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Fairbank AZ  Ghost Town

Photos Courtesy Mike Sinnwell March 2011

A Chicago merchant and investor in Tombstone, N.K. Fairbank, gave this town a name. The abundant water supply here provided even the early Spanish explorers with a place to quench their thirst.  The stage and railroad helped the town grow. It was on the route for stages running between Tucson and Tombstone. The railroad was a main route running into Mexico. The foundation of the old steam powered mill can be clearly seen. A visit to the cemetery reveals that vandals got to almost all the markers. What they did not get the weather took.

Jeff Milton of Texas Ranger fame defended a strong box in Fairbank. He held off Bert Alvord, Three Fingered Jack Dunlop, Ben Stiles, and three other outlaws to save the day. Three Fingers got a shotgun blast and was found several miles from town. He named his accomplices before he died. Milton was badly wounded in the arm but survived. The outlaws ended up in prison.

The railroads closed, the mines around Tombstone closed and Fairbank started its demise. Post Office was open from 1883 to 1973