Page Contents for Tombstone, Arizona

Statistics & Facts

Location

History & History-related items

City Attractions

Economy

Government

Historical Events

Chamber of Commerce.

Community news

Libraries.

Schools.

Miscellany

Statistics & Facts

The Arizona state capital is Phoenix.
The population of Tombstone is approximately 1,569 (2006), 1380 (2010).
The approximate number of families is 839 (2000), 663 (2010).
The amount of land area in Tombstone is 11.139 sq. kilometers.
The amount of land area in Tombstone is 4.3 sq. miles.
The amount of surface water is 0 sq kilometers.
The distance from Tombstone to Washington DC is 1990 miles.
The distance to the Arizona state capital is 174 miles. (as the crow flies)
Tombstone is positioned 31.71 degrees north of the equator and 110.06 degrees west of the prime meridian.
Tombstone elevation is 4,540 feet above sea level.
Tombstone median income is $ 29,800 (2000).
The Tombstone median home price is $ 107,300 (2005).

Location

in the southeast corner of Arizona near the border town of Douglas and about 68 miles from Tucson. Other nearby communities include St David, Sierra Vista, Huachuca City, Whetstone, Sierra Vista Southeast, Bisbee and Naco.
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Weather

mild. In the winter, the lows are rarely below 20 degrees F. and in the summer the highs reach into the 90's.

Here is a weather page for Tombstone.
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History & History Related Items

Tombstone is a registered National Historic Landmark.

Tombstone has a very famous history with the gunfight at the OK Corral between the Earps and the Clantons (Wyatt, Morgan and Virgil Earp along with Billy Clanton and Frank and Tom McLowery) in 1881. But the town began when a man named Ed Schieffelin came to Camp Huachuca with soldiers and left to begin prospecting in the area. He was told he would probably find his tombstone instead of silver. When he filed his first claim in 1877, he named it Tombstone. Once word went out about the rich lodes in the Tombstone area, the town was given this as its name. Mining boomed in Tombstone for seven years until rising underground water caused operations to cease. The famous Wyatt Earp gunbattle in the OK Corral was an indication of the lawlessness and violence that took place in Tombstone in its heyday. More information about the history of Tombstone may be found at the city library, the Courthouse Museum and local bookstores. The city slogan came to be after the town survived the depression and the moving of the county seat to nearby Bisbee during the 1930's.

Here is a history page for Tombstone.
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The founding of Tombstone

1879

The incorporation of Tombstone

February 1881

Attractions

City of Tombstone Visitor and Information Center
Fourth & Allen Streets
PO Box 1314
Tombstone, AZ 85638
Phone 520-457-3929

Tombstone Web
Tombstone Arizona Information Online. Tombstone Attractions and business information.

Bird Cage Theater Museum
Allen and 6thStreet
Open 8-6 daily
phone: 520-457-3421
Toll-free: 1-800-457-3423
fax: 520-457-3189
PO Box 248
Tombstone,AZ 85638
Original historic landmark of the Old West.

Cowboy Museum
Sumner and Fulton(near Hwy 80 at Boot Hill)
Open 10-6 daily
Phone: 520-457-3794
PO Box 459
Tombstone,AZ 85638
Old-West Firearms, Jail, John Wayne Display, Western Movie Memorabilia

OK Corral
Allen between 3rd and 4th
Open 9-5 daily
phone: 520-457-3456
Toll-free: 1-800-518-1566 (tours only)
PO Box 367
Tombstone, AZ 85638
Life-size figures of the 1881 gun battle and more

Rose Tree Museum and World's Largest Rose Tree
4th and Toughnut
Open 9-5 daily
Phone: 520-457-3326
1880 Tombstone artifacts and mining displays; World's Largest Rose Tree 8,600 sq. feet, 113 year old Rose tree

Pioneer Home Museum
Fremont (Hwy 80) between 8th and 9th
Open 9-5 daily
Phone: 520-457-3853
PO Box 665
Tombstone, AZ 85638
Board and Batten House of mining Garland family, which contains many heirlooms

Lots of info on Tombstone - past and present!

