- tombstone
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/toohm"stohn'/, n.a stone marker, usually inscribed, on a tomb or grave.[1555-65; TOMB + STONE]
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City (pop., 2000: 1,504), southeastern Arizona, U.S. The site was named by Ed Schieffelin, who discovered silver there in 1877 after being told that all he would find would be his tombstone.By 1881 a silver rush had drawn prospectors such as Doc Holliday and Johnny Ringo, who brought the town a reputation for lawlessness. Feuds were common, including the 1881 gun battle at the O.K. Corral between the Earp (see Wyatt Earp) and Clanton families. Tombstone was declared a national historic landmark in 1962.* * *
city, Cochise county, southeastern Arizona, U.S. The site was ironically named by Ed Schieffelin, who discovered silver there in 1877 after being told that all he would find would be his tombstone. (An alternative account holds that the townsite was named for the granite rocks of the nearby Dragoon Mountains, which stand out against the landscape like tombstones.) By 1881 a silver rush had set in, bringing an estimated 7,000 people to the area. Along with the prospectors came adventurers and outlaws, among whom were Wyatt Earp (Earp, Wyatt), John H. “Doc” Holliday (Holliday, Doc), and Johnny Ringo (Ringo, Johnny), whereupon Tombstone gained a reputation for lawlessness. Feuds (feud) were common, the most notable being the gun battle at the O.K. Corral in 1881 between the Earp and Clanton families. The boom days quickly ended in 1911 with floodwaters in the mines, labour strikes, and low silver prices. Tombstone was the county seat from 1881 to 1931. Now a tourist centre, it retains a pioneer atmosphere and was declared a National Historic Landmark in 1962. Restored sites include Boot Hill Cemetery, Bird Cage Theater, the O.K. Corral, and the Tombstone Epitaph (newspaper, 1880) office. Inc. 1881. Pop. (1990) 1,220; (2000) 1,504.* * *
Universalium. 2010.
