The rape of Tombstone

[Allen]

Let me say right off this isn’t about knocking the US or its people, I have many American friends, been there many times and hope to go there again, in fact whatever the English equivalent of the US Anglophile is, well that’s me .. ‘smile’

I often hear Americans say they have no history, for no other reason it seems that the country can only go back just over 200 years whereas in the UK we go back a lot further, but its not true of course, history is now, yesterday is last week, last month, last year, history is history no matter how short or long a period of time we are talking about.

This brings me to my point, perhaps its this attitude to history that sees things in the US not being preserved they way they are here in the UK for example where we have castles, homes, building and yes ruins dating back 1000 years or more, and there still for the public to see and savour, .. whereas it seems the same attitude or preservation does not seem to apply in the US apart from a very few locations, Jamestown for example.

I first went to Tombstone in 1996 and found it to be a great place, full of atmosphere for me, a (grownup) kid with a love of all things western and there I was in one of its most legendary of places and in all truth it still bore some resemblance I suppose to the Tombstone of old, but in returning in 2004, 2005, 2006, and 2007, what a change, what a shame
…… WHAT HAVE YOU DONE ………

I know People have to make a living, I know people have to live, but for example if a similar town had existed in the UK more than likely the main historical thoroughfare, in this case Allen street, could well have been preserved as it was with the commerce side of things being off to the side and the history of the town preserved to a degree in that way, why I wonder was commerce, profit and trade allowed to take over from historical fact and preservation.

I suppose what sums it all up more than anything else for me and is a striking example of what I mean is Hatch’s saloon ..
.. in 1996 standing at the door and looking down the building, you could still relate it to an original picture that stood on the counter of the building, and I can demonstrate that with the pictures attached, but in 2004 when I went there again, what a difference; The mighty god commerce it seems had taken over and history was destroyed, there was very little to link the old and the new, and then in 2005 it was even worse and now it is all they can do to leave the two doors at the back of the original building which now has no back as such at all, but opens out onto a yard and also opens out into a larger store on the right where a hole has been put in that wall to make the store even larger .. I don’t have pictures of that as a comparison, I was too sick I think to take them, and you who live there, who have been there will know what I mean.

My dear American cousins, you do have a history and one worth preserving, only it seems you don’t maybe know how to best go about doing that .. imagine if Allen Street had been restored and preserved as it was, as it may have been if it had been a street in an historical town here in the UK, as we do here in the UK .. what a jewel it would have been, it would be,
what a striking example of Western history, instead of as we see it today, a commercial disaster more in keeping with a money making mall than a historical site.

[Allen]

I realise of course you do .. and I fear I am danger of being misunderstood to a point ..

What I am referring to mainly are those places akin to Tombstone where of course commerce has to be present to a degree, as has been said here already, there has to be that of course, but in moderation and hand in hand with the location, not though surely to the extent as we have seen in Tombstone where on Allen Street anyway, much of the historical character has I feel been destroyed.

[Rick Cooper]

Another point to make in this discussion is the current effort by the BLM to destroy historical sites in the name of safety. Since the poor girl went down the shaft on her ATV in Chloride, the BLM has been bulldozing mining sites. I hear they even leveled a standing mine and mill complex in Colorado. This at the same time they are giving historical preservation grants. I guess they need to corral all the history in easily controlled commercial sites such as Tombstone and Virginia City, NV.

[Bob Boze Bell]

Yes, the two towns in the West that are still the most authentic to my way of thinking, are, Tombstone and Lincoln, New Mexico. And, for the most part, they are that way because they are accidents. Progress passed them by at critical junctures (there are no video stores, gas stations or convenience markets in Lincoln, how in the hell did that happen?!). But here we are 127 years later and sometimes the people who live in these towns are their own worst enemies. Steve Elliott of Tombstone once said, "Tombstone would be a great town, if you could have five funerals—and name them." Personally, I wish Joe Bethancourt was KING of Tombstone. Ha.

[Ringo]

Two of my favorite towns ive stayed in, Shakespeare is also a mostly untouched town, well worth seeing, a must i would say,

[Ringo]

http://www.oldwestcountry.com/tmpl1.php?CID=XRJS4

[Rick Cooper]

Well, this is going to be a "geo-centric" discussion based on what you are familiar with. Authentic? Virginia City, NV still doesn't have any trappings of modernity that you mention like "video stores, gas stations, or convenience stores" either. The California State Park of Bodie, which is a ghosttown abandoned in the 1930's and held in trust by one family until they "sold" it to the State Park system, is truly "the best preserved western town". Where else can you walk up to the mercantile, look in the window and see inventory exactly as it was left when the miners "lit out"? Can you offer any competitor? If you have one, I am going there!

[Allen]

I have seen pictures of Bodie and as far as I know the town is not 'alive' and I wonder for example if it would be any different if folks were living there like they do in Tombstone .. ?

Lincoln and Virginia City are I believe 'live' towns and perhaps it is because they dont have the notoriety level that Tombstone gained ... and fortunately havent developed to the touristy level that Tombstone has ... which has saved them to a degree ??

BBB called it right I think when he said these towns worst enemies are the folks that live in them ..!!

[Rick Cooper]

Allen you are right if the qualification also is that the town has to be "alive" as a viable town. Virginia City is the country's largest national historic site so maybe that has something to do with it. Most of the new homes and businesses have been styled as the originals and even the new Ramada hotel looks like an old mining mill building. Don't know if that is by law or the goodness of the residents.

Notoriety is an interesting question. I would like to see and compare the visitor stats for Tombstone and Virginia City. Do you have busloads of foreign tourists all summer, too?

The old timers who take the history for granted and the newcomers with visions of making lots of money are both responsible, I think.

[Smokey Fires]

TV put Virginia City on the map, remember Bonaza? The town got pretty junky during the run of the tv show. the store owners were going to make money off the tourist. The town has cleaned up well. I was there last fall and really enjoyed the time spent there. Some of the merchants were complaining about how business had fallen off from the previous year. There were a number of shops for rent.

I rode a stream train there, what a hoot. I met a Brit on this trip he was looking for the Cartwright graves ,don't know if he ever found them.

If you are evr in the area check it out. Lake Tahoe is less than a hour away as is Reno.

[Patrick Johnson]

I am currently reading Allan Barra's book "Inventing Wyatt Earp" and it is sad to read that Tombstone has been cheapened into a tourists roadside attraction. From some of the comments I read following the article, I am happy to read that the new city council is working to correct this.

[leslie thomas austin (aka) Judge Roy Bean .U.k.]

I Had to put my two penneth worth in, I went to Tombstone five years ago for the first time, man was I disapointed, after seeing the sites around town I asked the bartender in the palace wear the pier and sea front boardwalk was. He told me he was running for mayor and if he got in there was going to be changes. I don't know if he got elected his name was MIKE de something? looked like Huge O'Brien. If he did he did not do much good by the sound of it.

[leslie thomas austin (aka) Judge Roy Bean .U.k.]

By the way I got more of a kick out of going to Mescal move set had more of a feel about it.
Mind you a bit like Monument valley never heard a shot fired in anger till John Ford went there...ha ha.