- Tombstone, Arizona, was founded in 1879 by prospector Ed Schieffelin on a mesa called Goose Flats.
- It became one of the last great frontier boomtowns, with silver mines producing an estimated $40–$85 million by the mid-1880s.
- The population exploded from about 100 to roughly 14,000 in under seven years, supporting banks, newspapers, churches, theaters, and more than 100 saloons.
- Cultural life ranged from operas at Schieffelin Hall to rowdier shows at the Bird Cage Theatre, reflecting the town’s mix of society and mining camps.
- Best known for the Gunfight at the O.K. Corral, Tombstone now relies largely on tourism and had 1,308 residents in the 2020 census.
