O.K. Corral (building) facts for kids
Quick facts for kids |
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O.K. Corral
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U.S. Historic district
Contributing property |
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Allen Street frontage
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 Location in Arizona
Location in the United States
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| Location | Tombstone, Arizona |
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| Part of | Tombstone Historic District (ID66000171) |
| Designated CP | October 15, 1966 |
The O.K. Corral was a place where people could keep or rent horses and wagons. It operated from 1879 to about 1888 in Tombstone, a busy mining town in Arizona Territory. This area is in the southwestern United States, close to the Mexican border.
Many people connect the O.K. Corral with the famous Gunfight at the O.K. Corral. However, the actual gunfight did not happen inside the corral itself. It took place in a narrow empty lot on Fremont Street. This spot was about six doors west of the corral's back entrance. It was located between a house and a boarding house with a photography studio.
A 1957 movie called Gunfight at the O.K. Corral made the shootout very famous. But the movie also made people think the fight happened right at the corral. Even though this isn't true, the O.K. Corral is still marketed as the gunfight's location. Visitors can even pay to see a re-enactment of the event there. Today, the O.K. Corral is part of the Tombstone Historic District.
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What Was the O.K. Corral?
When the famous gunfight happened on October 26, 1881, Tombstone had about 5,300 residents. The O.K. Corral was one of eight "livery" businesses in the city. A livery was like a parking garage for horses. People could rent horses, buggies, or wagons there. They could also pay to have their own horses cared for. Most people in Tombstone didn't own a horse. So, they rented one when they needed to travel outside of town.
At the time of the gunfight, "Honest John" Montgomery and Edward Monroe Benson owned the O.K. Corral. In 1886, they even rented out a large coach that could carry 11 passengers.
The original corral and its buildings were completely destroyed by a big fire on May 25, 1882. This fire burned down almost the entire western business area of Tombstone.
How the O.K. Corral Became Famous
After the fire, the corral was rebuilt. It started to gain attention in 1931. This was when author Stuart Lake published a book about Wyatt Earp. The book was called Wyatt Earp: Frontier Marshal. It came out two years after Earp's death. This book was very popular during the Great Depression. It also inspired the 1946 movie, My Darling Clementine.
Then, the movie Gunfight at the O.K. Corral was released in 1957. After this movie, the shootout became widely known by that name. This is how the O.K. Corral became wrongly fixed in people's minds as the place where the gunfight happened.
Where the Gunfight Really Happened
The famous gunfight involved lawmen like the Earps and Doc Holliday. They faced off against a group of outlaws known as the Cowboys. Before the fight, the Cowboys had left their horses at Dexter's Livery Stable. They then went to a gun shop. Wyatt Earp saw them there and thought they were getting bullets.
Later, the Cowboys walked toward the O.K. Corral. Witnesses heard them threatening to kill the Earps. Citizens reported these threats and the armed Cowboys to Tombstone City Marshal Virgil Earp.
Tombstone had a rule passed on April 19, 1881. It was called ordinance#9. This rule said that anyone carrying a knife or gun had to leave their weapons at a livery stable or saloon soon after entering town. Marshal Virgil Earp used this rule as the reason to confront the Cowboys. This confrontation led to the shootout.
The Earps and Doc Holliday walked west on Fremont Street, looking for the Cowboys. They walked past the back entrance of the O.K. Corral. They found the Cowboys gathered in a narrow lot. This lot was about 15 to 20 feet wide. It was next to C. S. Fly's boarding house and photography studio at 312 Fremont Street. The gunfight happened mostly in this narrow lot and on Fremont Street itself.
The O.K. Corral, located at 326 Allen Street, is part of the Tombstone Historic District.
The O.K. Corral Today
In 1964, a group of investors bought the O.K. Corral. They also bought The Tombstone Epitaph newspaper, the Crystal Palace Saloon, and Schieffelin Hall. As of 2018[update], the same family still runs the O.K. Corral as a historic site. The property stretches from Allen Street all the way to Fremont Street. This includes the land where the famous gunfight began.
The narrow lot where most of the gunfight took place is now part of the O.K. Corral Historic Complex. Life-sized figures of the gunfighters are placed there. Their positions are based on a map drawn by Wyatt Earp himself. As the gunfight went on, some participants moved onto Fremont Street. Today, re-enactments of the gunfight happen four times every day.
In 2004, the town's focus on tourism caused a problem. The National Park Service (NPS) thought about removing Tombstone's status as a National Historic Landmark District. Tombstone earned this status in 1961. It was recognized as "one of the best preserved examples of a rugged frontier town from the 1870s and '80s." Since then, the community has worked closely with the NPS. They have created a better plan to protect and care for the historic site.
Why the O.K. Corral is Important
Even though the actual gunfight didn't happen inside the O.K. Corral, its connection to the event is very strong. This connection greatly helped Tombstone become a historic district. It also helped the O.K. Corral get placed on the National Register of Historic Places. There was another O.K. Corral in Globe, Arizona Territory, which opened before November 8, 1879.
