Jim and Judy's Great Escape: Tombstone Legends

It looks like my last post was the 30th of January, Mom's Birthday, and I have been quiet till today. Traveling with what, I believe, was the flu, now remitting, I seemed to do the day and then not enjoy my writing. Today I am better. Cough is hanging on but today we hiked a bit and bird watched so am looking forward to leaving this bad stuff behind! We are so enjoying the Tombstone area and being unabashed tourists with everyone else.
We arrived on Tuesday, Wednesday was a rest day for me while Jimmy drove into Tombstone and explored the Tombstone Courthouse and walked the streets enjoying the people in period dress. On Thursday we took Dr. Jay's Walking Tour which was delightful. Dr. Jay, a retired dentist, is a history buff who has studied the Tombstone area extensively. Our man Wyatt Earp, according to Dr. Jay, was more opportunist, and less a hero. The famous 28 second gunfight with the Cowboys was about control of the town resources and greed. The Earps and Holliday were in many ways bullies from the East (Kansas) but the "Cowboys" of red sash legend, were in part, also local opportunists who also bullied and rustled cattle to build their wealth. So, it was this gunfight, and the books and movies that followed, which launched the American Western. Improbably, Wyatt Earp moved to Southern California and influenced John Ford and John Wayne in his later years. He was a good storyteller and since he lived until 1929, it was his version that survived. We may never know what actually happened at the OK Corral but since Wyatt Earp's version has endured, his story prevails. Jim and I have read the biographies by Maria Doria Russell one titled Doc (Doc Holliday) and the other, Epitaph (about the life of Wyatt Earp) and were fascinated by the detail. It was these books that brought us to Tombstone on this trip. Russell researched local newspapers and town records in her preparation. She tried to avoid the first biographies written by people who had the story dictated by Wyatt Earp and his last wife, Josephine, after they moved to California. His wife worked to "clean" up his story. Saturday we took in a "Gunfight" which was turned into a comedy if that is possible. In the real gunfight, 3 men died and three were wounded. The only untouched was Wyatt Earp. The guys who do the gunfight reenactment about 3 times a day, walk the streets and hang out along the streets between acts in costume while the stage and the tour wagons and horses move up and down the main street which is off limits to cars. Great fun, beer and food!

Here come the evil Cowboys, time to Boo!

Gallows behind the Courthouse. They are placed right behind the Court room. Seven guys went directly from verdict to hanging. No appeals!

Doc Holliday on left, Virgil Earp in middle, and Wyatt on right. Morgan was way to the right. Crowd was told to cheer when the guys in coats and ties came on stage or left and boo the Cowboys who were beautifully evil. Fun production!