To many residents, Tombstone is the personification of the old West, and the thousands upon thousands of tourists who visit the town on a yearly basis only reinforce the claim. According to True West magazine, however, it doesn't crack the top ten - and recent changes to the city might be to blame.

Tombstone is shocked and frustrated that True West's Top 10 "True Western Town" list of 2010 did not include their slice of the wild west - a list which Tombstone hasn't always made.

"The fact that we're not in there is a farce," said Patrick Greene, executive director of Tombstone Chamber of Commerce.

Though the town cries foul, True West claims that the city's departure from the Top 10 is the result of several factors, among which is the notion that Tombstone has lost some of its authenticity over the last year.

A few years ago, Tombstone was in jeopardy of losing its historic status.  One way town officials saved themselves was by putting dirt on the streets to give visitors a more authentic experience.  Last year, Mayor Dusty Escapule ordered the dirt removed, a major setback according to True West magazine.

Additionally, True West was not bowled over by the city's application for consideration, says Bob Boze Bell, True West editor.

Tombstone's application was unprofessional, according to Bell.  He and his staff did not see an effort made in Tombstone's application - submitted by Greene. In light of both the perceived changes to the city and their underwhelming application, Bell says that Tombstone's overall effort this year fell short of expectations and caused Tombstone to be lost among the other competitors for the Top 10 slots.

"The competition is quite heated," Bell said.  "Tombstone is competing with cities that have put in a lot of effort into preservation and submission."

Virginia City, Nev., which was 2010's No. 1 western town, submitted a 10-page application with all sorts of supporting documents, according to Bell. He feels that Virginia City makes profound and aggressive efforts in regards to renovating buildings and providing authentic experiences for visitors.

"We love Tombstone; that is not the issue," Bell said. "But sometimes you have to tell a member of your family that they need to shape up."

Don Taylor, president of the Chamber of Commerce and manager of the O.K. Corral, acknowledged a difference of accuracy and authenticity of Tombstone.

According to Taylor, by State Park law, Tombstone has to cover about 50 years of history (Tombstone focuses on the beginning of the first mining boom, 1879-1889 and the end of the second boom from 1902-1931), while most western cities only cover 10-15 years. Tombstone's expansive focus might rub True West the wrong way, according to Taylor, who feels that the magazine prefers a focus on the 1880s and Wyatt Earp's time period. To Taylor, such a focus is an impossibility for Tombstone.

"We can not focus solely on the 1880s without endangering the national historic landmark status," said Taylor.

Though he and Taylor could not come to an agreement about Tombstone's overall accuracy, Bell notes that he respects and admires Tombstone.

"It is like a marriage," he said. "We live by the history in Tombstone; it is a two-way street, the other partner needs to pull their own."

Every year True West refines its list of the Top 10 towns that editors believe best imitates the old west. Though Tombstone didn't crack the top 10 this year, it is still listed in the article under 'towns to watch.'

True West Magazine claims to judge western towns that exemplify efforts to preserve their authenticity.   Editors also make their decision based on the quality of each city's application for why they deserve the reward.

In Greene's opinion, the Chamber of Commerce's decision to not advertise as greatly in True West Magazine as they had in the past was a major reason why they did not receive a spot on the list.

The decision came after the Chamber saw that their $8,000 to $10,000 in advertisements in True West Magazine were not having the same impact as other media resources (like television and radio advertisements), where they were spending just as much combined, Tombstone made a "conscious decision to take marketing and advertising in a different direction," Greene said.

The Tombstone Chamber of Commerce presently advertises by means of television and radio, where the Chamber officials feels they get a better reaction, as well as magazines and other print media, in addition to True West Magazine, a publication with 50,000 readers nationwide.

Florence, Ariz., placed second in True West's list this year, and they do not advertise with them, Bell said in response to criticism of their judging methods.

Mayor Escapule is one of many among the Tombstone populace who is bitter that his town didn't crack the top ten. Escapule said Bell has used Tombstone to sell his magazine for the last decade, and that he cannot understand why True West Magazine did not include Tombstone in this year's incarnation.

"We're not a movie set or something fabricated; we work hard to preserve it," Escapule said, noting Tombstone's true western appeal.
Taylor, and co-worker Greene are excited to find that other publications and media have not lost interest in the town.

"It is literally a Mecca for old west enthusiasts all over the world," said Taylor.

Tombstone has visitors from around the world come every year to discover the history for themselves.  Visitors come from France, Canada, Germany, Italy, Australia, as well as from the rest of the globe.

It's not just the tourists - just last summer, Taylor was sought out for an interview with National Geographic France, regarding an article on Tombstone.

"People come here to see and walk where Doc Holliday, Wyatt Earp, Billy and Ike Clanton, and many other historic icons walked," Greene said.

Though Escapule feels that in this economic time Tombstone needs all the support and advertising it can get to let people know they are still in business, Taylor and Greene both strongly feel that True West Magazine's opinion will not and has not hurt them. They feel that Tombstone, which recorded 65,000 visitors from 2008-2009, brings in visitors based on the history and re-enactments that the city provides, and not because a magazine suggests the visit.

Taylor has already formulated a plan to enhance Tombstone's marketing.
"It is more important to get travel writers from areas like Southern California, San Diego County, Los Angeles County, throughout Texas, Northern California, Las Vegas area, and Arizona itself because people often forget Tombstone is here, so they can tell them the experiences and all the things they can do," Taylor said.

The Tombstone Chamber of Commerce is working with Cochise County Tourism Council and PR Director Luanne Matson, as well as the Arizona Office of Tourism to bring these travel writers in from all over the world to review all that Tombstone has to offer.

"I think it is one of the last remaining true west cities in the U.S. and we're damn proud," Greene said.