A Visit to Tombstone, Arizona

Friday provided another cool, but sunny, day so we drove southwest about 30 miles to Tombstone.

Along the way we came across a historic site of what remains of the deserted town of Fairbank.  The railroad never reached Tombstone but came through this town where trains stopped and offloaded supplies for Tombstone and the surrounding area.

The old Fairbank school has been restored and a caretaker was working inside.

The school had a small gift shop and was open for the public to explore.  The lady told us a few interesting stories about the schoolhouse.  One story included a rattlesnake crawling in and causing her to shut down the school until it could be removed.  She said rattlesnakes were often seen crawling out from beneath the old buildings to sun themselves.

On to Tombstone which is a big tourist attraction, because it is an interesting place to experience.  Like Mackinaw Island, the main streets of the old part of town allow no motorized vehicles.

The schoolhouse lady told us the best place to start in Tombstone was the courthouse. 

The courthouse was built in 1882 ad once housed the offices of the sheriff, recorder, treasurer, board of supervisors, jail, and courtrooms of Cochise County.  It is now a museum.

Here is a display of one of the town's most famous residents.:  Wyatt Earp.

More on Tombstone tomorrow........