For the most part, Tombstone’s cowboys like dragging their boots along the aged and tattered boardwalk that flows along Allen Street.

Stained with the scars of snubbed cigarettes and varnished with the everlasting aroma of alcohol, the Tombstone boardwalk preserves the 1880s vibe, according to locals.

George Barnes, manager/city clerk of Tombstone, says that even though the boardwalk showcases that “authentic” look, it is regularly maintained.

“We go in and fix whatever needs to be fixed on a regular basis,” says Barnes. “We would actually like to replace all of it with new wood, but we don’t have that kind of money.”

“When the wood warps from the heat or when boards break over time, we always go in and replace them with new ones,” says Barnes.

As it seems, many Tombstone locals find the vintage look of the boardwalk appealing and like the tattered wood.

Sharon Everett, an employee of Annie’s Place, works directly behind the aged wood and says that she wouldn’t want the boardwalk any other way.

“I really like it,” says Everett. “I like how the wood looks old and authentic; we are a town trying to be in the 1880s, so I think it fits its purpose pretty well.”

Sharlene Rock, a cashier at the Tombstone Pharmacy, agrees with Everett - she said the boardwalk aesthetically relates to the town’s mission.

“It works really well with the entire outlook of the town,” says Rock. “If this town is supposed to be preserving the past, then lets preserve the past.”

Tombstone Pharmacy is located in front of a section of the boardwalk that has become warped with several boards sticking up, but that doesn’t seem to bother Rock.

“Whenever it needs replacing, the city always replaces it,” she says. “Just a few months ago, the city put all new boards in across the street and they look great too.”

However some Tombstone citizens, like Geri Bowers, say that the tattered boardwalk is a health hazard.

“It needs help, desperately,” she said. “People are tripping over it all the time.”

Bowers said that although she “loves” the town’s authentic feel, maintenance is “absolutely necessary.” Examples of maintenance, she explained, is leveling the boardwalk and fixing loose and corroded screws coming out of it.

The boardwalk was completely redone in front of the Bird Cage Theatre a few months ago, adding a fresh breath of expansion to Tombstone.

With some sections of the boardwalk staying the same and some being replaced, Tombstone is seeing its timeless atmosphere expand into something much bigger.

According to Barnes, Fremont Street will be narrowed to make way for the construction of new boardwalks that will happen sometime in 2013.

“This is going to be a million and a half dollar process that will bring the boardwalks out onto Fremont and add more foot traffic,” says Barnes. “They (boardwalks) will be just like in the old days.”