When it comes to Tombstone, there is no lack of colorful Local History to immerse oneself in.
Watch these 6 videos, click on a title or browse below the list for articles that might interest you.
A Death In Charleston, Arizona Territory
M. Robert Peel Born: Wednesday, May 31, 1854 Died: Saturday, March 25, 1882 (Charleston, Arizona) – gunshot through the heart Interred: Boothill Graveyard, Tombstone, Cochise County, Arizona Occupation: Mineral Surveyor, Mining Engineer Charleston, A.T. (Arizona Territory) was an important Old West town because it was home to the mill workers … Continue reading
A Good Day In Tombstone: Dr. Jay’s Tombstone Walking Tour
Recently we enjoyed another day trip to Tombstone. When out-of-town guests are planning their first visit to Tombstone, we always recommend they take Dr. Jay’s Tombstone Walking Tour. His tours are entertaining, enlightening, and the best way to appreciate the real history of the most famous town in the Old West. While Dr. Jay’s Walking […]
Continue readingA Hike to Charleston Cemetery with the FSPR
On April 1, I drove out to the San Pedro River for a Members Only hike provided by the docents of the Friends of the San Pedro River. For those of you who do not know, the San Pedro River is one of the last perennial rivers in Arizona and the Friends … Continue reading
A Trip to the Clanton Ranch
On a sunny day in mid-October with Helldorado Days in full swing, Ms. Rosemary and Ms. Karen, headed for the San Pedro River to learn about the Clanton Ranch. Helldorado Days has occurred every year in Tombstone at this time for over 85 years, with parties and parades. Still, it was a … Continue reading
According To Kate: A Book Review
The Legendary Life of Big Nose Kate, Love of Doc Holliday by Chris Enss Ms. Karen and I have been to Tombstone many times and we almost always dine at Big Nose Kate’s Saloon when we are there. We consider it the finest Old West saloon in America. So when … Continue reading
Bat Masterson Describes Doc Holliday & Wyatt Earp
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
Bird Cage Theater – Tombstone
Bill Hunley is the manager of the Bird Cage Theater, Tombstone’s most notorious saloon, gambling hall, and house of ill-repute. It’s been in his family since the 1930’s. The Bird Cage is now a museum, but what an extraordinary museum it is. Watch the video to get a glimpse.
Continue readingBoothill Graveyard: Tombstone, AZ
Visiting Tombstone’s Boothill Graveyard is no longer Free. Currently, April 2017 it is $3. It cost money to maintain the graveyard. 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 … Continue reading
Buy the E-Book! “Southern Arizona’s Extraordinary History” Is Now Available!
“Southern Arizona’s Extraordinary History” is now an E-BOOK for only $19.95. If you have a discount code, type it in and click the Buy It Now button below! Discount Code: You can read about Southern Arizona’s Extraordinary History under Local History on our Website, OR You can get the PDF here or find … Continue reading
Colonel William C. Greene: A Death in the Family
William C. Greene was born in Wisconsin in 1852 (or maybe 53). Greene spent his most productive years in Sonora, Mexico. However, we can reasonably conclude that, between 1890 and 1910, he was one of the richest and most influential men in Cochise County, Arizona Territory. Most folks referred to … Continue reading
Dr. Jay and the OK Corral
When we first started Southern Arizona Guide more than 10 years ago now, we shot a video of Dr. Jay’s Walking Tour. Dr. Jay was just starting out in Tombstone and happy to have the exposure. Business was going well, and then the pandemic hit. Dr. Jay no longer gives … Continue reading
Exploring the Millville Ruins with the FSPR
Ever since Jim and I have been traveling to and from Tombstone I have been curious about the Millville Ruins, stone structures outside of Tombstone about 8 miles. They sit on the side of a hill facing the San Pedro River to the west as it meanders northward. My opportunity … Continue reading
Fairbank: A Ghost Town Slideshow
Fairbank ghost town (aka Fairbank Historic Townsite) is about a 20 minute drive from Tombstone. It is located along the San Pedro River within the San Pedro Riparian National Conservation Area. Fairbank was established in 1881 as a depot for the railroad. The town was named for N.K. Fairbank, one … Continue reading
Good Enough Mine Tour
A joke around Tombstone goes like this. “Tombstone was built on mediocrity. For example, we have a corral that’s just OK; and a mine that’s barely good enough.” Our Good Enough Mine Tour was more than just “good enough”. The mine is a constant 65 degrees, a cooling retreat in … Continue reading
Gunfight At The O.K. Corral: A Review of Tombstone’s Top Attraction!
Conspicuous by its absence, the Gunfight At The O.K. Corral, Tombstone’s most popular attraction, has not graced the pages of Southern Arizona Guide … until now. Why? At Southern Arizona Guide we have a guiding philosophy. If we cannot wholeheartedly recommend your establishment or event to our friends & family, … Continue reading
Gunfight at the O.K. Corral: The Years Leading to the Fight
The 1957 movie, Gunfight at the O.K. Corral, was popular, but mostly myth. In this timeline, we have endeavored to tease the facts from the popular legends. For example, the real gunfight took place on Fremont Street a half block from the back entrance of the O.K. Corral and Wyatt … Continue reading
Historic Neighborhoods of Tucson
We have written a number of articles about Tucson’s Neighborhoods and streets and how they arrived at their names, but we have yet to combine them all in one place. Here are some short explanations of many of the origins of Tucson streets and neighborhoods. You will find links to … Continue reading
How Pie Allen & Sam Hughes Neighborhoods in Tucson Got Their Names
In the mid-19th century, in the remote southwest desert that was Arizona Territory, there were not many ways to earn a fortune. Life was mostly a struggle just to survive, let alone prosper. In the early 1850s, 10’s of thousands of young men from the eastern United States, Midwest, and … Continue reading
Is Anyone Really Buried In Boothill Cemetery?
