Tombstone

Founded: Late 1870s
County: Cochise
Population: 1,308
Elevation: 4,406 feet
High School Mascot: Yellow Jackets

When Arizona was still the Arizona Territory, Ed Schieffelin discovered silver in the hills of what then was part of Pima County. As a result, Tombstone was founded in 1879 on Goose Flat, a mesa above Goodenough Mine. Within two years, the town boasted an ice cream parlor, a school, banks, three newspapers, gambling halls and brothels. And over time, local mines produced $40 million to $85 million in silver bullion.

But Tombstone is best known as “The Town Too Tough to Die,” in large part because of its role in Wild West history. In the 1880s, cattle thefts and the smuggling of liquor and tobacco across the U.S.–Mexico border were prevalent  — perpetrated by “cow-boys,” loosely organized affiliations of friends and family members who teamed up to commit those crimes.

Famously, one such outfit met its demise in the gunfight at Tombstone’s O.K. Corral on March 15, 1881. During the confrontation, Deputy U.S. Marshal Virgil Earp and his brothers, Wyatt and Morgan, shot down Tom and Frank McLaury and Billy Clanton, who were suspected of committing a murder during a stagecoach robbery nearby.
 

The gunfight became a thing of legend, and today, actors reenact the events for delighted tourists. Steve Reeder, a retired high school teacher and coach, is one of those actors as a member of the Tombstone Vigilantes, a nonprofit re-enactment group, formed in 1948, that funds needs in the community. He moved to Tombstone in 1977, at age 29, after teaching on the Navajo Nation.

“When a job came open, I came down and hired on,” Reeder says. “I knew the O.K. Corral reputation, mainly from TV. But being from a small town in Oklahoma, I could enjoy the small-town atmosphere and just the quaintness of the storefronts and local stores. You walked down the street, you knew all the store owners, you knew the people. It was on the verge of tourism, but [that] wasn’t really the highlight of everything.

“When I joined [the re-enactment group], I didn’t even have a pair of boots. They just said, ‘Would you like to come out and get involved?’ Obviously, I was a lot younger. When I first joined, I was more the [actor who would] get beat up, fall down, take all the punches. I usually played Frank [McLaury] in what we call the Fremont Shootout — or the O.K. Corral.”

Reeder is now in his 39th year with the organization, and his role has changed —he now stars in a skit called “The Old-Timers.” But he says the small-town feel that characterized Tombstone in the late 1970s remains today, fueled by shops, art galleries and antiques stores, as well as a slew of restaurants and saloons, including the Crystal Palace and Big Nose Kate’s, that pepper the main drag.

“Tombstone has changed from ’77 to now,” he says. “But it still has kept, I’d say, a large part of its hometown feeling. It’s easy for a person to move in and be accepted.
 

WHERE TO STAY

Hotel Tombstone
Also the home of Allen Street Pies, a beloved pizza restaurant, Hotel Tombstone features four rooms — the Madam’s, Oriental, Cowboy and Cowgirl — as well as a tiny home that’s available for rent. Guests are also welcome to use the common areas, which include a kitchen and a living room.
530 E. Allen Street, Tombstone, 520-457-2405, hoteltombstone.com

Tombstone Miners Cabins
Guests at Tombstone Miners Cabins can choose one of six private cabins, each with a deck. And while there are plenty of modern conveniences, rustic touches such as sinks made from whiskey barrels and pull-chain toilets are reminders of Tombstone’s history.
787 E. Allen Street, Tombstone, 520-910-7982, minerscabins.com
 

WHERE TO EAT

Big Nose Kate’s Saloon
A massive original bar is the centerpiece of this historic restaurant, which dates to 1880, when it opened in the lobby of the Grand Hotel. It’s named for Mary Katherine Horony Cummings, a Hungarian-born outlaw, gambler, lady of the night and common-law wife of Doc Holliday. The menu offers hearty Western fare, including brisket, burgers and chicken, as well as pizza and calzones.
417 E. Allen Street, Tombstone, 520-457-3107, bignosekatestombstone.com

The Longhorn Restaurant
As the oldest continually operated restaurant in Tombstone, the Longhorn is known for its smoked pork ribs and steaks. Other menu items include shrimp, sandwiches, chili and a variety of sandwiches and wraps.
501 E. Allen Street, Tombstone, 520-457-3405, thelonghornrestaurant.com
 

ATTRACTIONS

Boothill Cemetery
Among the permanent residents interred at Boothill Cemetery are China Mary, Dutch Annie, Billy Clanton, and Tom and Frank McLaury. Boothill was Tombstone’s first town cemetery, established in 1879; over the years, and with the establishment of a new cemetery in 1884, Boothill lost its popularity and many of the grave markers were stolen or destroyed. When John Clumb, the former editor of The Tombstone Epitaph, returned to Boothill to pay his respects to his late wife in 1929, he became distraught when he couldn’t find her grave. Shortly thereafter, the town came together to revitalize the cemetery, and it’s a popular tourist attraction today.
404 State Route 80, Tombstone,  520-457-1450, discoverboothill.com

Rose Tree Museum
This small museum pays tribute to Tombstone pioneers and includes a substantial collection of Wild West artifacts. The main draw, though, is the “World’s Largest Rose Tree,” which was planted and continues to grow behind what once was known as the Arcade Boarding House. Scottish-born Mary Gee and her friend Amelia Adamson, who ran the establishment, planted the rose tree in 1885. Today, the white Lady Banks continues to thrive.
118 S. Fourth Street, Tombstone, 520-224-4144, tombstonerosetree.com