An imagined gathering of five personalities who helped shape Tombstone’s history. From left: Ed Schieffelin, Virgil Earp, Wyatt Earp, Morgan Earp and Doc Holliday. How a prospector’s discovery brought fortune seekers, Wyatt Earp and Doc Holliday to southeastern Arizona. Tombstone’s story began with silver. In 1877, prospector Ed Schieffelin discovered rich silver deposits in southeastern Arizona Territory, setting in motion the gr

Discover the performers, personalities and remarkable history behind the Bird Cage Theater—and the book that brings their stories back to life. Imagine arriving in Tombstone in the 1880s. Beyond the mining claims and dusty streets, an evening’s entertainment awaits: orchestra music, singers, dancers, comedy and acts extraordinary enough to make you wonder how they found their way to this Arizona boomtown. Welcome to the Bird Cage Theater. Opened in 1881, the Bird Cage offered

Doc Holliday began his working life as a dentist—and so did Dr. Jay. Raised on a farm in New York’s Hudson River Valley, Jay grew up watching Westerns and imagining adventures on the frontier. After a career as a dental surgeon and forensic dentist in New Hampshire, he retired early in 1991 and headed west to follow that childhood fascination. Along the way, he found another calling: bringing history to life. His love of theater led to years of staged Western gunfight perfor