Local History of Tombstone

When it comes to Tombstone, there is no lack of colorful Local History to immerse oneself in.

Books about Tombstone, the OK Corral and Wyatt Earp

KATIE ELDER, HER TRUE STORY by Maggie Van Ostrand.

Faye Dunaway as Katie Elder in the 1971 movie "Doc".

Katie Elder was more, much more, than the title character in John Wayne’s 1965 western, “The Sons of
Katie Elder,” She was more than the portrayal by Faye Dunaway in the 1971 film “Doc.” Katie Elder was
a real person, whose background was perhaps more plaid than checkered. For one thing, there were all
those names.

Boothill Graveyard: Tombstone, AZ

Visiting Tombstone’s Boothill Graveyard is free. After all, it’s a public cemetery. But it takes considerable willpower not to stop at the gift shop on the way out and buy a souvenir. We have several. Newman (Old Man) Clanton was born in 1816 and was killed by Mexican troops in Arizona Territory on August 13, 1881, about 10 weeks before his youngest son, William (Billy) Clanton would die of wounds sustained in a blaze of gunfire on Freemont Street near the OK Corral in Tombstone; October 26, 1881. Another son, Issac (Ike) Clanton, a mean-spirited, loudmouth cowardly drunk was instrumental in fomenting that gunfight between the Earps (Virgil, Wyatt, Morgan and Doc Holliday) and 3 Cowboys (Frank & Tom McLaury & Billy Clanton). The “Old Man” was, by many accounts, a successful rancher and cattle rustler. It is unlikely he ever met the Earps or Holliday because he had moved … Continue reading

The Earp Vendetta Ride Revisited

The Earp Vendetta Ride is your chance to ride where Doc and Wyatt tracked down the men who wounded Virgil and murdered Morgan following the most famous gunfight in American history.

Earp Vendetta Ride

The Gunfight at the OK Corral in Tombstone was only the beginning of the murderous conflict between the Earp Brothers and their friends, and the outlaw gang known as ‘The Cowboys’. ‘The Cowboys’ were about two-dozen hard riding, hard drinking ranchers and rustlers, their hired hands and gunslingers. Most notable among them were the Clanton Brothers, Ike and Billy; the McLaury Brothers, Frank and Tom; Johnny Barnes; “Curly Bill” Brocius; Florintino Cruz, aka “Indian Charlie”; Frank Stilwell; and Johnny Ringo. … Continue reading

Gunfight At The OK Corral: A Timeline Without The Legend

A brief synopsis of the Cowboys and the Earps and a timeline of the events that led up to the Gunfight at the OK Corral.

Wyatt Earp & Doc Holliday Accused Of Murder!

Boothill Graves Of Billy Clanton, Tom & Frank McLaury. "Murdered On The Streets Of Tombstone."

Following the Gunfight at the OK Corral, Ike Clanton filed murder charges against the Wyatt Earp and Doc Holliday, as well as Virgil and Morgan Earp who had been wounded in the gunfight.

The Making of the Wyatt Earp Legend

After what became the most famous gunfight in history, Wyatt Earp went on what became known as the Earp Vendetta Ride to avenge the ambush that crippled his older brother, Virgil, and the assassination of his younger brother, Morgan, by a gang of outlaws known as “The Cowboys”.

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Tombstone: The Town Too Tough To Die Almost Did

By the 1930’s, Tombstone was dying. The mining boomtown of the 1880’s was long gone. In 1882, Tombstone residents numbered between 6,000 and 7,000. By the time these photographs were taken, the nation was deep in the Great Depression, and Tombstone was almost a ghost town.