Tombstone 1882

Mining Started It!

If you'd like, click this link: Take a Look at the Map locating every mining claim registered in Tombstone. With all that, can you imagine the population in Tombstone in 1882? Plus the support services that went along with it. Actually there were more businesses and many more people than are currently living in town! 

Tombstone District

Before 1882, Tombstone was growing. Ed Schieffelin has credit for its founding and naming, about 1877. Its morose name became official on April 5, 1878. Only a few miners lived there then.

Two years later many more adventurers moved to Tombstone seeking their fortune in mining. The population in 1880 was over 2000. In 1882 the Chinese population alone was 245.

[Read Tombstone Mining History>]

Soon to be infamous players were already in the 1882 Tombstone District, such as all the Earps and Doc Holliday. The Clantons and the McLaurys were all living in Tombstone Territory. Johnny Ringo and Curly Bill Brocius had both been in the vicinity for a few years. 

Commerce Available

By 1880 Tombstone had mercantile stores, butcher shops, assorted clothing, merchandise and food outlets and two furniture stores. Types of eateries included Italian and Chinese restaurants, ice cream parlors, bakeries. Several services provided medical needs, bathing rooms, haircuts and shaves, and transportation lines.

The Vizina & Cook building at the Northeast corner of 5th & Allen Streets was a major complex renting to many merchants. One noteworthy was The Oriental Saloon. The Safford Hudson & Company Bank located there. Another, the Pima County Bank was at 4th & Allen.

Stay In Tombstone's 1882...

Tombstone was becoming one of the places to be, out West In The 1880s. Entrepreneurs immediately realized that hotels were needed. Seven hotels were built to provide overnight stays. Some still remain to this day! They are true Tombstone 1882 historic town sites:

• San Jose House - Built November 1879 
• Russ House - Opened December 18, 1880 It's Story>

Some were destroyed in the fires of 1881 and 1882:

• Mohave Hotel, becoming Brown's Hotel - Originally built April 1879
• Rural House - Opened late 1879
• Grand Hotel* - Opened September 9, 1880
• Cosmopolitan Hotel - Originally opened late 1879, but burned in May 1882's devastating fire

*The Allen Street fronting arches of the building were not destroyed and you can still see them now when you walk along the front of J.L.Silver Co. & Big Nose Kates

Out On the Town

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Tombstone 1882's Importance

Those who lived in town generally aligned with either of the two political parties. Yes, more or Less: just like today!

Either the Republicans or the Democrats. Tombstone's two newspapers had leanings to each party during 1882. Tombstone's first newspaper, the Nugget, held the Democrat's outlook. The Tombstone Epitaph's editorials presented the Republican viewpoint. 

The Earps in Town - Begin Earning $$

John H. Behan was selected as Deputy, replacing Wyatt. That caused underlying conflict between the two. Behan also was a bartender, gambler, horse racer, and was seen accompanied by many local women.

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1882 Tombstone Sporting Entertainment

In Tombstone 1882 other activities kept local people occupied, besides the saloons and Old West Gambling Halls. Assorted sporting events entertained residents. Those mostly being young, single males.

• Cock Fighting - A popular spectator gaming match throughout the U.S. was happening in the Old West. The place to be on Sunday afternoons was D.P. Walsh's Cock Pit Saloon, Allen St. between 6th & 7th.
• Rifle Tournaments - Often sponsored by local shooting galleries. For example, Tivoli Gardens had a shooting gallery and sometimes backed events. On November 18, 1880 Col. Stock staged a popular tournament. Sign-ups included Virgil Earp for a $70 prize.
• The Tombstone Baseball Club - Started March 1882 by George Staples Rice, Stonewall Mine superintendent. Their permanent name became the Tombstone Base Ball Association. 
• Boxing & Wrestling matches - Usually in the town's theaters or larger saloons, but sometimes outdoors. Many at Tombstone Driving Park. Wrestling often had a hefty winner's pot, authentic ground rules and a referee. Boxing was less regulated. One match went 34 rounds! Sometimes arranged to settle a grudge!!
  
• Tombstone Driving Park - Quite a favorite by 1882. Built by John Doling for horse races, it became a community gathering spot. Well known locals such as Wyatt Earp, John Behan and James Vogan raced their steeds there. Behan often was a judge.
• Track & Field contests - 250 Yard Dashes, and High Jumps were the favored events. Usually sponsored at Tombstone Driving Park.

Social Entertainment in Tombstone 1882

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Other Tombstone 1882 Signs of Civilizing

Women of Tombstone in 1882 wanted a local social life. Thus they attended theatrical productions, went to church, and became members of suitable groups. Some options were...

A Woman in Tombstone 1882

Clara Spalding Brown was an 1880 to 1882 Tombstone resident. Married to a local miner, she involved herself in town activities.

Clara corresponded to the San Diego Daily Union newspaper. Her newsy letters chronicled life in Tombstone during her time there. She penned it from her point of view: a woman's perspective.

Note some of her descriptions, from her 1882 Tombstone home letters...

• January 29, 1882, published February 4, 1882: "...now the state of affairs in this camp is far more unsettled than it was in the early days of the settlement. It is not quite so bad as a New York paper, which asserts that "few die with their boots on," has it, but but altogether more lawlessness than should be countenanced in any portion of Uncle Sam's domain."

• March 10, 1882, published March 13, 1882: "The case of the people against the Town Site Company, having been allowed, through some remissness on the part of the lawyers, to go by default, the injunction on Clark and Gray has been removed, and Clark now publishes a conspicuous notice to settlers in the papers, to the effect that he is prepared to sell lots at reasonable figures..."
  
• March 26, 1882, published March 31, 1882: "...it was not the Earps who first disturbed this quiet, and that their criminal actions since have been from the determination to avenge the murder of a dearly beloved brother. I do not present this as sufficient excuse for their conduct, or approve any act contrary to law; but there are certainly extenuating circumstances to be taken into consideration."

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Tombstone Fires

1881 Burn

Tombstone 1882 Conflagration

Tivoli Gardens was a saloon on the North side of Allen Street, between 4th & 5th. On May 26, 1882 a fire began in the rear water closet, spreading quickly to its canvas roof and wood framing. It then sped throughout the whole block, jumping to the South side of Allen, along 4th.

It consumed the Grand Hotel. Lit into Spangenberg's Gun Shop, through gunpowder and ammunition. Sparks flew! Police Chief Dave Neagle was on the scene, as were Sheriff Behan and his deputies, plus the fire department.

The fire reached Fremont Street's North side. Crossing West of Fourth Street. People rallied to save the Oriental Saloon, with continuous streams of bucket-brigade water on top as best as they could.

Finally burning itself out, when beaten back by bucket-brigades and towns-folk beating it down. The entire business district was burnt out! All major hotels, saloons, restaurants, groceries and mercantile shops were gone.

But a month later - everyone was busy rebuilding!

Read Even More On Tombstone Fires>

See Further Into Tombstone AZ History>

But you know, it was - and still is...

The Town Too Tough to Die!

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References

1 Guinn, J. (2011). The last gunfight: The real story of the shootout at the O.K. Corral and how it changed the American west. New York: Simon & Schuster.

2 Noon (1880, Feb. 7). Chicago Tribune. Chicago, Illinois.

Bailey, L.R. (2004). Too tough to die: The rise, fall and resurrection of a silver camp: 1878 to 1990. Westernlore Press. Tucson, AZ. - Major reference for everything not notated.

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