Two leather shops in town follow this tradition by using era-authentic equipment and machines to reproduce 1800s accessories: Bill and Barbara Brown's Wm. Brown Holster Co. on Fremont Street, and Geno D'Ambrose's Custom Saddles on Allen Street.

The shops' owners pride themselves on producing different products, but they share similar styles by making everything by hand and using the same sewing machines that were used more than a 100 years ago.

D'Ambrose's sewing machine dates to the 1890s and is generated by a hand or foot pedal. The Browns use sewing machines passed down through their family that range from the late 1890s to the early 1900s, but their machines have been converted to use electric power.

When the city applied for a grant to restore the old firehouse in 2004, officials claimed that the building would be used to house a senior center, pushing the proposal based on the estimated 698 people — seniors and the disabled — who could benefit from such a center. They also stated that seniors would not be charged. Currently there are fewer than 50 people who use the building, and they pay $12 a year for membership.

Bob Radcliff, a Tombstone local who grows more than half of the vegetables his family consumes, said he eats his store-bought produce very quickly because it's not fresh when he buys it.

"When you get stuff from the grocery store, it often travels 2,000 miles before you even see it," he said, but added that in Arizona, "gardening is a constant struggle with the elements."

Some gardeners find the harsh climate impossible, while others have found ways around it.

"My dad always complains that the soil's too hard," said Josh Uchimura, whose family is originally from Hawaii.

Though exact numbers are hard to find, one indicator that shows how active the trend of flipping may be is the homeowner vacancy rate.

The U.S. Census Bureau shows that the number of empty households in Cochise County rose from 2.9 percent in 2000 to a two-year average of 3 percent from 2006 to 2008.

According to Robert Carreira, director of the Center for Economic Research at Cochise College, this might indicate that investors are buying houses and leaving them unoccupied while they fix them up, and prepare to sell or rent (flip) the properties.

According to Carreira, the large number of houses being sold by investors who could no longer pay to fix them up increased the supply of overall houses in the wake of the housing bubble bursting. That in turn decreased the prices of these properties, which only worsened the real estate market.

Any investor looking to flip or rent out a house now can do so, but only if he or she is willing to hold on to their properties for a longer period of time than they would have had to endure in the boom period of house flipping – between 2003 and 2007.

"Those engaging in the [house flipping] practice will need to wait until foreclosures are cleared out and values are restored in order to profit, and that may take several years," Carreira said.

This is the exact situation Tina Miller, owner of Tombstone Mercantile and homes at 111, 113, 117 and 119 North Ninth Street has encountered in the last few years.

Joyce Aros and her daughter Charlotte opened Clanton's Coffee Saloon and General Merchandise last October despite the worrisome economy.

"I really thought, 'Oh my God, how much coffee can I sell?'" Aros said. "I was just going to hold my breath."

For Aros, the choice to open a business was a matter of necessity. Aros drove a school bus for nearly two years before she got cancer and had to get treatment, leaving her unable to drive.

Mary and Del Roach, the owners of the Gift of Giving thrift store, are finally realizing their dream of forming a music school for children – a dream they've had since 2007 when they moved to Tombstone.

After finding a lack of music in the local elementary school, the couple decided that they would try to fill the void and provide a service that the schools cannot currently afford. While there is a music program in the high school, the elementary school does not offer musical training.

The Tombstone Food Bank is supported by donations, so the amount of healthy food choices can sometimes be limited.

"We purchase fresh meat and produce as often as we can with the donations we receive," volunteer Ann Gill said. "Most food is purchased at local grocery stores as well as locations in larger cities that provide the food at a discounted price for bulk."

The food bank gathers items from the Tucson food bank agency market, a market that supplies food banks with produce two to three times a month. Most of the healthy food the food bank receives is from this market, said Barbara Turner, president of the Tombstone Food Bank.

"We are very blessed to be able to shop at the Tucson Community Food Bank agency market," Turner said. "The produce will last us two to three weeks. It is always nice and fresh."

Gill says that most families come to the food bank about once a month.

"Many of our clients only come in if they absolutely need to," she said. "We are here to help them build upon what they have in order to create healthy meals."

Each family is allowed to receive aid from the food bank up to twice a month.

It is approximately 20 miles to the nearest supermarket so the food bank also provides a convenient outlet for those who may not be able to make the trip.

In addition to the supplies gathered by the food bank, the government also uses the food bank's facilities to distribute produce once per month. Locals are allowed to receive aid from the government's supplies in addition to their two monthly opportunities to shop from the city bank.

"The great thing about this day is that the government usually lets [the Tombstone Food Bank] keep the excess food that was not distributed," Gill said.
Clients use shopping carts to collect various items on the shelves of the food bank. Each family is allowed one item per shelf and one fresh vegetable when supplies are available.

The food bank has been well received by the Tombstone community.

"I am impressed," said Tombstone local Sandy Winner as she shopped with a family member. "People need it. The economy is bad and people can use the help. It's a good system and it works."

Though the amount of fresh produce and meat may not always be abundant, volunteers at the food bank work with their clients to create the healthiest meals possible with what they do have.

"We often print up recipes to teach people how to prepare food and encourage them to cook from scratch," Gill said. "We also do our best to help new people in town get proper facilities and cookware to cook the food."

The food bank also gives families a special food box for the Thanksgiving and Christmas holidays, Gill said.

In addition to the services provided by the food bank and the government, there are various locations around Tombstone that serve as distribution centers for fresh produce received from Nogales.

"When we get fresh produce from Nogales it is specifically for the food bank to distribute to the community," Turner said. "The locations sometimes vary but, generally, produce is available in places like American Legion, The Gift of Giving and the Catholic Church."
The food bank moved from its old location on Fourth and Allen streets and has been at its new location, 15 San Diego Drive, since November 2008.

"It's a real pleasure giving back," said Helen Mackey, Tombstone Food Bank board member.

The food bank is open Thursday and Friday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Saturday from 1 to 3 p.m. For donation information, call (520) 457-3697 or Barbara Turner at (520) 678-4738. For general information, visit the food bank at their current location off Highway 80 behind the firehouse at 15 San Diego Drive. In addition, to the food made available to Tombstone locals, the food bank also provides gently used, donated clothes and shoes.

Tombstone's wild past makes it an attractive subject for metaphysical speculation, with a history of violence and a strong mythos to this day.

The Tombstone walkdown is a unique tradition that has been around since the Earps, Clantons and McLaurys. This is the way that the people of Tombstone offer a final tribute to friends who have died.

"I think it is a great and a very unique way to show respect, but it is very emotional," said Darba Jo Butler who works at the Bird Cage Theatre and has lived in Tombstone the last five years.