Monday, January 16th (Martin Luther King Day) ~ Tombstone, Arizona
Boothill Grave Yard, Tombstone, Arizona
A bit of a combination of tourist attraction and living museum, Tombstone certainly fills you up with facts and fiction about the wild, wild west. The town was inhabited with miners, cattlemen, gamblers, heavy drinkers, gunslingers, cattle thieves, a few lawmen, four churches, 110 saloons, and 2500-4000 prostitutes.
We lost a day due to heavy rains, and did not want to be further obstructed today, so we braved the cold and took off walking the few blocks from our RV park into town.
The town was founded in 1879 by miner Ed Schieffelin, who was told he was nuts to be roaming around the Indian territory by himself looking for silver. They warned him that all he would find was his tombstone. So when he did find his silver ore, and staked his claim, he named it Tombstone.
Tombstone Courthouse and State Historic Park
First stop was at the old court-house, which today is a museum and well worth the stop. I was especially interested in reading about some of the characters who initially settled this area including bigger-than-life names like Doc Holiday, Bat Masterson, Johnny Ringo and Wyatt Earp.
They say that Doc Holiday was trained as a dentist, but that he pulled more triggers than teeth.
Henry Clay Hooker made his mark when he purchased 500 turkeys in California for $1.50 each and then HERDING them across Nevada and into the gold fields where he sold them to the hungry miners for $5.00 each.
Can you envision someone “herding” turkeys????
This is the main street of Tombstone
Allen Street, the main street through town, could have been a back-lot hollywood set, but it is the real deal with most of the town looking just like it did back in 1881 when the silver mining boom hit.
Our day was filled to the brim with activities that ranged from seeing the shootout at the OK Corral, watched a show at the Tombstone Histogram, having lunch at Big Nose Kate’s Saloon, taking a Trolley Tour, tramping around the Boothill Grave Yard, seeing the world’s largest rose tree, watching another gunfight at the Old Tombstone Western Town, checking out the Crystal Palace Saloon and then topping off the day with a Ghost Tour at the Historic Bird Cage Theatre.
Prostitution was legal here in Tombstone. The girls were licensed and had medical exams every coupe of weeks. The tiny shacks that they used to service their customers were called “cribs” and the “ladies” could have as many as 80 fellas visit in one evening!
I purchased a book today called “Soiled Doves” (what the prostitutes were called) about their life and business in Tombstone. I think it will be mind-boggling to read…
Shootout at the OK Corral
Inside Big Nose Kate’s Saloon
Confrontation in the street
Old Tombstone Western Town
Our rather short visit to Boothill Graveyard was a highlight. There is a descriptive list of the more than 250 graves that you can purchase for $3.00. It reads like an old movie script with descriptions like:
- Seymour Dye, Killed by Indians, 1882
- Geo. Johnson. Hanged by Mistake
- Delia William, 1881, Suicide
- Alfred Cantrell, Shot, 1881
- Margarita. Stabbed by Gold Dollar
- Kansas Kid, A cowboy killed in a stampede
The pamphlet gives much more detail about many of those buried here and well worth the price.
Boothill Graveyard
World’s Largest Rose Bush (prettier when in bloom in the spring)
Bird Cage Theatre
GRATITUDE MOMENT: Today I am grateful to have had the chance to step back in time to get a glimpse of what the wild, wild west was like. Learning a bit more about this colorful period in our countries history was fascinating.
Our next stop is in Bisbee. Hope you will join us 🙂
A Note From Abroad 
How wonderful, lucky you.
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Sounds like a fun day. The town must have been huge if 2500 prostitutes serviced 80 men per day! That’s a lot of people! I’m surprised that they were licensed and had to have physicals every couple of weeks. I guess I didn’t know that they understood STDs back then.
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Most of the girls did not have that many “customers” that was at the extreme end.
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I should hope not. I can’t even imagine!
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When you said 80, I said “Ouch!”
I’ve read the book “Soiled Doves” It takes you to brothels all across the country. I cried at what these young girls went through. Many were just little girls, as young as 12 as I recall. Especially the ones in San Francisco, some imported from China that were caged, marketed at 25 cents and forced to take on as many as possible. The mortality rate was unbelievable. I think I remember reading that some girls (rarely) took to it easily while most suffered.
The reasons some women went into prostitution varied, the “lucky” ones ended up with husbands. It is a good historical read.
I’ve not been to Tombstone, but I have been to the Hole in the Wall Ranch in Cody Wyoming where Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid and their Wild Bunch gang hung out. It was a small town and I remember going into one of their “cribs” and noticed a wash basin near the bed.
Perhaps they were more aware than we thought.
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Thank you for your insights into “Soiled Doves”. I’m 1/2 way through reading Danielle Steele’s latest bestseller, “Blue”, and should wrap it up in a couple more days then plan on diving in. I don’t anticipate this will be an easy or pleasant read, but the topic will surely be informative, especially after our visit to Tombstone.
