The Tombstone Epitaph - 1/20/15

The Tombstone Epitaph, founded May 1, 1880, is the oldest, continuously published, newspaper in Arizona. It is famous for its coverage of the Gunfight at O.K. Corral that was published the day after the event on October 27, 1881, and the research they continued to conduct on Wyatt Earp, Doc Holliday and their cowboy adversaries.

Located in the Tombstone Historic District, the building where the Tombstone Epitaph was printed is open to the public as a museum.

The paper was started by John Clum who had relocated to Tombstone from Tucson.  He became mayor of Tombstone and was a supporter of the Earps, although the townspeople were on the side of the "outlaw cowboys." After the shootout was deemed justified after an inquest, the Earps and then Clum left Tombstone.

John Clum exhibit.

Below is the first printing press (Washington Hand Press) used by the Tombstone Epitaph for many years. It was shipped by sea from Boston around South America to San Francisco; by rail from San Francisco to Tucson; and then by wagon from Tucson to Tombstone.

Office artifacts.

Gas Intertype Machine...as improvements were made in the printing field, the newspaper upgraded their equipment. This was used after "Washington Hand Press."

The print shop.

Photographs were an important feature of the newspaper in the 1880s.

Copies of newspaper editions published in earlier times are available for purchase. Here are two samples.

The paper has remained in operation since. Today, a national historical monthly is published monthly. Subscriptions to the monthly publication is $25/year for distribution in the U.S. ($50 for international). A bi-weekly, Tombstone Epitaph, newspaper featuring local Tombstone news is written by students at the University of Arizona and continues to be published.

Admission to the museum is free. It is an interesting piece of Old West history.

Website: www.tombstoneepitaph.com