Women were regulated to hauling water into the house if they had a well, or pumping it if they were lucky to have a kitchen pump. They had to boil the water, bring in the metal bath tub, and "cower" in the kitchen as they bathed. Then, after the kids had all used the same water, the little wife would haul it out and in all likelihood recycle the water for flowers.
Tombstone had several hospitals. Dr. George Goodfellow led a list of highly qualified physicians in town. (This is starting to read like a Chamber of Commerce puff piece!) There was an intense rivalry between the physicians. The truth of the matter was Tombstone had some of the finest medical services available at that time. Dr. Goodfellow performed one of the first recorded facial reconstructions (rebuilding George Parson’s severely injured nose and mouth), with no scars. By the time Parsons had healed, his post-surgical features were almost identical to photographs taken before the injury. In the late winter of 1882 there was a small-pox scare in town. Everyone, Earps included, was vaccinated. Because of the legality of various opiates, a person living in Tombstone who was suffering from late-stage bone cancer had better pain control with more options than a person does today. Naturally there were several pharmacies in town.
Tombstone, like many mining camps in the Southwest, had a large Chinese population. They brought with them "chow mien", several laundries, ready-made household labor, and drugs. Among them was the infamous "China Mary" who owned, so they say, several opium dens. “Chinatown” was located between Fremont and Allen from the south side of 1st to 3rd. (A history of opiates in the Wild West is another article).
There were prostitutes. There was gambling.
Have you ever noticed how actors strut around when they are doing western movies or television. Let’s face it, the Earp era in Tombstone was smack dab in the middle of some of history’s hottest-looking men’s fashions. Men look incredible in those clothes. Like Garrison Keillor’s opening of A Prairie Home Companion, the women were strong, the men were good looking, and – well, we don’t know much at all about the children. Nothing looks better on a man than those long dusters with a cowboy hat. With just a few touches here and there along with the advent of modern day underwear, men’s fashion has changed very little since that era.
Women, on the other hand, were living in while not the worst of times, were enduring the beginning of the end of restrictive clothing. Consider being forced to wear those gosh horrid bustles! Imagine being forced to sit on one. Today’s temperatures in Tombstone are no different than they were in 125 years ago. Can you conceive of wearing stockings, lace-up shoes, chemise, teddies, long drawers, a petticoat, a corset, and then a skirt and top? No wonder women went around fainting. Even in summer, when you went outside you wore long sleeves, gloves, a hat, carried your cute little reticule, and a parasol.
Article comments
1 - Donnie Marler
SJ, I'm greatly enjoying your series! I'm a lover of the history of the old West. You're doing a great job.
2 - T. Michael Testi
SJ, Nice job. I have always been fascinated by history, especially the different view points that we are given by today's manipulation of history vs. the reality that was their world. This was their world and they live in it. Reality is how they experienced it, not how some reporter viewing through a single set of eyes reports it. To be true it must contain enough viewpoints to be representative of the time.
I look forward to reading more.
3 - SJ Reidhead
Thank you so much for your kind comments. They are much appreciated.
SJ Reidhead