Been there. Last year. Definitely Disney-esque. It sucked.

Mike E.
---------- Original Message -----------
From: Met History <[log in to unmask]>
To: [log in to unmask]
Sent: Thu, 21 Jul 2005 21:35:31 EDT
Subject: [BP] road trip who's driving?

> Old West town may lose landmark status
> Wednesday, July 20, 2005; Posted: 11:06 a.m. EDT
> PHOENIX, Arizona (AP) -- Tombstone, the famous Old West town in
> southern Arizona, could lose its status as a National Historic
> Landmark after decades of violating historic preservation building codes.
> The Department of the Interior has put the so-called "town too tough
> to die" on its threatened list, the highest warning level. A popular
> tourist destination, Tombstone's historic integrity has declined into
> a blend of authentic history and fake Old West ambiance, federal and state
> officials said.
> Newer buildings bear false dates from the 1870s to 1880s. Storefronts are
> painted colors like chartreuse -- not found in Tombstone 125 years
> ago. Some buildings are made to look older with faux exposed brick or
> Spanish tiles. "The buildings have been altered in such a way that
> it's creating a very inauthentic appearance to the visiting public,"
> said Greg Kendrick, National Park Service manager for the landmark
> program. Landmark designation could be revoked "if they continue in
> the direction they're in," he added. "Tombstone is becoming a
> Disneyland," complained Sally Alves, owner of Curly Bill's Bed &
> Breakfast in Tombstone. "The business owners in town want ...
> everything to be bright and colorful, like Rawhide or someplace that
> is not a real, authentic Old West city." Tombstone, population 1,750,
>  gets an estimated 450,000 visitors a year. Founded in 1879, Tombstone
> was once bigger than San Francisco. Its mines produced $37 million in
> silver. After the mines started to close in the late 1880s, its
> population and fortunes began to slide. The town's historic district
> became a national landmark in 1962. Copyright 2005 The Associated
> Press. All rights reserved.This material may not be published,
> broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
------- End of Original Message -------

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