Tombstone's Historic Courthouse

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(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 people who were looking to become wealthy.  To get justice, the lawmen had to travel 70 miles to Tucson which usually took two long days.  In 1881, by popular vote, the Territory of Pima County was divided and a new county, Cochise County, was developed.  The following year a courthouse was constructed in Tombstone and occupied all the county’s offices.

In 1929, the county seat was moved to the fast growing town of Bisbee.  The last of the offices stayed open until 1931 where the courthouse remained empty until 1955.  The building was to be remodeled and become a hotel in the 1940’s, but that never happened.  In 1959, the courthouse was restored to its original luster and now stands as a historical museum.  Inside its walls are numerous exhibits and artifacts from Tombstone’s lively history.  In 1972, the courthouse was put on the National Register of Historic Places list.












Comments

  1. Sharon DayMay 28, 2011 at 8:49 AM

    That place was amazing! It had some of the best relics I've seen in an AZ historic site and the building felt soooo full of history, you could feel it brushing you in the halls.

    ReplyDelete
  2. MichaelMay 28, 2011 at 11:44 AM

    Wonderful article and pictures. I've never been there personally but now I feel like I went on a 10 minute field trip :) following.

    ReplyDelete
  3. Julie FergusonMay 28, 2011 at 12:10 PM

    Sis, the place was amazing. I could have spent more time there. Lets hope we get to do a ghost hunt there.

    Matt, welcome. I am glad you liked the tour. I love the history of the building and the many artifacts inside.

    ReplyDelete
  4. Lois EvensenMay 29, 2011 at 5:29 AM

    We love visiting places like that. Thanks for taking us along.

    Lois

    ReplyDelete
  5. Julie FergusonMay 29, 2011 at 8:41 AM

    Lois; you are welcome. Thanks for coming along. I love places like this too.

    ReplyDelete
  6. Les BarrMay 30, 2011 at 5:08 AM

    Thanks for the interesting Post. I always enjoy reading about AZ's past. There is so much.

    ReplyDelete

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