Fairbank thrived even after Tombstone’s mines flooded and a major earthquake in 1887.   It continued to be the place where transportation was still the focal point for the southwest until the price of copper dropped.   When the mines and railroad traffic diminished, in 1944 they closed t...

This boarding house was a favorite of Doc Holliday’s.   He would lay his hat there while in Tombstone and during visits with his lady love, Big Nose Kate.   Many wonder if Doc’s spirit is still hanging around because of the paranormal experiences that some have claimed happened to them especially in the room Doc liked to stay in.   Some of the activity is of doors opening and shutting by themselves and the toilet keeps flushing for no apparent reason.   One guest had several pictures taken of him and his lady friend while in that room.   In all the pictures, she had a strange haze over her face and his face was clear.   They moved positions and the haze was still over her face.   There was no explanation for the unusual occurrence.   An owner tells of a frightening experience that she had while in the house.   One night she had trouble breathing as if she was being choked.   She yelled the Father’s name loudly and right afterwards fe...

After dinner we went back to the motel to get our equipment together.   We changed into our investigation clothes, gathered up all our ghost hunting gear, and packed it in the cases.   We had plenty of time to relax and talk about the up and coming investigation.   Finally it was time to head over to the Birdcage Theatre. We stood outside the building waiting for the ghost tour to end and everyone to file out.   We walked into the front lobby, took care of business, and then it was off to the back rooms to set up.   We had a half an hour but it took a bit longer.   We had 16 digital recorders, a couple of microphones and digital cameras in each room or near the hotspots.   At last it was time for lights out.   I was nervous, and excited. The seven of us sat around the table in the loft which is where the Black Mariah hearse sits.   Right away we started hearing noises.   We took turns asking questions and when i...