Birth of a Tombstone 1877 - 1879

Left...Tombstone discoverer Edward Schieffelin courtesy AHS 

On April 1, 1877, Ed Schieffelin arrived at Fort Huachuca in southeastern Arizona. Schieffelin, a prospector who had tried his luck all across the West, came to the desert looking for untapped riches. The soldiers at the fort warned him that the only thing he’d find was his own tombstone. But by Aug. 1, Schieffelin found what he was looking for: silver. He named his first mining claim Tombstone. Schieffelin’s discovery set off a silver rush in Arizona’s San Pedro Valley, and soon the entire area earned the name Tombstone. By 1881, the community grew to 4,000 residents, making it the largest city between New Orleans and San Francisco. That same year, Wyatt Earp and Doc Holliday reached for their holsters during the infamous shootout at the O.K. Corral. Although that gunfight secured Tombstone’s legacy in American folklore, the region’s silver industry left a more tangible mark on history: Between 1879 and 1970, Tombstone produced more than $38 million worth of silver....click here to read more

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Below articles are from one of our files named - "Birth of a Tombstone - 1877 to 1879 -Tuscon to Tombstone"... 

September 3, 1877 - William Griffith records Ed Schieffelin's Tombstone claim

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August 1, 1878 - "Ho for the Tombstone." Mr. A. I. Cadwell is now running a weekly line between Tucson and the Tombstone district. A passenger conveyance leaves the Palace Hotel (Tucson) every Tuesday for the great mining district. Fare, $7.00. Small orders for freight will be attended to. Mr. Cadwell is a very reliable young man, and we hope to see him succeed in his enterprise."

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October 24, 1878 - " Tombstone Mining District - Energetic Prospecting  - The sound of the hammer and drill are heard on all sides. The quick sharp report of mining blasts at various distances tells you where the prospector is at work. Stray over the hills and ravines and every now and then you will pass some shaft or hole where men are busily at work. Look closely into these men's faces and you will observe a very pleasant expression. Small rolling hills, between the Huachuca and Dragoon mountains, with the San Pedro river as their western base, constitute the Tombstone Mining District. What is this yellow, chalky brown colored earth they pile up so carefully? It looks less valuable than the porphyry and limestone rock surrounding it. Take a small piece of it. Take a small piece of it to an assayer and he will tell you it contains gold and silver, sometimes running up into many thousands of dollars per ton. A wonderful mining region and how strangely named! Can it be possible that the party or parties who formed and named it were grave men?     

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September 12, 1878 - "Tombstone - Gird & Co's Mines - The Greatest Known Developments on the Coast. - The news from Tombstone district is attracting the attention of the people of Tucson at present, and they have every reason to feel elated over the developments that have recently come to light. Gird & Co. who bonded their mines to San Francisco parties for $90,000 are now jubilant over the fact that the said parties failed to come on time. They have every reason to feel jubilant and we rejoice that the wealth to be derived from the group of mines included in the bond is to be realized by our people." 

"A. M. Henry, from Tombstone district who with James Dryden located the Merrimac mine, which has recently been sold to Major Morgan, is in town. They were also owners of the Lucknow, Silver Bell and Delhi, which were all added to major Morgan."

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November 7, 1878 - "Tombstone District. Good news of rich mines and finds still continue to come in. Several owners of mines and prospectors have been in town the past week having tests made of ores and all agree that this is the richest district ever known. Messrs Gird and Schieffelin still continue to work on the "Tuff" Nut with the same remarkable results. Work on the Contention has been suspended pending some new arrangements being made to The Sunset, Sweney's Wide West and a few others are being thoroughly prospected with exceedingly good promise. Assays shown us from Col. Graham's mines running from 90 dollars per ton up to 1,488 dollars per ton. The Amaranth, Quail's Nest, Mamie, Princess, Hartford, Morning Star, Excuequer (?) and one or two others of these mines we understand have been formed into a company in San Francisco and active operations will soon commence under the auspices of Judge Blakely. We hear of several properties changing hands at high figures, while new men are seen daily on the road to this famous district. Several arrangements are being made for erecting mills on the San Pedro river, one of which has already commenced work on their ditch the mill to run by water power. The outlook of everything is very encouraging." 

