Tombstone Vacations, Tombstone Vacation Reviews, Tourism Guide

Tombstone Vacation Guide

Tombstone is a small town in the southeast corner of Arizona close to the Mexican and New Mexico border. It only has a population of just over 1500 people today but at its height in 1883, Tombstone's population was as high as 15,000 people. Tombstone would of been like any other unknown small town of the time but a 30 second gunfight put Tombstone and the legend of the O.K. Corral on the map.

Tombstone was founded by a prospector named Ed Shieffelin who discovered a vein of silver in the summer of 1877. He at first wasn't believed and was told the only thing he's going to find was his Tombstone and the name stuck. Soon other miners came pouring into town and at one time Tombstone was the biggest town west of the Mississipi. Tombstone also had more gambling houses, saloons and houses of prostitution then any other place in the west.

Tombstone had a recently passed city ordinance against anyone carrying a firearm in town. Five members of that gang, Ike Clanton, Billy Clanton, Billy Clairborne, Tom Mclaury and Frank Mclaury who had numerous run-ins with the law were seen in town all carrying guns. Marshal Virgil Earp and his brothers Wyatt and Morgan joined by Doc Holliday confronted the Cowboy gang at the O.K. Corral and in the attempt to disarm the gang, a shootout ensued leaving three of the Cowboy gang dead and the three Earp brothers slightly wounded.

By the mid 1880's the mines had been tapped out and Tombstone quickly declined. The legend of the Earp brothers and the fight at the O.K. Corral continued to live on.