Prickly Pear free Museum
Allen between 5th and 6th (in Prickly Pear Gift Shop)
Open 9-7 daily
Phone: 520-457-3646
PO Box 134
Tombstone, AZ 85638
Military History information and displays

Boot Hill Graveyard

Tombstone Courthouse State Historic Park
3rd and Toughnut
Open 8-5 daily (Closed Christmas)
Phone: 520-457-3311
PO Box 216
Tombstone, AZ 85638
The only publicly owned museum which tells the story of the "Town Too Tough To Die"

Learn more about Tombstone at this informative site
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Economy & Industry

The main portion of the local economy is tourism with other business owners working locally or in nearby Sierra Vista, Fort Huachuca and Bisbee.
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Tombstone City Government

City of Tombstone official site
PO. BOX 339
Tombstone, Arizona 85638
Phone: (520) 457-2202
Phone: (520) 457-3562
FAX: (520) 457-3516
TDD: (520) 457-3397

Tombstone Historical Events

1962 Sept 30
Tombstone named a National Historical Landmark.

1929
County Seat moved from Tombstone to Bisbee

1892, July
The original Bird Cage Theater closes permanently. Other names of the theater have been the Elite and the Oympic

1884
Boothill cemetery full and officially closed to burials

1882, May 25
Second terrible fire destroys most of the business district. The fire was started in the Tivoli Saloon

1882Tombstone founder, Ed Schieffelin sells his holdings to become a millionaire and moves to California.

1882
The Tombstone County Court House was built, containing the county jail and various other county offices, including a court room on the second floor. The total cost of the building at the time was $ 43,000 after completion. The City Hall was also built during this time costing $ 15,000.

1881, Dec 29
Wyatt Earp appointed Deputy U.S. Marshal over the telegraph.

1881, Oct 26
2:30 pm - the Gunfight at the OK Corral. The gunfight took place after quite a bit of arguing and physical fighting between the participants. The gunfight, itself, only lasted about 30 seconds. Once it was over, Tom McLaury, Frank McLaury and Billy Clanton were dead. Morgan and Virgil Earp were wounded, Doc (John Henry Holliday) had a scratch and Wyatt was unhurt.

1881, June 22
66 businesses destroyed in fire which started when a barrel of whiskey exploded at the Arcade Saloon.

1880, Nov 9
Wyatt resigns the office of Pima County Deputy Sheriff

1880, Oct 28
Virgil Earp appointed temporary City Marshall. At the time, he was the Deputy U.S. Marshal.

1880, Sept 9
The Grand Hotel opens

1880, July 27
Wyatt Earp appointed the Deputy Sheriff of Pima County at the age of 32.

The first railroad from Tombstone to Tucson was completed.

1880, Feb 22
U.S. Mail service begins in Tombstone on a daily basis.

1879, December
Tombstone was incorporated as a village by the vote of the people, and under the order of the County Supervisors, became incorporated. William A. Harwood, Esq. became the first mayor of Tombstone.

1879, Dec 1
The Earps came to town.

1879, Mar 5
The townsite of Tombstone was plotted.

1878, Oct
Weekly stagecoach service with Tucson was started in Tombstone by J.D. Kinnears

1877, August 1
Edward Lawrence Schieffelin stakes his first mining claim in the area. He names it Tombstone.

Tombstone Chamber

Tombstone Chamber of Commerce
P.O. Box 995
Tombstone, AZ 85638
Phone: 888-457-3929

Tombstone Community News

The Tombstone Times

Tombstone Organizations

Tombstone Chamber of Commerce
P.O. Box 995
Tombstone, AZ 85638
Phone: 888-457-3929

Tombstone Libraries

Tombstone Library
P.O. Box 218
Tombstone, AZ 85636
PHONE: 520-457-3612
FAX: 520-457-3612

Tombstone Schools

Tombstone Unified School District #1
P.O. Box 1000
805 E. Fremont
Tombstone AZ 85638
Phone: (520) 457-2217

Tombstone High School, Home of the Yellowjackets!

Walter J. Meyer Elementary School
411 North 9th Street
Tombstone, AZ 85638
Phone (520)457-3371
Proud home of the Gravediggers

Huachuca City Elementary School
100 School Drive
P.O. Box 4468
Huachuca City, AZ 85616
Phone: (520)456-9842
Home of Mustang Pride Tombstone

Miscellany

The population of Tombstone was:
1880 - 973
1890 - 1,875
1900 - 646
1910 - 1,582
1920 - 1,178
1930 - 849
1940 - 822
1950 - 910
1960 - 910
1970 - 1,241
1980 - 1,632
1990 - 1,220
2000 - 1,504
2005 - 1,571
2006 - 1,569

The number of housing units was:
1990 - 708
2000 - 839

Median household income:
2000 - $ 26,571
2005 - $ 29,800

Median house value:
2000 - $ 82,000
2005 - $ 107,300

Median age:
2000 - 48.7 years

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