You just had this insane melting pot in the middle of the Arizona desert," says Erika Way. Way is the Park Manager for Tombstone Courthouse State Historic Park. The Victorian style courthouse was built in 1882 and served as the county facility for Cochise County from 1882-1931 and then the county seat moved to Bisbee. It became a city building for a while and then eventually opened up as a museum in the 1950s. The museum was adopted as a state park in 1959; the second state park in Arizona.
The museum houses interesting memorabilia from a particularly interesting time period in western American history. Tombstone had it all - gunfighters, ranchers, miners, Apache fights, saloons and brothels - everything. In essence, it was both the symbol and the reality of the mystique of the American West. "We have things from ranching history, pioneer life, and frontier issues like gun fights and mining - we cover everything," Way says.
They also have the original courtroom restored as it was back in its heyday. With the courtroom, is a reproduction of the gallows. "Visitors are awe-inspired by the courtroom and gallows. There's just something about it. You step into the prestige of the courtroom and see the harsh consequence that would come if found guilty - the gallows," Way explains. "And it is so inspiring to be in the place where so much history took place."
"Tombstone was once the biggest town between San Francisco and St. Louis," Way says. The incredulous statement is true and the town existed for one fact - the presence of silver. When silver was discovered, the town blew up. People from all over the country came to Tombstone looking for opportunity and, as a result, a Vegas of its time developed. "You could get 4 star French cuisine and fresh oysters during this time," Way chuckles, "And I have no idea how they did it!" There were arts and culture and shows stopping through all the time. "You could see Vegas-like shows and then go out gambling, drinking, and partying all night at that time," she recalls, "It really just had every amenity."
The museum in the courthouse is full of authentic interpretive exhibits on the history of Tombstone and Cochise County.
Like many boomtowns, the party eventually died. Major fires broke out twice in the early 1880s, but it was built back up. Then silver started to drop in price and the opportunities withered. By this time, there was a sizeable Chinese immigrant population, as well as Mexicans, African-Americans, and other people from the East and the West. These people came to settle and get rich. For most, the rich part didn't work out, but for some the settling did. They had families and when the mines closed up, Tombstone was on its way to be a ghost town; however, the original inhabitants and their descendants kept it afloat.
And for the better. It would not be a stretch to say that a lot of the Western movies and books that exist today would not be there if it hadn't been for all the history that happened in that town. Most popular, of course, is the Gunfight at the O.K. Corral. The three Earp brothers and Doc Holliday fought against a group called the Outlaws in 1881, resulting in the death of the Outlaws. Those 30 seconds in history have given rise to numerous books, movies, and the mystique of the West.
That is not all, though. There is also the complicated relationship between the American settlers and the Natives on display in Tombstone and in Cochise County. "The American settlers and the Apache of the area were basically in a peaceful relationship before the Bascom Affair," Way states. Though the Apache were known to be one of the most murderous and vengeful tribes in the West, at the time, the Apache were fighting the Mexicans and the Americans were fighting the Mexicans, so it seemed natural that they would get along and have a live and let live mentality. Then, a group of Apaches kidnapped a child from the American settlers. "At this time, the Apache were like separate tribes - they didn't communicate with different groups, but Bascom didn't understand that," Way explains.
Bascom met with Cochise, an Apache leader, to basically formalize a treaty that has already been happening between the two parties. However, he decided to make it about the kid who was kidnapped and demanded that Cochise get the kid back. "Cochise didn't have the kid and bluntly said so, and that made Bascom decide to start kidnapping some of the Apache," Way explains. And in short, that was what started the Apache wars which lasted for decades.
Besides the Apache, the Americans and Wyatt Earp and his posse, there are a few others of note. First, there was C.S. Fly. Fly was a photographer that was able to somehow get pictures of the Apache in the height of the Apache wars. He photographed Geronimo with his men and other scenes of the Tombstone area. In fact, the Gunfight at O.K. Corral did not take place near the O.K. Corral, it was near C.S. Fly's studio.
Also there was John Horton Slaughter, another character that was larger than life - something that was a necessity to survive and be remembered in the West. “Slaughter was a sheriff in [the courthouse] for ten years, but also had the privilege of spending some time behind the bars in this building too,” Way says. Slaughter pursued and helped catch Geronimo, among others. He was a prominent poker player in his time. He was cheated out of his money by an opponent, so he tracked them all the way back to New Mexico and shot him down to get his money back.
These stories and others all come to life at the Tombstone Courthouse State Historic Park. A place that serves as a reminder of very real and very romantic American West.