In today's blog about my (Rob) trip with our friend Dan, we visited the famous Boot Hill Cemetery in
Tombstone, Arizona. Interestingly enough, many old westerns referred to a
"Boot Hill cemetery" but this is the original. In today's blog you'll
learn it's original name, famous outlaws interred there, and why some
bodies were removed from it! Read on! ABOUT BOOT HILL -Boothill Graveyard was originally called "The Old Cemetery." It is a small graveyard of at least 250 interments located in Tombstone, Cochise County, Arizona. After 1883, the graveyard was used only to bury outlaws and a few others. It had a separate Jewish cemetery, which is nearby.
WHAT FAMOUS OUTLAWS ARE BURIED THERE?
The "Cowboys" were known as cattle rustlers, robbers and murderers. Some of these outlaws fortunately met their end at the famous "Shootout (near) the O.K. Corral" on Oct. 26, 1881 in Tombstone and are buried here. They include:Billy Clanton, Frank McLaury, Tom McLaury and Old Man Clanton (Billy's father).
Ike and Billy Clanton and the McLaury's participated fought the Earps and Doc Holliday, who represented the law in the town. Billy and the McLaury brothers were killed during the gunfight with Tombstone, Arizona Territory Marshall Virgil Earp, his brothers Morgan Earp and Wyatt Earp, and Doc Holliday. (Ike ran away from the fight and lived only to be shot dead on May 31, 1887 by Jonas "Jake" V. Brighton a constable in Springerville and a range detective.)
AN ODD MARKER - "Here lies Lester Moore, four slugs from a 44. No Les. No More." Someone had a punny sense of humor!
NAMED BOOT HILL 40 YEARS LATER - It was Tombstone’s first City Cemetery, established in 1879 and called the "Old City Cemetery." It wasn’t called Boothill until the 1920’s, probably as a result of Hollywood westerns or dime novels.
WHERE IS IT LOCATED? 408 AZ-80, Tombstone, AZ 85638 NEW CEMETERY - A new City Cemetery was established in 1884 at the end of Allen Street. Most Tombstone citizens wanted their loved ones buried in the New Cemetery, so there were few burials at Boothill after 1884.
EXHUMED FROM BOOT HILL - After the New Cemetery was established, many locals had the bodies of their loved ones disinterred and moved to the New Cemetery. They likely didn’t feel comfortable with their deceased family members spending eternity next to thieves, murderers, rustlers, prostitutes, and Chinese citizens (yes, the 1880s was a racist time).
VIDEO TOUR -DiTuroProductions created this 3:53 minute video tour of the Boothill Cemetery to give you a good sense of what's there. VIDEO: https://youtu.be/xYix5ENvBac
NEXT: RETURN TO THE BIRD CAGE, AND ANOTHER GHOST EXPERIENCE!
