Boothill Graveyard (Tombstone, Arizona)
 The McLaury and Clanton graves in Boothill Graveyard | |
| Details | |
|---|---|
| Established | 1878 |
| Location | Tombstone, Arizona[1] |
| Country | United States |
| Coordinates | 31°43′12″N 110°04′13″W / 31.7201°N 110.0703°WCoordinates: 31°43′12″N 110°04′13″W / 31.7201°N 110.0703°W |
| Number of interments | At least 250 |
| Website | official website - part of the Tombstone Chamber of Commerce http://tombstonechamber.com |
Boothill Graveyard is a small graveyard of at least 250 interments located in Tombstone, Cochise County, Arizona.[2] Also known as the "Old City Cemetery", the graveyard was used after 1883 only to bury outlaws and a few others. It had a separate Jewish cemetery, which is nearby.[3]
"Boot Hill" refers to the number of men who died with their boots on. Among a number of pioneer Boot Hill cemeteries in the Old West, Boothill in Tombstone is among the best-known, and it is one of the city's most popular tourist attractions.[3]
History
Originally called Boothill Cemetery, the graveyard was founded in 1878.[4] After a new city cemetery was built elsewhere, the old cemetery stopped accepting new burials in about 1883 (save for very few exceptions) and fell into disrepair until the 1940s, when the city began to restore and preserve it.[3]
Notable interments
Tom McLaury, Frank McLaury, and Billy Clanton, killed in the O.K. Corral shootout, are buried here, as is Marshal Fred White, killed by Curly Bill Brocius.
One of the best-known markers belongs to Lester Moore. He was a Wells, Fargo & Co. station agent in the Mexican border town of Naco, Arizona Territory. One afternoon Hank Dunstan appeared to claim a package due him. When he got it, he found it thoroughly mangled. The two men argued, and then both Moore and Dunstan drew their weapons. Dunstan got off four shots, hitting Moore in the chest with his .44 caliber revolver. Dunstan was mortally wounded with a hole through his ribs by the single shot Moore had squeezed off. Les Moore was buried in Boothill, and his famous tombstone epitaph remains an attraction in the cemetery:[4]
- HERE LIES LESTER MOORE, FOUR SLUGS FROM A 44, NO LES NO MORE
Also buried here:
- John Heath lynched Feb 22, 1884[5]
- Jesse Dunlap aka "Three Fingered Jack" died feb 22, 1900 of wounds after an attempted holdup [6]
References
- ↑ "GNIS Detail – Boothill Graveyard". Retrieved 14 December 2013.
- ↑ Weiser, Kathy (March 2013). "Tombstone Arizona Vintage Photograph-Boot Hill". Retrieved 8 January 2014.
- 1 2 3 "Tombstone's Boot Hill". LegendsofAmerica.com. Retrieved May 25, 2011.
- 1 2 "Tombstone's Cemetery: Boothill". History Magazine. June 12, 2006. Retrieved May 6, 2011.
- ↑ The Austin weekly statesman., February 28, 1884, Page 7, Image 7
- ↑ The Copper era., March 01, 1900, Page 4, Image 4
Further reading
- Britz, Kevin (October 1, 2003). "'Boot Hill Burlesque': The Frontier Cemetery as Tourist Attraction in Tombstone, Arizona, and Dodge City, Kansas". Journal of Arizona History. Arizona Historical Society. ASIN B00E428MGY.