The name of the town of Tombstone evokes strong imagery of what the Wild West really was — something right out of an old western with its dusty streets, wooden plank storefronts and faded paint wooden buildings.
It also lived up to its reputation of being one of the deadliest towns in the West. It was relatively isolated from everyone including the railroad. The surrounding countryside was controlled by the Apaches and the town had its share of gunfights including the famous shootout at the O.K. Corral between Wyatt Earp and the “Cow-boys.”
Tombstone was also the home to the Bird Cage Theatre which, in 1882, the New York Times reported was the wildest, wickedest night spot between Basin Street and the Barbary Coast. It was also visited in 2006 by the Syfy channel’s paranormal sleuths on an episode of “Ghost Hunters.”
Today, Tombstone is a tourist destination with approximately 450,000 visitors it a year.
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