Deriving its nickname from the large number of men who “died with their boots on”, Boothill Graveyard is the small cemetery that was originally used to bury Tombstone’s housewives, businessmen and women, ladies of the night, gamblers, and miners. Founded in 1878, it lasted for only about 5 years, after which it ceased accepting new burials in 1883 – other than that of outlaws. It was originally named “City Cemetery” but was renamed “Old City Cemetery” after the new graveyard was built elsewhere in 1882. It sadly fell into disrepair for roughly 57 years, until the city began restoring it in the 1940’s (some claim 1920’s). Many notable Tombstone residents are buried within, with the most well-known being “Cowboys” Tom and Frank McCLaury and Billy Clanton, who were famously shot dead in the O.K. Corral gunfight by the Earps and Doc Holliday.
Other than the infamous Cowboys, other notable eternal residents include Marshal Fred White, the first Marshal (Chief of Police) of Tombstone, who was killed by Cowboy “Curly Bill” Brocius (a scene included in the movie Tombstone); Jack Dunlop, a.k.a “Three Fingered Jack”, a Wild West outlaw known for being a train robber; China Mary, a well-loved money lender of Tombstone who dabbled in both American and Chinese goods and was so respected that upon her death, there was a massive turnout of townsfolk at her funeral; John Slaughter Swain, a former slave of Judge Slaughter, who became a cowboy and then sheriff upon his release from slavery; and “Big Dan” Dowd, “Red” Sample, James “Tex” Howard, Billy Delaney, and Daniel “York” Kelly, all culprits of the Bisbee Massacre, an ill-fated robbery of a Bisbee general store that killed five people. All were legally hanged in 1884, alongside the gang’s leader and robbery organizer, John Heath, who is buried in his hometown of Terrell, Texas.
There are more than 250 real people buried within Boothill Graveyard, in 11 rows of graves; some known, some infamous, and others fictitious (but the graves are real). Upon entrance and after purchasing tickets, you’ll receive a pamphlet that lists all the graves, along with a small inscription of how they died. Some of these include William Summers, a teamster for James Carr, who was found dead in 1882 with broken ribs and a ruptured liver; Dutch Annie, known as the “Queen of the Red-Light District” during the early 1880’s, and who was killed in 1883; a man simply known as Rook, who was shot by a Chinaman in front of Yaple’s store on Fremont Street; Mrs. Stump, who died in childbirth from an overdose of chloroform, administered by her doctor (yes, really); and baby Eva Waters, who perished at only 3 months old from scarlet fever in 1878. She is also the first person ever buried in Boothill Graveyard.
Now, those listed above are real people buried within Boothill Graveyard, and only a drop in the bucket. As mentioned, there are also fictitious burials, made up by various cemetery operators over the years to attract tourists. While the graves are real, the grave markers are not. Some of these include Lester Moore, who has a legendary inscription stating, “Here lies Lester Moore, Four slugs from a .44, No Les No more”. There is no evidence that anyone named Lester Moore was killed in the Arizona Territory. John Heath, the organizer of the Bisbee Massacre, has a grave marker near the four Bisbee Massacre murderers. As we know, John Heath is actually buried in Texas. Other fake markers include Thomas Harper, a friend of Cowboy “Curly Bill” Brocius, who was hanged for murder in Tucson in 1881, and is buried in Tucson; and Federico Duran, a man claimed to have been killed by Sheriff John Slaughter in 1888; however, he was actually executed by firing squad in Guaymas, Mexico in 1889.
Also, Boothill Graveyard is one of the few Tombstone attractions not located within the famous downtown strip, but rather, near the edge of town, at 408 Arizona Highway 80. It’s open daily from 8am to 6pm, with tickets cheaply available for $3 per person. Children 15 and under are free. There is also a large gift shop that has a restroom.
Important note – According to the man operating the gift shop, people get locked inside the graveyard all the time. They lock the gates promptly at 6pm and apparently do not do a final walk-through to make sure nobody is left wandering about. Since there is a Jewish cemetery located down the hill, people visiting that tend to get missed and locked in. There are signs posted, warning of this. He said “it’s a pain” because they have to be contacted by 911 to come unlock the gates. So, if you do visit later in the day and close to 6pm, make sure you are at least inside the gift shop by that time.
Overall, visiting Boothill Graveyard should be high on the list for anyone visiting Tombstone, Arizona. It’s a fascinating, historical (sometimes) piece of Tombstone history, the place where numerous notable residents have earned their Forever Home. It’s one of the quicker attractions of the town, usually taking no longer than one hour, depending on how fast you read the markers. Just remember – do not get locked in at 6pm!
