Tombstone: the very name of this tiny Arizona city is enough to conjure up images of dusty trails, shootouts, and saloons. Although the memory of the Old West will likely inhabit this town forever, Tombstone has changed quite a bit since the days of the O.K. Corral and Wyatt Earp. Let’s take a look at how Tombstone transformed from a wild west outpost to one of the most popular tourist destinations in the state of Arizona.
Tombstone: a Wild History
Tombstone was founded in 1879 for the same reason many other Arizona towns were founded: the mining of precious metals. Tombstone’s metallic reason for existence was silver, and for a while it sat on top of one of the richest silver strikes in Arizona. Tombstone grew to a bustling city of 14,000 residents, and sported first-class amenities for its time, including bowling alleys, fine restaurants, a beautiful luxury hotel, and of course, brothels and saloons. However, the rapid growth of the town didn’t last for long. Devastating fires wiped out a good portion of the businesses, smuggling and general wild-west related mayhem were common, including that famous shootout that you might have heard of. Gradually, the town fell into decline, and its population dwindled to 700 residents by 1900.
How Did Tombstone Survive?
Being the county seat helped for a while, but eventually it was moved to Bisbee. Some silver mining activity continued, but it never reached the level it had enjoyed in the late 1800’s. What was a struggling city to do? Turn to tourism, of course! Today, Tombstone attracts nearly a half-million visitors a year who come to ghost hunt or watch reenactments of the shootout at O.K. Corral. Interestingly, despite Tombstone’s rowdy and bawdy history, the community is a much calmer and unadventurous bunch and businesses tend to close early.
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