HISTORIC TOMBSTONE

The most famous Old West town, Tombstone, is just 2.5 miles east of the ranch, and a visit is truly a step back in time as you walk where they walked, passing over the locations of over 25 gunfights on the streets and back alleys of the town. The history is captivating, varied and so much more than the gunfight near the OK Corral that made Tombstone known the world over.

The area surrounding Tombstone has been home to Cochise and his Chokonen band of Chiricahua Apaches, Spanish Conquistadores and missionaries, cowboys, prospectors, miners, gamblers, gunfighters, merchants and lawmen.  In 1877, Ed Schieffelin was prospecting in the area despite the extreme danger from the Apaches. When Schieffelin discovered a rich vein of silver, he named his first claim Tombstone, his second Graveyard and the third Graveyard 2. Watervale, the original town in the area, was once located near the ranch; but was moved to its current location and renamed Tombstone.

The richness of the mines quickly made Tombstone one of the most prosperous towns in the West and the population grew to 10,000 in just four years. This isolated mining town quickly became “cosmopolitan” with operas, vaudeville, famous entertainers, wine bars, French Champagne, an oyster bar and an ice cream parlor.

There were many underlying tensions in the area, including those between Union and Confederate sympathizers, cowboys and local townspeople and out-of-state mining investors. With the border close, rustling in and out of Mexico was common and honest ranchers on both sides were the victims. All this made conflict, murder and gunfights commonplace.

As early as 1881, water started to seep into the mine shafts at about 500 feet. At first the water helped in the drilling process, but it soon was obvious the water problem would have to be solved. Pumps were installed, but soon bigger, better pumps were needed and huge machines were brought in from Cornwall, England. At first the pumps worked perfectly and the mines chased rich ore bodies deeper.  Machine breakdowns, catastrophic fires and the volatile silver and gold markets turned Tombstone into a boom and bust town, until mining finally ceased in 1990. Small and large efforts to bring mining back continue.

Today tourists replace miners in the “Town to Tough to Die” walking the same streets, going down into one of the mines, visiting the old theaters, drinking in the same saloons, entering the Courthouse (now a museum) and watching the Gunfight at the OK Corral reenactments.

Events Calendar

• February: Vigilante Days

• April: Rose Festival and Schieffelin Days

• May: Wyatt Earp Days

• July: Fourth of July Celebration

• October: Helldorado Days

For more information about Tombstone, visit the Tombstone Chamber of Commerce.