Tombstone: The Town Too Tough to Die
boothill graveyardMurdered in the Streets of TOMBSTONE
1881
Recently, after watching the 1993 movie Tombstone with Kurt Russell and Val Kilmer, Rylan decided that she wanted to visit the historic town of Tombstone, Arizona, the town too tough to die. I hadn't been there in about 25 years, and I thought it was a good idea and would make for a fun weekend trip. This would also give me the opportunity to photograph something other than aircraft, especially since I have been wanting to broaden my photography subjects to include more architectural, nature and landscapes.
Tombstone was founded in 1879, and in 1881, within two years of its founding, Tombstone boasted a bowling alley, four churches, an ice house, a school, two banks, three newspapers, and an ice cream parlor, alongside 110 saloons, 14 gambling halls, and numerous dancing halls and brothels. The gentlemen and ladies of Tombstone attended operas presented by visiting acting troupes at the Schieffelin Hall opera house, while the miners and cowboys saw shows at the Bird Cage Theatre, "the wildest, wickedest night spot between Basin Street and the Barbary Coast." There are still over 120 bullet holes in the Bird Cage Theatre.
We arrived in Tombstone early and were able to walk around the town before it got really busy. This was good because it allowed for photography without having to wait too long for people to vacate the shot (one of my pet peeves). We started at the famous O.K. Corral, the location of the now famous gunfight between the Earps and "Doc" Holliday and a few of the notorious Cowboys. As we walked Allen Street, we were able to see many of the famous locations in Tombstone. Places like the Oriental Saloon, the Crystal Palace, and the Bird Cage Theatre. All of them offered different insights into the life of Tombstone in 1881. Before heading out of town we stopped at the Boot Hill Graveyard to see some of the final resting places of the people that made Tombstone both historic and notorious. Boot Hill has the graves of the three Cowboys that were killed during the gunfight at the O.K. Corral; Billy Clanton, Frank Mclaury, and Tom McLaury.
