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O.K. Corral
Tombstone Historic District |
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Allen Street
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| Location: | Tombstone, Arizona |
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| Architectural style: | No Style Listed |
| Governing body: | State |
| NRHP Reference#: | 66000171 |
| Significant dates | |
| Added to NRHP: | October 15, 1966[1] |
| Designated NHLD: | July 4, 1961[2] |
The O.K. (Old Kindersley[3]) Corral was originally a small horse corral located in the 19th century boomtown city of Tombstone in the Territory of Arizona, an organized incorporated territory of the United States. It is most famously associated with the "Gunfight at the O.K. Corral" which is somewhat of a misnomer. According to American old west historians, the gunfight actually took place in a vacant lot next to Camillus Fly's photography studio, six doors down Fremont Street from an alleyway that cut through the block and served as an informal rear entrance to the corral.[4] In this context, possibly a more appropriate name for the event would be "Gunfight near the O.K. Corral".
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The corral's address is 326 East Allen Street, Tombstone, AZ 85638, United States.[5] The location known as the O.K. Corral is within the Tombstone Historic District.
The corral's map coordinates are (31.71346, -110.069081).[6]
The historical district is a National Historic Landmark and is listed in the National Register of Historic Places by the U.S. National Park Service.[7][8]. Its association with the legendary gunfight that happened on October 26th, 1881 attracts many to the city as popular tourist destination.[9] The lot in which the gunfight actually occurred is also preserved, but has been walled off, and admission is charged. However, since much of this street fight occurred in Tombstone's Fremont Street (modern Highway 80), much of this site is also viewable without admission charge.
The town's focus on tourism has threatened the town's designation as a National Historic Landmark District, a designation it earned in 1961 as "one of the best preserved specimens of the rugged frontier town of the 1870s and '80s." In 2004, the National Park Service (NPS) declared the designation threatened, seeking to work with the community to develop an appropriate stewardship program.[10]
Although not the actual site of the famous gunfight[4], its association with the legendary gunfight likely contributed to the creation of the historic district and its placement on the National Register.[11] Its association with the gunfight also serves to provide a fixed location and point of reference.
It is a testament to the gunfight's impact on the American psyche that numerous dramatic, fictional, and documentary works have been produced about or referencing this event over the decades.
For more details on media relating to the gunfight, see Gunfight at the O.K. Corral.