Echoes of the Southwest

Sonoita In the heart of southern Arizona wine country sits a couple of little, but noteworthy towns.  Both Sonoita and Elgin are small, but offer quite a lot of things to do besides visiting the vineyards.  They are located in the picturesque Santa Cruz County with rolling hills, swanky grasslands, wildflowers, and oak trees, but no cacti.  There is an extensive diversity of activities for you to do.  You will find 9 award-winning wineries, one-of-a-kind shops, an array of restaurants, several places to stay, horseback riding, fishing, camping, scenic bicycling, boating, and many places to hike.  They are located approximately 45 minutes from places such as Tombstone, Kartchner Caverns, Bisbee, Sierra Vista, Tubac, Patagonia Lake, and Tucson. In the early 1880’s, these locales had many cattle ranches and areas where mines have been discovered.  Each area then evolved into settlements known as Fort Buchanan and Fort Crittenden.  In 1861, F...

There is lots of interesting and historic places along Allen Street in Tombstone, AZ.  Along with all the places, you will see cowboys and perhaps witness a gunfight or two. The Earps and Doc Holliday

Along Toughnut Street in Tombstone, AZ, you will find lots of history. Texas John Slaughter's House George Goodfellow's House The small stick, in a concrete base near the sign, once was a hanging pole. Tombstone Courthouse Allen English Home Tombstone Library and Museum  This barrow was one of many used as a makeshift bar.

Behind the front facade of the O.K. Corral and through the gift store, you enter into the rear yard.  On October 26, 1881, Tom and Frank McLaury, along with Ike and Billy Clanton, walked through this area to confront Doc Holliday who was staying at a nearby boarding house.  Not long afterwards, the famous gunfight happened.  Here is what it looks like today.

Many knew him as “Old Man” Clanton, but his given name was Newman Haynes Clanton.  He was born sometime in 1816 in Davidson County, Tennessee.  On January 5, 1840, he married Mariah Sexton Kelso and together they had five sons and two daughters.  Two of his sons, Ike and Billy, are forever associated with the Gunfight at the O.K. Corral in Tombstone, AZ.  One of their sons, Peter, died as an infant. After moving his family from Tennessee, he would spend the next twenty years uprooting them and living in several different territories.  Besides owning a ranch with slaves, Clanton also tried his hand at gold mining but never struck it rich.  When the war was over in 1865, the Clanton family moved to the Arizona Territory near Willcox.  A year later, while moving to California, his wife Mariah died. In 1873, Clanton moved back to the Arizona Territory and bought land near the San Pedro River.  He built a large adobe house, returned to catt...

The two-story red brick building was erected in 1882 and started out as the Cochise County courthouse.  Situated in Tombstone, AZ, the building is known today as the Tombstone Courthouse State Historic Park.  This Victorian designed structure is positioned in a cross shape where it houses the sheriff and other offices, courtrooms, and a holding cell.  You will also find a gift shop and in several of the rooms are artifacts with photos and items from Tombstone’s history.  In the back courtyard is a facsimile of the original gallows used to hang seven men for numerous altercations.  In 1959, the park was primarily the only place to be selected as a state park and opened its doors in 1957. I took lots of pictures inside and outside the courthouse.   Enjoy…