Arizona Travels: Tombstone
(The Town Too Tough to Die)
If
there was any town in the Arizona Territory which had a number of reported
notorious events in the 1880’s, it would be Tombstone. Like many of the other
mining towns, Tombstone was founded after a rich vein of minerals was
discovered by a prospector. This particular miner was named Edward Lawrence
Schieffelin who arrived in the San Pedro Valley in the summer of 1877. He lived
at Camp Huachua (wa-chu-ka) scouting for Apache while searching the Mule
Mountains on his days off and hoping to strike it rich. He was often asked what
he was doing up in “them their mountains” and he would reply by simply saying, “to collect rocks”. One soldier told
him, “If you keep fooling around amongst
the Apaches, the only rock you will find will be your tombstone”. Finally,
his persistence paid off when he discovered a large vein of silver near the
area known as “Goose Flats”. He named his claim “Tombstone” and by early 1879,
the City of Tombstone was built. The lots along main street, or Allen Street,
sold for $5.00 each. The entire town had 40 cabins and a population of 100
residents.
By
1880, there were four towns in the mining district which were thriving and
Tombstone was the largest. The population exploded to 3,000 and a year later it
more than doubled to 7,000 souls. Before the decade was over, the number of
men, women and children was over 10,000. Tombstone had more brothels, gambling
houses, saloons than any other town in the southwest. The town’s Bird Cage Theatre
was called, “The wildest, roughest,
wickedest honky tonk between Basin Street and the Barbary Coast” by the New
York Times. The other theater in the desert settlement was named, Schieffelin
Hall, after the town’s founder, Ed Schieffelin.
Many
famous people walked the dusty streets of Tombstone. Some were lawmen, outlaws
and celebrities such as the Earps, Doc Holliday, Big Nose Kate, the Clantons,
and Johnny Ringo to name a few. (I write about six outlaws and their lives in
chapter three.) One of the most famous historical events took place in
Tombstone and involved some of those well-known people. On October 26, 1881,
the Gunfight at the O.K. Corral went down in a bloody bath of riddled bullets,
killing three and wounding others. Several vengeful acts followed this event
leaving lots of dead bodies throughout the town and surrounding area. During
this time, the town’s undertaker was busy taking bodies to the nearby cemetery,
Boothill Graveyard, to be buried.
Tombstone
continued to prosper for many years to come. The population was at its peak and
all the businesses in town were flourishing. The turn of the century was good
for Tombstone, but it also brought several tragedies the town couldn’t come
back from. Two fires almost destroyed the town while the mines were
experiencing floods. The miners dug holes in the pits trying to reach the
silver. The cavities reached the 520 foot level hitting the water table and
flooding the mines. They tried to pump out the water, but after a couple years,
they shut it down because of high costs. The high waters ruined several of the
structures in town causing the businesses to shut down. Many of the residents
and visitors left the settlement leaving Tombstone as a virtual ghost town. By
the early 1930’s, approximately 150 people were living in the small desert
city.
With
the popular interest in the history, people wanting a Wild West experience, and
the many ghost sightings, Tombstone is thriving once again. Today, roughly
1,500 people are living in town, maintaining the past and legacy of this
historic place. With all the prosperity and liveliness present day Tombstone is
enjoying, it has earned the title, “The town too tough to die”.
Tombstone
has many attractions to make your Wild West experience more fun. Allen Street (Main
Street) is blocked off so no vehicles can drive down and the horses and wagons
can roam free. Take a stagecoach ride around town and see where many of the
historic sites are located. Learn the history of each place and what famous
person once walked the wooden floors and dirty streets. Tombstone has museums
located in various places around town such as the Courthouse and Bird Cage
Theatre. There are plenty of places to eat and shop while watching an old west
gun fight in the middle of the street. Tour the infamous O.K. Corral and stand
where Wyatt Earp once stood. Along Main Street is the Ghost and Legends Tour
with a ghostly Doc Holliday guiding you though the historic events which went
down in Tombstone. Finally, don’t forget to stop and take an old fashion
picture of you with your friends and family.
Tombstone
has all you need to make your Wild West experience complete. For those of you
who would like to experience a ghost hunt, the Bird Cage Theatre can be rented for just that occasion. Contact
them at (520) 457-3421 or www.tombstonebirdcage.com
for prices, and to book a time/date for your ghost hunt.
Information and Tourist Guide
Tombstone Chamber of Commerce
City of Tombstone
Directions:
To find Tombstone from Tucson you take U.S. Interstate 10, east to exit 303,
merge onto AZ Highway 80 east to downtown Tombstone.
Great pictures and great stories. As someone who's always been fascinated with the duels and gun fights and robberies of the old west, I'd love to visit Tombstone one day.
ReplyDeleteThat story of how Tombstone got its name was AWESOME! I'll have to remember that cool bit of trivia! Thanks, Julie!
ReplyDelete