June 15, 2010
The Best Western Heritage is in Tombstone, Arizona
Tombstone, Arizona – today, it’s primary industry is tourism with over 400,000 visitors every year who enjoy the colorful past and present of a ‘Town Too Tough to Die’. Tombstone has a wide variety of attractions and sights for all ages. Plus, there’s plenty of places to eat, drink and sleep at some of the best hotels in Arizona . Several saloons in town offer live music on weekends, and most have dance floors. But, it’s still the gunfight shows, stagecoach and wagon tours that bring in all the visitors into town.
Tombstone was an Arizona old mining camp, named by Ed Schieffelin, when leaving the protection of Camp Hauchuca to prospect, his comrades told him the he’d find his tombstone rather than silver. So, in 1877, Schieffelin named his first claim ‘The Tombstone’. Rumors of a rich strike made a boom town of his settlement and the name stuck.
Days of lawlessness and violence, which by-the-way, nearly had President Chester A. Arthur declare martial law in Tombstone and send in military troops to restore order. The culmination of the lawlessness climaxed with the infamous Earp-Clanton battle, fought near the rear entrance of O.K. Corral . Over the course of 7 years, the mines produced millions of dollars in silver and gold before rising underground waters forced the suspension of mining operations.
Today, many of Tombstone’s historic building are within an area bounded by Fremont, 6th, Toughnut and 3rd Streets; such as the St. Paul’s Episcopal Church, built in 1882; the Crystal Palace Saloon , which is one of the best luxurious saloons in the entire West; and of course, the Tombstone Epitaph building, where the oldest continuously published paper in Arizona is still being printed; the front office of the building offers a Western printing history exhibit, which is free.
If you’re interested in shopping, Tombstone has a wealth of unique shops and services. Tombstone is truly a Historical American Landmark and America’s best example of the 1880 western heritage, which is well preserved with original 1880s building, artifacts and numerous museums.
Filed by Herbert Jones at 4:10 pm under Travel
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