| Tombstone |
| Written by HeadTripperFred | |
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Page 1 of 4 TOMBSTONE The TV Western was at its peak in the 1950s and 60s. So were the baby boomers’ viewing habits! Many of us lived vicariously in the Old West as TV embraced the genre with hours and hours of primetime, after school, and Saturday morning series. TV Westerns became ingrained in our psyche. So for me, a recent visit to Tombstone, Arizona was not only a link back to the Old West, but also a link back to the old Western. As I watched the re-enacted gunfights and walked down the dusty streets of Tombstone, I wasn’t sure if I was being transported back to 1880 or to the set of “Gunsmoke.”  The historical significance of Tombstone in Western history cannot be disputed. It was the home of such Western personalities as Wyatt Earp and Doc Holliday. The town was also the setting of the iconic Gunfight at the OK Corral, which inadvertently cemented Tombstone’s place in Western history. Tombstone’s beginnings go back to 1877 when a prospector named Ed Schieffelin discovered silver ore in the area. It was known as Goose Flats at that point and was dangerous Indian Territory. Nevertheless, Schieffelin staked his claim and named it—Tombstone-- (after being told that the only rock he would find in the area would be his OWN tombstone). A town of Tombstone was formed in 1878 and quickly became a mining boomtown. By 1881, Tombstone had grown into one of the biggest towns in the Southwest with 7,000 people (eventually growing up to 20,000 people by some estimates). But lawlessness, gunfights, and one of the biggest “red-light” districts in the country characterized the city’s rough image throughout the 1880s. Tombstone had its many tragedies. The town had to rebuild twice as fires ripped through the business district in 1881 and 1882, severely damaging many of the wood buildings. Eventually, underground water started seeping through the silver mines marking the end of its boomtown era. By the early 1900s, Tombstone had become a relic of the Old West. The mining industry was revived briefly during both World War I and II. But it was Tombstone’s “rough and tumble” reputation and its importance in Western legend that saved the town from extinction. Tombstone, with the nickname “The Town Too Tough To Die” lives on into the 21st Century as a registered American National Landmark and Western tourist attraction. |