THERE THEY GO! Decoration Day Parade, O. K. Corral ~ Tombstone, Arizona
THERE THEY GO!
There were several larger Tombstone stage lines that advertised more than others as can be seen on the nearby exhibits. They used both open-sided and enclosed coaches. Several were made by the Abbot-Downing Company of Concord, New Hampshire and by M.P. Henderson & Son of Stockton, California. Often the smaller lines used hacks, mountain wagons, spring, and express wagons. Some of these vehicles were factory built, but many were locally made.
The most notable and imposing coach to ever grace the Tombstone stage business was known as the MODOC. This large, 12-passenger Inside coach was built by L. Downing & Sons of Concord, New Hampshire, circa 1848-47. According to legend it had been used between Sacramento, California and Carson City and or Virginia City, Nevada. It was purchased in 1880 from Wells, Fargo & Co. by Robert "Sandy Bob" Crouch, a stage man, and driven from California to Tombstone. He operated a successful business in the area with this coach, and others, until 1886. His business and the coach changed hands several times until 1903 when the railroad lines were put through to Tombstone, and the stagecoach era came to an end.
The exhibited photograph, taken from the Fremont Street gate of the O.K. Corral, shows several city dignitaries sitting on the MODOC hitched to six grey horses. This image was taken by Mrs. C.S. Fly on April 19, 1903, the last day of service for this old celebrity.
The other photograph on display was taken from a position near the original front office of the Corral. In 1909 the old MODOC came out of storage and was used to help celebrate the arrival of Frank Harris Hitchcock, a former Tombstone resident recently appointed U.S. Postmaster General A panoramic view of this celebration and the coach can be seen at the Courthouse.
Since 1924 the MODOC coach has been on exhibit at the Sharlot Hall Museum in Prescott, Arizona. The other extant Tombstone stagecoach is on exhibit at the Arizona Historical Society in Tucson.
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THERE THEY GO! Decoration Day Parade, O. K. Corral ~ Tombstone, Arizona
THERE THEY GO!
There were several larger Tombstone stage lines that advertised more than others as can be seen on the nearby exhibits. They used both open-sided and enclosed coaches. Several were made by the Abbot-Downing Company of Concord, New Hampshire and by M.P. Henderson & Son of Stockton, California. Often the smaller lines used hacks, mountain wagons, spring, and express wagons. Some of these vehicles were factory built, but many were locally made.
The most notable and imposing coach to ever grace the Tombstone stage business was known as the MODOC. This large, 12-passenger Inside coach was built by L. Downing & Sons of Concord, New Hampshire, circa 1848-47. According to legend it had been used between Sacramento, California and Carson City and or Virginia City, Nevada. It was purchased in 1880 from Wells, Fargo & Co. by Robert "Sandy Bob" Crouch, a stage man, and driven from California to Tombstone. He operated a successful business in the area with this coach, and others, until 1886. His business and the coach changed hands several times until 1903 when the railroad lines were put through to Tombstone, and the stagecoach era came to an end.
The exhibited photograph, taken from the Fremont Street gate of the O.K. Corral, shows several city dignitaries sitting on the MODOC hitched to six grey horses. This image was taken by Mrs. C.S. Fly on April 19, 1903, the last day of service for this old celebrity.
The other photograph on display was taken from a position near the original front office of the Corral. In 1909 the old MODOC came out of storage and was used to help celebrate the arrival of Frank Harris Hitchcock, a former Tombstone resident recently appointed U.S. Postmaster General A panoramic view of this celebration and the coach can be seen at the Courthouse.
Since 1924 the MODOC coach has been on exhibit at the Sharlot Hall Museum in Prescott, Arizona. The other extant Tombstone stagecoach is on exhibit at the Arizona Historical Society in Tucson.
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