TOMBSTONE COMMEMORATES ITS PAST WITH 125th ANNIVERSARY CELEBRATION
The city of Tombstone has long been touted as the rip-roarinest, wildest, gun-totin'est town in the Southwest. With a reputation that preceded it, Tombstone gained notoriety as the roughest mining town of 19th century America. Adding to its allure was the rapid expansion that occurred there in the 1880's. Unrivaled by any other U.S. city at the time, this desert town was a true economic phenom. Tombstone remains an area of interest even today and its legacy lives on as the town celebrates its heritage with a very special anniversary.
October 26, 2006 marks the 125th anniversary of the notorious shootout at the OK Corral. Tombstone commemorates this anniversary every year with a five-day celebration that attracts nationwide attention. Visitors travel from all over the U.S. to attend. This year, I am one of them.
I arrive on Saturday at 10 a.m. and the town is already in full swing. This is the fourth day of the event and there are still new visitors arriving. It would be an understatement to say that the scene is a madhouse. Costumed men and women overflow downtown's covered sidewalks, spilling into the dirt streets. Horse drawn carriages whisk passengers from one sight to the next. Every shop, bar and restaurant is filled to capacity. Tombstone has a thriving tourism industry and receives visitors year round, but this is a special occasion and the turnout is suitably stunning.
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Published in the Arizona Preservation Foundation Newsletter. October 2006.
posted by Leanne Matzenger @ 2:12 PM
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