Fairbank Historic Town Site


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 the school.  By the 1960’s the Southern Pacific Railroad ceased the run to the Fairbank Station and in 1967 the Depot was taken down.  By the mid 1970’s, the last of Fairbank residents left the town for good.











Comments

  1. That place was really nice. I'm so glad we went because it inspired the second in my western horror book series!

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  2. Nice interesting Post. AZ seems to be just full of old abandoned places where things of the past have been, but are no more. Thanks for sharing.

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  3. Sis; I can't believe all the abandoned places you know of around this state. This place was fascinating to learn about. I can totally see how it would inspire you, especially that cemetery (my next post ).

    MM; Thanks, these places are just amazing; their history and abandoned buildings.

    Les; AZ is loaded with all kinds of mining towns which are now abandoned. I plan to visit them all.

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