Phoenix Relocation Guide

H O U S I N G & N E I G H B O R H O O D S

Photo by Ron Niebrugge/wildnatureimages.com

Photo by Fred Hood courtesy of Visit Tuscon

claim the Tombstone, the rush of prospec- tors arrived, and the boomtown named the settlement Tombstone. The infamous Earp-Clanton gunfight, known in popular culture as “The Gunfight at the O.K. Corral,” was fought in 1881. For the next seven years the mines produced millions of dollars in silver and gold. In 1888, rising underground water forced the suspension of all mining activity. During World Wars I and II, Tombstone produced manganese and lead for the government. As time went by, the town’s dependence on mining faded and it was decided the town would invest in restoration and tourism efforts. Tombstone today is known as a Historical American Landmark, and America’s best example of the country’s western heritage. Many of the 1880’s original buildings have been preserved and old artifacts can be seen in a number of museums. Tombstone is open year round and is prob- ably one of the most visited attractions in all of Arizona. Tombstone’s residents are

primarily employed in support of its tourist industry and a small retirement community.

Willcox shipped more cattle by railroad than any other shipping point in the nation.

Today, with the abundance of grazing land and water, Willcox remains one of the largest ranching and agricultural towns in south- eastern Arizona, while still retaining and preserving its railroad heritage. The 1881 Southern Pacific Depot is now the Willcox City Hall and houses a railroad exhibit in the lobby. The renovated downtown area and the Chiricahua Regional Museum, with its many artifacts and exhibits from the era of the great Apache Chief Cochise, attract many visitors and tourists to Willcox. Willcox was a major player in the cotton and grain industry of Arizona. In recent years the area’s agriculture has undergone a diversification with crops such as apples, pistachios, pecans and grape vineyards. Other public sector employers include Eurofresh Farms, Simflow Manufacturing, the Rip Griffin Trucking Center and normal retail and services businesses.

Willcox City of Willcox: 520-384-4271

www.cityofwillcox.org Willcox Chamber of Commerce & Agriculture: 520-384-2272 www.willcoxchamber.com

In 1854, railroad surveyors, trying to find the easiest rail route to the West, discov- ered the road could be routed around the Dos Cabezas Mountains near the present location of Willcox. In 1880, the railroad arrived and became an important cattle ship- ping and supply point for the military forts and miners in the area, and 1915 Willcox became an incorporated city. By 1936

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