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January 9, 1879 - "Tombstone Letter - Tombstone, Jan. 3rd, 1879 - Editor Star: - We have looked over this district and have seen enough to induce us to believe that reports concerning it have not been overstated. It is certainly wonderful in the large number of claims showing exceedingly rich ores. The district is on the eve of a mining career that will be booming with life and we believe great in prosperity. At present little is being done beyond the doing of surface prospect and assesment work but there is a powerful getting ready - a pause before the energetic spring. While most of the miners here are poor and unable to do more than locate their claims and scratch the ledges, there are a few who are pushing work and quite a number are managing for eastern parties forming companies and preparing for the importation of large capital. The Contention, with its 115 foot shaft and large pile of of ore on the dump is resting at present while her owners are absent contending for more means or better measures with which to make this magnificent showing a great mine. The Grand Central also rests quietly and awaits the accomplishment of the same results. A few men are at work on the Tough Nut and Gird & Scheiffelin's mill will soon be ready to treat the ores of this mine and the Lucky Cuss. This mill is situated on the banks of the San Pedro almost nine miles westward from the Contention mine, which is located in the center of what may be called the eastern district of Tombstone. In what may be called the west district, there is considerable activity and some of the finest mineral display in Tombstone, while the east district mines are mostly in limestone...

New locations are good and still being made here every day and six or eight miles square will not cover the district. It is estimated there are now four or five hundred miners camped in and about Tombstone. Houses of stone adobe and substanial material are going up while wells and shafts are going down. Tombstone needs, must have, and certainly will have marked attention from capitalists, and we look for the lull tide of activity and prosperity inside the next six months."    

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January 23, 1879 - " Letter from Tombstone - Tombstone Jan. 17th 1879 - Tombstone is looking better and brighter everyday, and every time I go around the district I see fresh tents in every nook and corner . The upper town is growing daily and is now a town of some importance. There are three restaurants now so that one stands a chance of getting a square meal. Mr. Coleman has just arrived here and opened a first class restaurant, and as be he is an energetic clever man. I have no doubt he will make it all right. I hear there was a report the other day that Gird & Company had prohibited the sale of liquors on their mining claims, if this is the case, the upper town will not grow so fast. I hear it is no use trying to stop the sale of spirits, there never was a mining camp yet where it succeeded. The Western Company have commenced work on the Contention, and Mr. White returns to the district as their Superintendent. There has been a very rich discovery made upon a claim known as the Yellow Jacket owned by Messrs. McCann, Dr. Handy. Katz and Frankiln: it is supposed to be a part of the Contention lode and carries an immence quanity of free gold. The ore lately taken from the Grand Dipper is some of the richest in the district, in the first class ore dump you can scarcely pick a piece that does not carry some silver. This claim is the second south of Grand Central, and is owned by Shibell, Mitchell and Bullard. The Merrimac is looking splendid at thirty feet; the width of the vein is thirty feet and the assays are wonderfully good, this mine is one of Major Morgan's purchases, and it is a treasure. Major Morgan leaves today for the east and I think he goes away well satisfied: there is no doubt he will take good news to his friends. The final survey of the railroad is about ten miles west of the San Pedro and takes a direction seemingly about midway between the lower and upper crossing. Things are going ahead like wild fire at Gird & Company mill site. The saw mill is working, the ditch is completed and the quartz mill is progressing favorably so that it will not be long before the Tombstone will be shipping bullion in such quantities that will compel the unbelievers to come and see our mines. During the last week we have had snow here but I am happy to say the clouds are disappearing and the sun shines forth again, much to the delight of those who live in tents." 

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January 30, 1879  - "J. M. Baily made a flying trip to Tombstone to examine work on the Gordon mine. He reports that there is now twenty feet depth of work and ore coming out in large quanities, amid yellow and brown chloride as near free milling ore as can be found in the district. He brought in thirty to forty pounds of beautiful samples which will delight the eyes of mill men. The Gordon has been surveyed by A. J. Mitchell of Tombstone...

Stage riding in Arizona is usually regarded as a synonym for inexpressible fortune but a noteworthy exception to the rule may be found in a ride to Tombstone on J. D. Kinnear's line. Commodious coaches, drawn by spanking teams under the guidance of skillfull drivers, bowling along over smooth roads do not cause particular apprehension, and a trip where these things are combined is a source of pleasure, which is much enhanced its so fortunate as to secure a seat alongside of "Sam," on the box."