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It brings an awareness we may not truly appreciate of all that went into creating our past. The women, in my opinion had it so much harder. For men it was backbreaking but for women it was so much more. If we consider her menses, childbearing, labor intensive and unless she was a robot, mental. Not to mention the loneliness. It had to have been rough.
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Suicide was a major problem in Tombstone for women in that profession. I understand why.
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I wouldn’t be surprised. So sad.
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We enjoyed our visit to Tombstone not so long ago. It really is like stepping into the Wild West. Looks like you had a full adventure there. 😊
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Camie, we sure managed to squeeze a lot into our time there.
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Enjoyed your post. And your pics too…
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Thank you!
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Your are welcome….!!
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Nice post! “Herding” turkeys sounds hilarious, I’m wondering if he got with all of them at the destination. If yes, then he made a fortune!!! Btw, great blog:)
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I know – made me think of the TV commercial where they were herding cats. Probably just about as easy.
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Great post! Just finished reading The Last Woman Standing by Thelma Adams. It’s a bio with lots of fiction about Josephine Marcus who came to Tombstone to marry Johnny Behane but wound up with Wyatt Earp. Lots of history in it but fun. It was nice to see your photos so close to my finishing the book.
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I will have to see if it is on Kindle and download a sample of the book . It is so fun to tie a book into our travels.
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Yes, I read the kindle copy.
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I’d love to visit here and see the cemetery and that rose bush in bloom
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I saw some pictures there of the rose in bloom and think it would be amazing to see it in person when it is loaded.The cemetery alone was worth the trip.
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I loved this post! How fun. My husband and I have got to go! We love westerns and neither of us has been out west. What else is around there besides Tombstone, since we live back east and would need to fly.
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Oh my, the west is loaded with awesome things to see. If you have never been out this way, I would have to choose The Grand Canyon, Yellowstone NP, heck, any of the National Parks are on the top of my list including Zion and Bryce.Sonoma is a beautiful place to visit and of course San Francisco. We are currently in Bisbee which is right near Tombstone and has been highly recommended. I’m sure I’ll be posting more about is soon.
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Thanks! I definitely hope to get to San Francisco and Napa Valley at some point. Riding in a hot air balloon over Napa Valley is one of my bucket list item. Keep enjoying and thanks for sharing with us.
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I think your idea of taking a hot air balloon over Napa Valley sounds awesome!
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Well, maybe you can do it before me and post photos to inspire!
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Another commenter said the life was back-breaking for the men, but it was heart-breaking for the women.
That is one impressive rose ‘bush’! 😀
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I think you are spot on with both comments.
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Very fun. Isn’t it nice to just pop in somewhere, weather and all, and just enjoy the area. Then go back to your own little house on wheels.
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Terry, I had not realized just how much I would appreciate having my own bed to crawl into at the end of the day, with my pillow and my sheets. The small kitchen where I can fix a meal for us without worrying about Tim’s allergies, a refrigerator to pull out a cold beverage, and a closet and drawers where I can unpack once and then easily access what I need for the day. Loving this!
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It is wonderful.
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An amazing journey back in time. I’ve seen the movie Tombstone, but this sounds like it provided you with so many more real life details.
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I have not seen that movie yet and plan to correct that soon!
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I liked the sights of Tombstone! I enjoyed the Kevin Costner movie, too. The theater and the rose bush were pretty elements I was not expecting to see! Smiles, Robin
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Hello Robin! I need to look up the Kevin Costner movie and try to watch it when we get home.
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Joanne and Tim, you will enjoy it, I think. I tend to block out the violence if there was some in it. My youngest daughter is 31 and we also enjoyed the new Magnificent Seven movie. It definitely has violence. The movie has great moments though.
For fun, My Name Is Doris really was special with Sally Fields. The film has some sad parts but overall it was one I think everyone I suggested seeing it, enjoyed it. Take care and safe travels!
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Thank you for your recommendations. I always appreciate hearing about favorites from other people.
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This looks like such a fun place to visit. I think it would be especially fun to take foreign friends to this iconic American spot.
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It is a chapter in our history. I think many still see this part of the USA as what they have know of us through the old Western movies.
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Wow, I thought Bisbee looked like a movie set and now I see Tombstone. I love your graveyard photos.
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That graveyard was really interesting. I could easily have spent more time there exploring, but our trolley was waiting.
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Have been to Arizona several times. Hoping to possibly move there in the very near future. Thank you for sharing your adventures.
(P.S) Tell your wife she has too pretty a smile to be a good criminal! 🙂
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Thank you for that kind compliment 😳
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Great post. It is so fun to fuel our dreams by seeing your adventures. Please keep sharing your journey through pics and words.
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Will do!
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What an interesting place. I can see why the graveyard was the highlight 😀
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Pretty fascinating to step back in time.
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Reblogged this on Wag 'n Bietjie.
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Thank you. Appreciate the share!
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Beautifull 😍👌👌
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We’re going to Tombstone in one year’s time and this post has made me a little bit more excited about doing so! Great post.
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Tombstone is such classic “Old West”. Have a fabulous trip!
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