The Courthouse's impending closure is a result of the state's plan to close 13 state parks in accordance with an $8.6 million budget reduction.

Run by the Arizona State Park system since 1959, Tombstone Courthouse State Historic Park currently houses more than 20 individual exhibits showcasing various aspects of Tombstone's storied past. Sightseers can read about figures such as Wyatt Earp, Ed Schieffelin and Karl May, or see an attorney's office and courtroom as they would have appeared in the 19th century.

"Visitors from the world over have made the iconic venue a central part of their time in Tombstone," said Frederick Schoemehl, editor of the Tombstone Epitaph National Edition, a historical journal. "It is a sad and sorry state of affairs when a decision is made to close a facility so central to Western history."

Built in 1882 at a cost of $50,000, the Tombstone Courthouse stands as a sobering memorial to the true history of a town that has built much of its reputation on the mythos of the Wild West. It is home to more than 14,000 artifacts, 1,600 photographs, as well as two attorneys' complete records.

The legal library and personal effects of former Justice of the Peace John F. Ross also remain part of the Courthouse's collection.

In addition to the larger collections, the Courthouse also houses exhibits about Fort Huachuca, American Indians, the O.K. Corral, mining and life in the old West, among others.

Park Ranger Art Austin describes the records and artifacts held by the Courthouse as the collective memory of the first community in southern Arizona. It served as the county seat and housed the sheriff, recorder, treasurer and board of supervisors in its heyday. Executions were also carried out at the courthouse until 1912.

The Courthouse isn't merely a tourist attraction, however.

Researchers interested in Tombstone or Cochise County can easily access the collections. Some of the documents held by the Courthouse were created by the county and are therefore subject to freedom of information laws.

Additionally, many of the other documents are old enough that they are no longer subject to attorney-client privilege or other protections. Records such as an 1880s tax assessment ledger or original editions of the Tombstone Epitaph provide unparalleled detail into the activities of the time. Claim maps also give detailed perspective into the silver mining origins of the town.

It is hard to overestimate the importance of the Courthouse to researchers.
"Over the years, a legion of historians with interest in Tombstone and southeast Arizona have used the collections at the historic Courthouse in the course of their research," Schoemehl said.

The Courthouse also offers some unique services. Austin described how the Courthouse staff is able to create high-quality reproductions of both color and black and white documents on site. They also assist researchers with retrieving specific information.

Ben Traywick is a Tombstone historian and author who regularly utilizes the resources of the Courthouse.

"I just wrote a story about Chandler Milk Ranch and all the photographs and all the information came out of the Courthouse," Traywick said. "They have an enormous amount of information about Tombstone, and the county, and it's a shame to see it go because it's very good research."

Traywick said that he has always considered the Courthouse to be one of the five biggest attractions that Tombstone has to offer. He said he would "hate to see all of the information be put where people can't use it for anything."

Austin isn't sure what exactly is going to happen when the park closes on March 29. He doesn't even know if he'll still have a job. "The state is not going to walk away," he said. He said he thinks the state's interest in what the Courthouse contains, especially in trusts, is too great.

The community seems to agree, as Tombstone has not yet given up hope that the courthouse might remain open.

According to Don Taylor, president of the Tombstone Chamber of Commerce, the City of Tombstone, along with the Chamber, are negotiating with the state to keep the Courthouse open.

Despite its impending closure, the Courthouse stands as a memorial to the true history of a town clouded in myth. Tombstone residents, fighting for its survival, will always recognize it as perhaps the last thread tying Tombstone to its very real history.

If You Go
Currently open 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Thurs.-Mon.
(520) 457-3311
Visit Arizona State Parks Web site

Priceless artifacts currently on display:
• Ed Schieffelin's rifle
• A Collection of ­schoolhouse bells
• Legal library of John F. Ross
• An original saloon counter
• 19th century sheriff's office
• A silver assay office
• Wyatt Earp's razor

Statistics:
• 14,000 artifacts in collection
• 5,000 artifacts in "museum collection"
• 1,600 photographs
• 2 attorneys' records
Visit the Tombstone Courthouse Web site

Last day to visit: March 29, 2010, closing at 5 pm.