Tombstone, AZ

A little south of Tuson is the famous Tombstone, az. It is so named because a military scout posted in the area named Ed Schieffelin was looking for gold out in the dessert area where everyone seemed to be getting killed by Indians. His friend was quoted as saying "The only rock you will find out there will be your own tombstone". However, he didn't find his tombstone instead he found silver-and a lot of it. instead and tombstone, az became exactly what you think of when you think "wild west". It is so famous it even has a movie named after it.

Dad and I found tombstones, though not our own. The town has the famous Boothill Graveyard where most of the outlaws were buried. It gets its name from how many people died with their boots on.

Here is a funny sign which, I suppose also prohibits guns in the graveyard. I wasn't quite sure. I brought my 6 shooter in just in case I ran into any outlaws =p.

This is the most famous grave in the place. "Here lies Lester Moore four slugs from a .44 [caliber] no les no more". He was Wells, Fargo & Co. station agent and was shot because a package he delivered was in mangled condition. There are many other stories of people in the graveyard getting shot for seemingly trivial reasons.

There were also a lot of unknown and Chinese worker grave sites. If you're wondering why all the tombstones look like they are made out of wood, its because they are. The city started to restore the grave yard in the 1940s and apparently used wood.

Sobering words. "In Memory of Frank Bowles Born Aug 5, 1828 Died Aug 26, 1880. As you pass by remember that as as you are so once was I and as I am you soon will be. Remember me."

There were also a few comical tombstones. Although I'm sure it was not very comical for the people who cared for George Johnson. "Hanged by mistake 1882. He was right we was wrong but we strung him up and now he's gone."

The citys website describes this picture best: "Allen Street today. One of the most notorious streets in the old west is alive and well in Tombstone. Throughout the past 140 years it has survived two major fires, the loss of the mining industry, and countless violent encounters. Each year many thousands of visitors walk where old west heros and villains lived, worked and fought. From boomtown to bust this little city  earned its nickname, 'The Town Too Tough To Die'."

Another view of Allan St.

The city is also the place of the famous O.K. Corral gunfight. It happened between 3 lawmen and 4 outlaws in a gang know as the Cowboys (so named because of the living they made off stealing cattle from Mexico). The lawmen actually felt that justice served by the legal system was out of reach so they took it into their own hands. The lawmen won. When I say lawmen, I mean people appointed by the US government. However, in tombstone, it wasn't exactly so black and white as to who was bad and who was good. The Cowboys actually did protect the interests of the ranchers who were southern democrats against the rich republican northern investors who came to mine (which also included the lawmen). A lot of cowboys and ranchers felt their territory was being invaded by northern carpetbaggers.

Upon further researching its history, the town found that the gunfight did not actually take place at the O.K. Corral. It took place behind the place in an alley. There is now a very cheesy set of manikins that move to show how the gunfight went down.