Book Synopsis
From its beginning in 1878 and 1879, Tombstone's quest to secure a reliable water resource would prove to be complicated, frustrating, and expensive. The story began with attempts to acquire a stable source for domestic use and concluded with an all-out endeavor to rid its mines of million gallons of mineral-laced water flooding the mines. By 1882, Tombstone had secured water from three companies. In less than one year, however, Tombstone experienced two major fires that burned out of control, destroying almost the entire business district, in part due to inadquate equipment, but to a larger degree, an inadequate supply of pressurized water. Frontier towns were notoriously constructed of combustible pine lumber and cedar roofing and shared common walls. Such was the case at Tombstone and because of these factors, it is easy to understand that every merchant and resident feared the perils of fire more than other hazards of fontier life.