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O.K. CORRAL The Nature Conservancy calls the San Pedro River "one of the last great places" in the Northern Hemisphere. It shelters a variety of plants and animals -- and some 200 species of birds. But it's also sheltered human beings for a millenium. Like the Apache warriors who fought the U.S. Cavalry for a generation. The Earp brothers who became legends at the O.K. Corral. And outlaws who ruled in a town tougher than Tombstone. Tombstone was full of gunmen. It was a mining town with a shoot-em-up, Wild West reputation. U.S. Marshall Wyatt Earp was hired to bring law and order to Tombstone. That set the stage for one of the most famous feuds in the history of the West. One one side was Wyatt Earp, his brothers and their friend Doc Holliday. On the other side were the Clantons and the cowboys -- a group of ranchers and outlaws headquartered down the river in Charleston. Charleston was said to be even more violent, more Wild West than Tombstone. It was the preferred outlaw hangout. In fact, this is where the feud between the Earps and the Clantons really started -- when Wyatt caught Billy Clanton riding his stolen horse. It all came to a head in October of 1881 near Tombstone's O.K. Corral. When it was over, Billy Clanton and two of the cowboys were dead. The Earps and Holliday were famous. And Tombstone discovered a rich vein of legend it would mine long after the silver played out. Charleston wasn't so lucky. When the ore mills fell silent, the town tougher than Tombstone wasn't too tough to die. |
