Boot Hill

The grave markers in Tombstone's infamous Boot Hill attest to the violence that plagued the area in its early days. One marker reads, "Cowboy Bill King, Shot by Burt Alvord." Another says, "Geo. Hand--1896, Murdered by Indians." Several of the deceased met frontier justice, including, "John Heath, Taken from County Jail & Lynched by Bisbee Mob in Tombstone, Feb. 22, 1984." "Will DeLodge, Killed Playing Cards, 1883," reads another marker. Many of the deceased are unidentified, such as, "Unknown, Found in Abandoned Mine, 1882."

Despite the dangerous times, Tombstone residents saw humor in some deaths, as these two photos indicate. Most markers in Boot Hill are replacements of wooden originals. At the gift shop leading to the cemetery, you can buy a pamphlet that provides details on many of the deaths. The unfortunate Mr. Johnson had innocently bought a stolen horse, according to the pamphlet. And Mr. Moore was a Wells Fargo agent who quarreled with a customer over a package.