Bartholemew William Barclay “Bat” Masterson (1853 – 1921) spent the first half of his life in what we know today as the Wild West. Among his contemporaries, he was famous as a buffalo hunter, Indian fighter, scout for the U.S. Army, and a renowned lawman in Dodge City Kansas where he and … Continue reading
Ms. Karen & I had visited Yuma right after Christmas 2016. We discovered so much to see and do that we looked forward to returning in late March 2017. Our first day found us an hour north of Yuma, off a dirt road near the Yuma Proving Grounds; at Castle … Continue reading
This is the story of a special nation, the Chiricahua Apache Nation, and its culture as seen through the eyes of its women, four women in particular. First, a bit of history. To quote from the Introduction: “For no other group of American Indians was as relentlessly pursued by the … Continue reading
On a cold December day in 1883, five men robbed the Goldwater & Casteneda Store on Main Street that substituted for Bisbee’s only bank. They did so believing that the mining company’s payroll was locked inside the store’s safe. What started as a quick and easy robbery ended in the death of almost a dozen people.
The robbers quickly discovered a problem. The mine’s payroll had not yet arrived. Foolishly, the five robbers stuck around to steal what they could from the store, its owners, and customers. This took time. Time they did not have.
Continue readingBoothill is authentic. It was Tombstone’s first City Cemetery, established in 1879. It wasn’t called Boothill until the 1920’s, probably as a result of Hollywood westerns or dime novels.
Continue readingOn one of our monthly Tucson History & Libation Walking Tours, I had the distinct pleasure to meet a fellow author, although at the time I did not know it. You see, to sign up for our Southern Arizona Guide tours, folks usually go to FareHarbor and pay via credit … Continue reading
Editor’s Note. Karen Weston Gonzales is a talented free lance writer. I first read her story about Southern Arizona pioneer, Tom Jeffords, in Tombstone Times to which I subscribe. The story is reprinted here with permission. The story is true and offers a clear account of one of the most … Continue reading
In 1880, old age began about 40, the average life expectancy of a U.S. citizen. Life was hard, good nutrition & effective medical treatment were scarce. By age 40, most people, particularly women, were simply worn out. Between 1879 and 1884, about 300 people were buried in the Tombstone Boothill … Continue reading
Lochiel, now a ghost town, is a former border crossing town, 1.5 miles from the Santa Cruz River in the San Rafael Valley in South Central Arizona. A few structures and residents remain including a restored one room schoolhouse built around 1905. It is also the site of a monument built … Continue reading
A Book Review I found this historically important book accidentally at an I-10 truck stop near Vail. You know, the place where you get the huge breakfasts. Vanished Arizona is the autobiographical account of Martha (Mattie) Durham Summerhayes, who was born to a prosperous New England family in a spacious, comfortable … Continue reading
