Afternoon "Adventure"

January 10, 2015

We took a drive over to Tombstone, AZ this afternoon.

We are about 20 miles away and it is a nice drive.

 

We visited the Tombstone Courthouse. Where we were able to read about the history of Tombstone, AZ. We learned Tombstone reached a pinnacle of riches with the silver mines and then faded when the silver mines flooded and could not be worked. This all happened within eight years and by 1886 Tombstone's heyday was over but by then $37,000,000 worth of silver had been taken from the mines.

Tombstone owes its beginnings to Ed Schieffelin, who prospected in the hills in 1877. He was warned, by friends, all he would find would be his own tombstone. When miners first built a shanty town near the mines it was known as Goose Flats. Then remembering the prophecy given Schieffelin, with tongue and cheek, they renamed it Tombstone.



The Cochise County Courthouse
was built in 1882 at a cost of $50,000.

It housed the offices of the sheriff, recorder, treasurer, and the board of supervisors. The jail was in the rear under the courtroom. Cochise County was established in 1881 and Tombstone remained the county seat until 1929. The last county office left the courthouse in 1931.

There was an attempt to convert it into a hotel in the 1940's, which failed. It remained vacant until 1955 when the Tombstone Restoration Commission acquired it and began the courthouses rehabilitation and the development as a historical museum. It has continued to operated as a State Park since 1959.


 

 

These three pictures are of the Sheriff's office. 

There are many pictures including these three that tell the story of Tombstone and the people who lived there.

Gambler
Bat Masterson

Wyatt Earp - Age 30

John Henry Holiday

 There are several exhibits throughout the court house that highlight the history of Tombstone. Included is information about the Gunfight at the OK Corral and findings it actually never took place at the OK Corral. There is a mining, transportation, and communications exhibit in what was the jail. They also had information about the jail itself. Upstairs is the courtroom, law library and several other exhibits.

A reproduction of the gallows in the courtyard.

Afterwards we took a walk down part of Allen Street and stopped for a late lunch at Big Nose Kate's Saloon. According to information provided on the menu it was once the Grand Hotel built in 1881. The night before the Gunfight at the OK Corral, October 25, 1881 the Clantons and the McLaurys were guest here.

There is also said to be paranormal activity at the Big Nose Kate's Saloon. Part of the legend is "the Swamper" hid his silver in the building and comes back to protect it. Staff, locals and tourist claim to have had experiences with the "Swamper" appearing in pictures and fleeting appearances as he wanders the building especially the basement.

Picture taken of information on the menu.

 

Mick is the gentleman providing
the afternoon's entertainment.

We had a nice lunch and did a little more walking and visited a couple of the shops along the street. We then headed home (clarification: Right now we do think of the Crusader as home. We have always felt wherever we lived together was home.)  and were treated to a beautiful view of the sun dropping down behind the mountains. I just wish the pictures did it justice.

 

 

 

"Maybe it is not about the happy ending.

May it's about the story."

                                               ~unknown