My husband 
So....Welcome to Tombstone.
When I was a young girl I wanted to be a cowgirl. I probably said "cowboy", not being politically correct back then, and my Dad and I watched every western we could find on TV. He was a western fanatic, books, tv, but never got here. I guess this trip is my tribute to him. I even got a whole outfit when I had my tonsils out. I was so excited and then, the first day I wore my new boots, I twisted my ankle and the boots went out into the trash. (I now have two great pairs that I love)
Our neighborhood was mainly boys and we played cowboys and Indians up on what was called "The Ledge". Back then Boston had a lot of farmland and were we lived had once been. A side note, I always chose to be an Indian!
Our first stop heading to town was at the Boothill Cemetary. I never really thought about that name until I started reading the head markers. They are made of old wood and just an inscription of the name of the fellow, if they knew, and the cause of death. It wasn't about the cause but that they all died with their boots on. (Another aside note, there are quite a few Boot hill sites across the Old West. ) Wow, these guys were crazy with one man, Tom Waters, being shot and killed because the other guy didn't like the color of his shirt. (Someone had to have gotten up on the wrong side of bed that day)
Suicides seemed to be common place, not only women, (I can't even imagine what it must have been like for them) but for men. If a woman was married, her husband would have been gone for long periods of time working in the mine leaving her to deal with Indians if she lived away from town, and crazed men if she lived in town.
The most popular place in town was, from what I gather, the Bird Cage. An entertainment center that still stands today complete with rooms, poker tables, stage and dust. The area above the buffalo head were the "cribs" the working girls used for their clients that they charged $25.00 an hour. Now, just think. $25.00 an hour right now is not that expensive but think back into the 1800's and then you realize that $25.00 was huge. The stair case that lead up to the balcony is still there and blocked off but the top few stairs are worn down almost to the breaking point. Ahh those miners and criminals. It was open 24/7 and held poker games in the basement that had one going for 8 years straight and cost the person 1 thousand dollars to just enter. Many famous names of the day played in that game.
Image from the internet
Being an artist I was naturally enthralled with the large portrait hanging on the side wall by the staircase. It's of Fatima or later called, "Little Egypt". Painted as a gift and sent to the Gilded Cage it became quite an interesting piece to the drunken miners and outlaws that frequented the establishment. You can still see the bullet holes made by a gunman probably aiming at another guy but surely missing. Ah that alcohol!
And then the night one guy thought Little Egypt was moving towards him and he shot at the canvas leaving yet another bullet hole.
Then the great story of how they think a man thought she needed a new belly button.
After leaving there we walked along the board sidewalks as Imagined myself thrown back in time and seeing Virgil Earp keeping an eye on the town and watching for outlaws that may come in.
I'll take the stage coach and leave before trouble starts.
It takes you around the small city and you hear the different homes that people lived in that were there back in that time frame when the city was booming. Then as I arrived back...
Trouble must be a-brewing. There's Morgan, Virgil and Wyatt Earp along with Doc Holiday heading down towards the OK Corral . We better get down there and check it out.
Well, Virgil, Morgan and Doc were shot and wounded but the McLaury Brothers and Billy Clanton were killed while Ike Clanton ran away. What an event!!
Time to get some vitals as I hear my tummy rumblin'..
Once called the Bucket Of Blood Saloon it is now The Longhorn Saloon. Had a great Angus beef cheese burger and started coming back to this century after traveling back in time and what a trip it was. I know we did miss a few other things in Tombstone so we may go back..maybe I'll be an Indian next time.
Warmly,
Sheila
Photographs except one labeled internet are my
