In 1886, the citizens of Cochise County elected John Slaughter sheriff, the office he would hold for two terms. He could have stayed on but felt...
The Sheriff of Cochise County – Part 2
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Shooting Photographs and Bullets
C.S. Fly’s brief career as a lawman makes a sorry tale. In 1894, C.S. “Buck” Fly decided to take on a new challenge. The famed Tombstone...
The Sheriff on the Stand
John Behan testifies in the OK Corral hearing. November 2, 1881. Cochise County Sheriff John Behan takes the stand in the OK Corral preliminary...
When Did Tombstone Begin to Go Into Decline?
They began to have seepage in the mines in the early 1880s. During the mid-1880s the mines penetrated the water table and the companies invested in...
The O.K. Corral, 40-Rod Whiskey and Geronimo
I live and work in Tombstone. I was asked by a visitor, ”What is the cultural significance of the Gunfight at the O.K. Corral—other than everyone...
Sherman McMaster: Good Guy or Bad?
Sherm McMaster was one of the more interesting characters in the Cochise County War. He was born in Rock Island, Illinois in 1853. Not much is known...
Tombstone’s Jails
Locations of the offices and jails in Tombstone before the completion of the county court house and city hall in 1882 are difficult to pin...
The Wayward Lawman Something pushed Burt Alvord to the wrong side of the law.
Burt Alvord seemed headed down the righteous path in Tombstone and Cochise County. In 1886, at age 19, he was hired as a deputy sheriff by John...
Was He…or Wasn’t He? Popular culture’s portrayal of Breakenridge is likely unfair.
History is not always kind to people. Take Billy Breakenridge, a Cochise County deputy under John Behan during Tombstone’s troubled times. Movies...
Not A Big Name But John Rockfellow had a big impact on Southeast Arizona.
John Rockfellow was a big figure in Tombstone’s history, even if his name isn’t well known. He moved to the area in 1881 at age 23 and established...