Photo: Transity, CC BY-SA 3.0 via Wikimedia Commons
A ghost town which once functioned as transit point for Tombstone, with an even wilder reputation. The town has been incorporated into the San Pedro Riparian National Conservation Area, and a number of buildings remain, with the former schoolhouse now functioning as a gift shop. The old nearby cemetery is also worth a visit, and can be found along a foot trail heading north of the town.
Fairbank is a ghost town in Cochise County, Arizona, next to the San Pedro River. First settled in 1881, Fairbank was the closest rail stop to nearby Tombstone, which made it an important location in the development of southeastern Arizona. The town was named for Chicago investor Nathaniel Kellogg Fairbank who partially financed the railroad, and was the founder of the Grand Central Mining Company, which had an interest in the silver mines in Tombstone. Today Fairbank is located within the San Pedro Riparian National Conservation Area.
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The most intact remains in the US of a Spanish colonial fortress, built in 1776 and abandoned just four years later due to persistent Apache attacks. The site is now managed as part of the San Pedro Riparian National Conservation Area.
Ed Schieffelin first discovered silver in the area, which eventually led to the foundation of Tombstone. A monument stands near the site of his original claim, resembling markers used by miners.
Remains of two ghost towns, both of which were founded in 1879 and completely abandoned by 1889. The sites have now been incorporated into the San Pedro Riparian National Conservation Area; an interpretative trail leads past some of the remains and some pre-Columbian petroglyphs. Watch out for rattlesnakes!
Boothill Graveyard
Many outlaws were buried here, with deaths not by natural causes. Heavily restored, entrance through the giftshop.
Former county courthouse, built in 1882 and now a museum dedicated to the history of Tombstone.
Originally a small horse corral, associated with the infamous 'Gunfight at the O.K. Corral' and now a National Historic Landmark. It is the setting for a daily reenactment of the gunfight staged for tourists.