Fairbank Ghost Town North of Tombstone

Fairbank Ghost Town North of Tombstone


Southern Arizona has a vibrant local history. It starts in pre-history about 12,000 years ago with Clovis man and Woolly Mammoths, evidence of which is now found in the San Pedro River Nature Conservation Area.

Then, 500 years ago, Coronado’s Spanish Conquistadors came in search of gold. Along their route they met many Native Americans, whose ancestors, including the Hohokam, lived here for 4,000 years.

Almost 150 years ago the Apache Wars started in what is now Cochise County southeast of Tucson. It was then that our Southern Arizona history began to be written in earnest. The Apaches fought against the encroachment of Anglos & Mexicans who wanted their land for its rich pastures and bountiful mineral wealth. Mining boom towns were erected in a matter of weeks. And they were abandoned just a quickly when the mines played out.

Most of these mining boom towns are now ghost towns. They dot the vast Southern Arizona landscape. Along with the boom towns came violent conflicts, most often the result of greed, arrogance, and young men overdosing on testosterone and alcohol.

All of this and so much more has been woven into our local histories, such as the Gunfight Near The OK Corral; the Earp Vendetta Ride; the Bisbee Massacre; and the Camp Grant Massacre.

In the following articles you will find interesting “Local” history about a by-gone time & place. These are our picks of True West stories, some obscure, but all rewarding.

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