Boothill 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 readingJohn Clum: The Only Man To Ever Capture Geronimo!
John Clum became one of those legendary characters from Tombstone’s infamous past. His life before Tombstone is just as interesting, but that story is known only to a few. He was born in upstate New York in 1851 and attended a military academy before enrolling at Rutgers College where he … Continue reading
Katie Elder,a.k.a. Big Nose Kate, Her True Story
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.
Murdered On The Streets Of Tombstone by Joyce Aros
In early November 2016, I had the pleasure of sitting in the master bedroom of the main house of the Empire Ranch across from author Joyce Aros. It was the Annual Fall Roundup fundraiser and we were both at the authors’ table to sell our respective books: Murdered on the … Continue reading
Preacher In Helldorado: Endicott Peabody & St. Paul’s Church in Tombstone, AT
In the cold Boston winter of 1944-45, Reverend Endicott Peabody was in the final season of his life. At 87 years of age, he had lived perhaps the most productive and influential life of any American clergy. He had much to reflect upon, including 6 months as a young pastor … Continue reading
Southern Arizona Ghost Town Tour: A Slideshow!
In the Fall of 2014, Southern Arizona Guide became more than just a website with all of its Dining & Lodging Reviews, Local History, and recommended Things To See and Do. We started offering tours to some of the most interesting and historical places in the American Southwest. This slideshow … Continue reading
The Day Buck Fly Shot Geronimo
Camillus Sidney Fly was a Tombstone photographer. Most folks called him “Buck”. The other Tombstone photographer was Mrs. Fly, known as Mollie. Together they chronicled the Old West as no one before them had. Their photographs were published in big city newspapers and major magazines throughout the United States. The … Continue reading
The Earp Vendetta Ride Revisited; Steve Shaw’s Great American Adventure
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.
Continue readingThe Education of a Notorious Gambler & Gunman!
Sophie Walton was born a slave on a Georgia plantation in 1856. Her master was a Mr. Walton. In 1864, Mr. Walton could no longer keep his slaves. The Union Army had freed them and he could not afford to pay for their labor. To his credit, Mr. Walton did … Continue reading
The Train To Tombstone: Arizona Territory, 1903.
TOMBSTONE’S RAILROAD CENTENNIAL reprinted with permission from Tombstone Times. by Larry Jensen & Ray Madzia Picture the day. Feel the event. The Railroad was coming to Tombstone!!!! It had been nearly 25 years that folks had been arriving in Tombstone, but not by rail. The railroad had not laid tracks … Continue reading
Tombstone – Too Tough To Die
An introduction to the real Tombstone, the town too tough to die. Tombstone is a tourist town, granted. However, the people of Tombstone are dedicated to keeping the legend alive.
Continue readingTombstone At Twilight: A Slideshow
On the 4th Saturday of the month, Tombstone shopkeepers have started keeping their doors open and light on after sunset. They call this event: Tombstone At Twilight.
Continue readingTombstone Boothill Graveyard: How They Lived; How They Died.
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
Tombstone Bordello Bed & Breakfast
I must say, it was a pleasant experience. Not because the Bordello is fancy. It’s not. But the bed was comfortable, the garden and pool area most pleasant. And the hostess, Ms. Lynda, a delight.
The Tombstone Bordello has another advantage. It’s only a five minute walk to THE MAIN EVENT – the OK Corral, Big Nose Kate’s, Crystal Palace, Bird Cage Theater, and the Old Courthouse Museum.
Tombstone Historic Home Tour 2014: A Slideshow!
Saturday, December 6, 2014 was the first Tombstone Historic Home Tour. The event was sponsored by The Cameo Ladies of Tombstone, A.T. and Tombstone Forward. The tour was an especially rich experience because these were mostly homes from the historic era and beautifully furnished in period from 1879 to the … Continue reading
Tombstone Mines: How Much Were They Really Worth?
Everyone knows the story about how Tombstone got its name, but did you ever wonder what was the value of $1,000 U.S. Dollars back through the ages? For example, when partners Ed Schieffelin & his brother Al Schieffelin sold their shares in their Tombstone mines for $600,000 in 1880, how … Continue reading
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.
Continue readingTour Pearce AZ: A (Sometimes Lively) Ghost Town!
A few people still live in Pearce, AZ. They enjoy the solitude and long north-south expanse of the Sulfur Springs Valley. Not far to their east are the magnificent Chiricahua Mountains where the National Monument hosts what the Apaches called “Standing Up Rocks”. Close by to their west are the … Continue reading
World’s Largest Rose, the Lady Banksiae
Reportedly the world’s largest single rose bush lives in Tombstone, Arizona at the Rose Tree Museum, 4th and Toughnut. Commonly called the Lady Banks, the “lady banksiae” a white rose, came from Scotland in 1885. It covers over 8000 square feet. It blooms in the early spring and is thornless. … Continue reading
Wyatt Earp & Doc Holliday Accused Of Murder!
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.
Continue readingWyatt Earp and the Vendetta Ride
The Gunfight at the OK Corral in Tombstone was only the beginning of the murderous conflict known as the Wyatt Earp Vendetta Ride, between Wyatt Earp, his brothers and their friends, known as the ‘Posse’ and the outlaw gang known as ‘The Cowboys’. ‘The Cowboys’ were about two-dozen hard riding, … Continue reading
Wyatt Earp’s Vendetta Posse: Who Were These Guys?
Wyatt Earp, now with federal authority, assembled a posse of gunmen to hunt for his brother’s would-be assassins.
Continue reading