Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
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1881. Today, Tombstone, “the town too tough to die,” is one of Arizona's most popular
attractions, but we'll leave it up to you to decide whether it deserves its reputation (either
as a tough town or as a legitimate tourist attraction).
Tombstone was named by Ed Schieffelin, a silver prospector who ventured into this
area at a time when the region's Apaches were fighting to preserve their way of life. Schi-
effelin was warned that all he would find here was his own tombstone, so when he dis-
covered silver, he named the strike Tombstone. Within a few years, the town of
Tombstone was larger than San Francisco, and between 1880 and 1887, an estimated
$37 million worth of silver was mined here. Such wealth created a sturdy little town, and
as the Cochise County seat of the time, Tombstone boasted a number of imposing build-
ings, including the county courthouse, which is now a state park. In 1887, an under-
ground river flooded the silver mines, and despite attempts to pump the water out, the
mines were never reopened. With the demise of the mines, the boom came to an end and
the population rapidly dwindled.
Today, Tombstone's historic district consists of original buildings (built after a fire in
1882 destroyed much of the town) and newer structures built in keeping with the archi-
tectural styles of the late 19th century. Most house souvenir shops and restaurants, which
should give you some indication that this place is a classic tourist trap, but kids (and
adults raised on Louis L'Amour and John Wayne) love it, especially when the famous
shootout is reenacted.
ESSENTIALS
GETTING THERE
From Tucson, take I-10 east to Benson and then Ariz. 80 south to
Tombstone. From Sierra Vista, take Ariz. 90 north to Arizona 82, heading east.
VISITOR INFORMATION
For more information once you hit town, stop by the
Tombstone Chamber of Commerce Visitor Center,
395 E. Allen St. (
&
888/457-
3929
or 520/457-3929; www.tombstonechamber.com).
GUNSLINGERS & SALOONS: IN SEARCH
OF THE WILD WEST
As portrayed in novels, movies, and TV shows, the shootout has come to epitomize the
Wild West, and nowhere is this great American phenomenon more glorified than in
Tombstone, where the star attraction is the famous
O.K. Corral,
308 E. Allen St.
(
&
520/457-3456;
www.ok-corral.com), site of a 30-second gun battle that has taken
on mythic proportions over the years. Inside the corral, you'll find not only displays on
the shootout, but also an exhibit focusing on local photographer C. S. Fly, who ran the
boardinghouse where Doc Holliday was staying at the time of the shootout. The O.K.
Corral is open daily from 9am to 5pm, and admission is $5.50 (free for kids 5 and
under); for $9, you can visit the corral and take in a shootout reenactment almost on the
very site of the original gunfight.
When the smoke cleared in 1881, three men lay dead. They were later carted off to
the
Boot Hill Graveyard
(
&
520/457-3300
) on the north edge of town. The graves of
Clanton and the McLaury brothers, as well as those of others who died in gunfights or
by hanging, are well marked. Entertaining epitaphs grace the grave markers; among the
most famous is that of Lester Moore—“Here lies Lester Moore, 4 slugs from a 44, No
Les, no more.” The cemetery is open to the public daily 7:30am to dusk. Enter through
a gift shop on Ariz. 80.
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