Tombstone- Photography

A friend of mine recently visited from the Midwest.

She had not experienced the vastness and majesty of the Southwest before, so I decided to take her to the (in)famous Tombstone, Arizona for an introduction.

Desert vistas are truly stunning as the road leads to the southern part of the state.

On this day the sun peeked from behind rain-laden clouds, and the sky dramatically cast shadows upon the frontier.

Tombstone is a historic city located in Cochise County.

Made famous as a boomtown from local silver mines in the 1800s, that isn’t what most people associate with this western city…

While Tombstone did offer several modern conveniences for the time, such as churches, an opera house, and a few newspapers, it was the wild and tense atmosphere that ruled the streets.

This is BootHill Cemetery, and while it has the flair of modern tourism, there are several important historical figures buried here. If you are a fan of Frontier history, you might recognize these notable residents:

Marshal Fred White, killed by Curly Bill Brocius on October 30, 1880.
Tom McLaury, Frank McLaury, and Billy Clanton, killed in the O.K. Corral shootout on October 26, 1881

Tombstone held over 110 saloons, a dozen + (recorded) gambling halls, and COUNTLESS brothels. The very hard and tragic life of the soiled doves is often romanticized in books and movies, but the reality for all who lived here was tough stuff.

You had to be tough to survive, and many made their fortunes in unconventional ways.

Men making cash off of the silver mines, along with traveling cowboys, patronized the famous Bird Cage Theatre.

What many know Tombstone by has nothing to with the actual ranchers, nor the mining.

Instead, the now famous gunfight between The Earp Brothers, along with Doc Holiday, against ruffian cowboys Billy Clanton, Frank and Tom McLaury, and Billy Claiborne, became the stuff of history in 1881.

Although, I bet you might be able to place the lines of a famous movie, Tombstone, easier than any historical facts about the O.K. Corral (which actually isn’t even the true gunfight location)!

“I’ll be your huckleberry...”

“You tell ’em I’m coming, and hell’s coming with me…”

Tombstone is super commercialized now, but for history buffs, the legends are recreated in the dusty streets.

On the outskirts of town, the hype quickly fades away, and the awe-inspiring beauty of the Dragoon and Huachuca Mountains invite exploration.

Photography {Tombstone, AZ}

I hope you enjoyed traveling into the former Wild West. Even though my poor friend came when I was very sick, we still had a good day. Seeing where the roads go is one of my favorite things to do…

There is so much rich Native and Frontier history here, hopefully, we can explore more again soon!