Historic city in Cochise County, Arizona best known as the site of the Gunfight at the O.K. Corral

How to Get There

From Tucson (71 mi): Get on I-10 E from W Congress St. Follow I-10 E to AZ-80 E/W 4th St in Benson. Take exit 303 from I-10 E. Follow AZ-80 E to N 4th St in Tombstone.

Overview

Tombstone is a historic city in Cochise County, Arizona, founded in 1877 by prospector Ed Schieffelin in what was then Pima County, Arizona Territory. It became one of the last boomtowns in the American frontier. The town grew significantly into the mid-1880s as the local mines produced $40 to $85 million in silver bullion, the largest productive silver district in Arizona. Its population grew from 100 to around 14,000 in less than seven years. It is best known as the site of the Gunfight at the O.K. Corral and presently draws most of its revenue from tourism. It also houses the highest rated brewery in the state of Arizona.

Under the surface were tensions that grew into deadly conflict. The mining capitalists and the townspeople were largely Republicans from the Northern states. Many of the ranchers (some of whom—like the Clantons—were also rustlers or other criminal varieties) were Confederate sympathizers and Democrats. The booming city was only 30 miles (48 km) from the U.S.-Mexico border and was an open market for cattle stolen from ranches in Sonora, Mexico, by a loosely organized band of outlaws known as The Cowboys. The Earp brothers—Wyatt, Virgil and Morgan—as well as Doc Holliday, arrived in December 1879 and mid-1880. The Earps had ongoing conflicts with Cowboys Ike and Billy Clanton, Frank and Tom McLaury, and Billy Claiborne. The Cowboys repeatedly threatened the Earps over many months until the conflict escalated into a shootout on October 26, 1881. The historic gunfight is often portrayed as occurring at the O.K. Corral, though it actually occurred a short distance away in an empty lot on Fremont Street.

Brian W. Schaller, FAL, via Wikimedia Commons ; Image Size Adjusted

The classic Cochise County Courthouse and adjacent gallows yard in Tombstone are preserved as a museum.

East Allen Street is the center of Tombstone's tourist attractions, featuring three blocks of shaded boardwalks lined with gift shops, saloons, and eateries. Allen Street's historic district is closed to motor traffic from 3rd Street, the location of the city park and OK Corral, to 6th Street, where the Bird Cage Theatre is located. Additional sites of interest can be found throughout the city, even out on Highway 80, where Boothill Cemetery is found.

The historic O.K. Corral has been preserved but is now surrounded by a wall. Mannequins are used to depict the location of the participants as recorded by Wyatt Earp. Fremont Street (modern Arizona Highway 80), where portions of the gunfight took place, is open to the public.

This article uses material from the Wikipedia article "Tombstone, Arizona", which is released under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share-Alike License 3.0