Tombstone, AZ: Too Tough to Die

We took another day while at Ft. Huachuca to tour nearby Tombstone, AZ. Silver had been discovered in the area in the late 1800s, and that brought a lot of wild, adventurous, “gun- totin” men and women from all over the world. Many of the women found work in the “oldest profession for femaies.” Money, booze and gambling were plentiful, and Wyatt Earp and his brothers were needed to help keep order. The cemetery at Boot Hill was in constant demand. Most of his "residents" were young men who died violently. The town's newspaper, the Epitath, covered the harsh events of those days, and it is still in business.

Silver is still found in Tombstone, but it comes from the pockets of tourists. The mayor of Tomestone rccently decided that the main street should look like it did back in the old days. Dirt and gravel was spread over the blacktop, so as the stagecoach rattles down the street, it looks and sounds authentic. The decision was not without controversy. Some shop owners complain about the added cost of keeping their floors clean, but we thought the mayor had a cool idea.