Tombstone

Tombstone Arizona, what a name, it is a real town located in Southern Arizona south of Tucson and bills itself as “The Town To Tough To Die” The name came from its founder, Ed Schieffelin, who as a lonely prospector was told by a US Army Officer that his search for silver was futile and all he would find was his tombstone. Well, Ed found silver and named his mine and the town Tombstone.
Make no mistake about it Tombstone while a real town with schools, a government, et al is an out and out Tourist Trap it exists for you to visit and see. Tourist trap or not I recommend it if you want to see what a real mining, cowboy town looked like in the late 1800’s. Walk the streets, talk to the people all of whom will be eager to give you their versions of life in the town that made it famous. And famous it is, made so by Hollywood, Book and Magazine Publishers in the Twentieth Century. The movies, books and articles made the people and events of the town household words. Let them roll off your tongue Wyatt Earp, Johnny Ringo, Bat Masterson, Doc Holliday, The OK Corral, Boot Hill, The Tombstone Epitaph, these were real people and places that existed in Tombstone in the 1880’s.
The Bird Cage, a gambling and prostitution establishment, The OK Corral, The Epitaph’s offices and Boot Hill are not to be missed places, and for a cool one stop in at Big Nose Kate’s Saloon, (named after Doc Holliday’s girl friend).
For 10 years, roughly 1880 to 1890, Tombstone was probably the most famous town in Arizona. Money flowed from the mines and people wealthy and famous from the eastern cities and even European Royalty flocked to visit this wonderful place. But it was to be short lived as disaster struck in 1889 and ground water flooded the mines and try as they might they never overcame the problem.
Wyatt Earp by the way had moved on by this time. He met and fell in love with an entertainer passing through and performing at the Bird Cage. Her name was Sadie Marcus they married and stayed together the rest of their lives.
Sadie Marcus was one of the heirs of the Department Store Neiman Marcus.