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February 6, 1879 - "Mr. Jas. Blade came in from Tombstone yesterday. He has just struck a rich lead on his extension on the Merrimac. He says the sinking for water on the town site of Merrimac is progressing finely. They are down 35 feet and propose to sink 50 and perhaps 100 before giving up. The camp is full of energy and not an idle man to be seen anywhere in the neighborhood."

"There are a great many wells being sunk near upper town, but as the warm weather approaches the water gradually sinks and the lower town, or Watervale, is the only place where a permanent supply can be obtained. The mail arrived as usual at the unearthly hour of one o'clock this morning when everybody is of course asleep. I should think with any sort of horses, say with three changes, it could be made in daylight instead at snail's pace and keeping passengers seventeen hours on the journey."

Richard Gird was appointed postmaster for Tombstone, and he takes hold as if he understood the ropes. There is to be a first class restaurant at Watervale in a few days. Mr. Davis and his good lady have come here for that purpose. There is also a place at the upper town where you can get a good square meal now. Kept by Messrs Brown and Coleman and his boys say it is as good as they could wish for. Brown is an old hand and knows how to manage a business."

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February 20, 1879 - "Tombstone Feb. 15 - After the last three months excitement there is now a lull in camp. All the capitalists and mining sharps of have gone back to their friends what we have and to arrange for machinery and working capital to develop our mines. I think there have been very few here inspecting our mines without making some purchases. Although there is, as I say, a lull at present in camp, yet there have been a few sales made during the past few days eastern capitalists. The upper town is increasing in size - they were marking off a number of town lots today to meet the demands of the people. Mr. Edwards paid us a visit this week - he comes to look after his interests in the McCann mine, which has shown up such high grade ore of late. Lucky Cuss mine is being pushed ahead rapidly, and the Tough Nut is still the big thing it was. The Contention never looked better, and at the north end of the drift at the 113 foot level there is an immense body of ore. The Luck Sure is progressing and a vein of ore has been struck which crosses the Arrowhead claim and runs into the Sunset. The town at the millsite is growing rapidly and people arrive there every day.  We have mail now between the mines and millsite which is a great convenience to us all. James Vizina returned to Tombstone this week. He says people speak favorably in San Francisco of our district and many are talking of coming down. They are just beginning to believe that there is something in southern Arizona besides Indians and prickly bushes. Tis very hard though for them to have to admit this, but there is no alternative. During the last week we have had delightful summer weather."

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March 6, 1879 - Tucson - " Hon. John Behan, member of the last legislature from Mohave, accompanied by S.W. Carpenter, recorder of Pima County, arrived from Prescott on Monday morning last. They report a pleasent trip, and that the people of the northern portion of the territory are turning their attention this way.

Master Albert Behan, son of Hon. John Behan, accompanies his father to Tucson. Albert was a page in the last territorial Council, a bright active boy. He is suffering slightly from deafness and will be sent to San Francisco in a few weeks for treatment.

Grantville is the name of a town site just laid out and surveyed in Tombstone district: it adjoins the Gordon and Three Brothers mines. Excellent water has been found at sixteen feet, and already quite a settlement has been started and in a few days permanent buildings will be in course of erection. The exceeding richness of the Gordon and Three Brothers warrents us in saying that Grantville will be one of the large mining camps in Tombstone. The Gordon is down fifty feet and the Three Brothers is being rapidly developed."

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May 29, 1879 - "Mr. Wells Spicer, of Salt Lake, Utah has called upon us. Mr. Spicer was for some years engaged in the practice of law in Salt Lake and has also had considerable able experience in mining. He is looking for a location, and will possibly settle in Tucson."

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June 12, 1879 -Troubled Tombstone -(good read) "The man with a grievance is not usually a welcome contributor to the public print, so I will shorten the agony by plunging at one in medias res. The mountain  of schemes imported by reputed San Francisco capitalists has endured  the pangs of parturition and produced a very ridiculous mouse of a town - the joint procreation of Clark, Safford, Schieffelin, etc. with Allen as godfather and post master Gird and his deputy as wet nurses.  Thus puny bantling had not the strength to bear the burden of a name but attests its importance by assuming the patronymic of the original Tombstone of which it is properly, but an unthrifty suburb. This would be town is nourished by postal pap. The progenitors of it having stolen away the post office as well as the name of the original town-site, and it is this use of a public convenience to subserve private ends and for the promotion of speculative schemes that forms the burden of our woes and against which this communication is a serious protest." 

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Monday, December 1, 1879 - Wyatt Earp arrives in Tombstone, Territory of Arizona......

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