Filed under: History, Learning, North America, United States
Of all the Wild West towns in America, Tombstone, Arizona, stands out as legendary.
Tombstone got its name from a mining claim filed in 1877. Prospector Ed Schieffelin had been told by local soldiers that the southern Arizona hills were crawling with Apaches, scorpions and rattlesnakes and that he'd only find his tombstone there, so he thumbed his nose at their pessimism by naming his claim Tombstone. Schieffelin discovered the area was rich in silver and the dusty hillside soon became a boom town. Within two years Tombstone had a population approaching 1000.
One early resident, Clara Spalding Brown, wrote that Tombstone was, ". . .an embryo city of canvas, frame and adobe, scattered over a slope. . .The only attractive places visible are the liquor and gambling saloons, which are everywhere present and are carpeted and comfortably furnished. . .The camp is one of the dirtiest places in the world. . .The sod lies loose upon the surface, and is whirled into the air every day by a wind which almost amounts to a gale; it makes the eyes smart like the cinders from an engine; it penetrates into the houses, and covers everything with dust. . .The mercury gallivants around in the nineties, with altogether too high-minded ideas. . .we cannot obtain desirable food for hot weather; fresh vegetables are scarce, and the few fruits in the markets require a very large purse. . .The camp is considered a remarkably quiet one - only one murder since my arrival."
That low murder rate was about to go up. Scattered in nearby ranches and villages was a loose-knit group of cattle rustlers dubbed "the Cowboys." They'd cross the border into Mexico, steal cattle, and sell them cheaply in Tombstone. In most of the West, "cowboy" simply meant a drover from Texas. Now in Southern Arizona the name took on a pejorative meaning, distinct from the respectable "rangemen" or "cattlemen."
Gallery: Tombstone, ArizonaContinue reading Tombstone, Arizona: The Toughest Town Of The Wild WestTombstone, Arizona: The Toughest Town Of The Wild West originally appeared on Gadling on Sat, 30 Jun 2012 11:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.Permalink | Email this | Comments
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