Tombstone is a town in southeastern Arizona, known for its Wild West history.
Exhibits at the Tombstone Courthouse State Historic Park include a replica gallows.
On historic Allen Street, the O.K. Corral outdoor theater re-enacts an
1881 cowboy gunfight.
Resident ghosts are said to haunt the bullet-riddled Bird Cage Theatre.
Outlaws are among the local townsfolk buried at the 1878 Boothill Cemetery.
It's been many years since I was last here but not a lot has changed.
Reenactment gunfights are no longer permitted on the town streets, you have to
pay to visit other areas set up away from the main shops an traffic, such as
the replica of the O.K. Corral, or the Old Tombstone Western Theme Park.
We went to the latter and, although somewhat comedic, quite enjoyed it -
after all what gal doesn't like a cowboy!!!
Boothill Graveyard was the Tombstone City Cemetery from 1878 to 1884.
It was not called Boothill until the 1920s. Its occupants ran the spectrum of all
the cultures and nationalities of early Tombstone.
Cowboys who "died with their boots on" lie next to housewives, business men
and women, miners, gamblers, ladies of the "red-light district" and all the famous
and not so famous occupants that contributed to Tombstone's early history.
By the 1920s, Boothill had fallen into ruin with many grave markers lost or unreadable.
A group of citizens in Tombstone and Cochise County began the task of researching
old burial records, consulting with relatives, older residents, and using all means
available to identify the occupants and mark the graves properly.
The task took several years and the efforts of many to accomplish. This resulted
in the graveyard being restored much as it was in the early years when
it was the city cemetery.
.png)
I wonder why the town cemetery was in use for only 6 years. Did so many die that this particular burial ground ran out of space, or were there other reasons behind it?
ReplyDeleteWhat a lovely post, so interesting! I would love to visit that place...
ReplyDeleteHave a great week, take care.
Titti
Dear Mary,
ReplyDeleteComedic yes and also corny but so much fun to watch. Those Levi have landed in many a dusty street. A day doesn't go by that we don't see a cowboy and his horse at work.
Mary,
ReplyDeleteVery cool place to visit! I'd love to see this spot. :)
Oh what fun!!! I like me a cowboy, that's for sure! :) Great photos, thanks for sharing!!
ReplyDeleteIndeed, what fun! It reminds me of the shoot out Knott's Berry Farm use to do many years ago. I would love visiting Boothill.
ReplyDeleteWhat fun - I love the story of the cemetery being restored.
ReplyDeleteWe went there many years ago when they did the shoot outs in the street Mary !!! We loved it ! XXXX
ReplyDeleteI really enjoyed this! I visited Tombstone in the early 80's, then again in the mid 90's. Absolutely loved it. I love your blog and I will be visiting often. I am brand new to the "blogging" thing, just learning the ropes :)
ReplyDeleteDear Mary, I am just catching up on your Arizona posts, and what wonderful pictures you share with us. I loved seeing Tombstone: our two elder children visited it twenty years ago, when they were still doing the shoot outs. They were young and very impressed :)
ReplyDeleteThanks Mary, great post. One small correction/clarification. They do still have gunfights on the streets of Tombstone, Allen St. The Tombstone Vigilantes have gun fights two or three times a month. The gunfights are not the OK Corral reenactments of which one does have to pay to see. To see more about the Tombstone Vigilantes goto https://tombstonevigilantes.com/ and/or https://www.facebook.com/TheTombstoneVigilantes/. Also, If any of you readers are planning a trip to Tombstone be sure to stop by the Arizona Rangers Museum on 4th Street. Tombstone has lots of history. Now, I gotta go saddle up so see ya later partner.
ReplyDeleteGreat read, Mary. I've actually been there too, but only watched the gunfight from across the fence which, where I Was, allowed me to see enough anyway.
ReplyDelete"after all what gal doesn't like a cowboy!!!" - I know my mother loved John Wayne and as such, was so excited to go to Laramie and Cheyenne in Wyoming, with grand memories of these Western towns from those old movies from long ago. Needless to say, she was terribly let down - particularly by the latter which is really quite drab now with a massive concrete mixing company being the first thing one sees when pulling up into Town.