Ghost towns have an almost universal appeal. But as with Route 66, and the decades of our youth, the reality is different from the perception.

In my minds eye, I am still 20, maybe 30. And then I shave in the morning and reality overcomes the illusion. People envision a ghost town as empty streets where tumbleweeds roam free. The reality is often a foundation or two amongst the brush.

Ghost Towns

I suppose that for many folks of my generation the allure of ghost towns began with childhood. Tales of lost treasure and gunfighters, and hours watching high riding heroes on the silver screen kicked the imagination into high gear.

A conversation about ghost towns figured prominently in the April 21 episode of Coffee With Jim. Historian Ron Stewart was the guest on the Jim HInckley’s America podcast.

Ron has a passion for things like the Coronado expedition of 1540, the history of the San Pedro River country of southern Arizona, and the old town of Fairbank.

Fairbank

Fairbank was a railroad town. But there is ample evidence to indicate that folks were living at this site along the San Pedro River long before the arrival of the Spanish conquistadors.

Like Route 66, Tombstone to the south has always had better press and publicity than Fairbank. Likeiwse with Wyatt Earp compared to Jefferson Davis Milton.

It’s funny how that works out. Most everyone is familiar with Tombstone, Wyatt Earp, and a little incident at the OK Corral. But who remembers Milton, or the gunfight in Fairbank back in 1900?

Jefferson Davis Milton

Earp, like many lawman and heroes of the western frontier, straddled the line between legal and illegal. His law enforcement career, mostly in Dodge City and Tombstone, was relatively short.

On the other hand Milton apparently never stepped across the line. He was a lawman. His career kicked off in 1878. And he was forced to retire in 1932. Incredibly thirty two of those years was spent as a one armed lawman as a result of the gunfight in Fairbank.

His long career was diverse. It started when he lied about his age and joined the Texas Rangers. He was assigned he Bend Bend country, one of the most lawless places in America at the time. He also served as a stock inspector with duties that included chasing rustlers. And he had a stint as the chief of police in El Paso.

He also worked as an express agent for Wells Fargo. That was the job he had when Three Fingered Jack Dunlop, Bravo Juan Yaos, and another outlaw tried to rob the train. When the gunsmoke cleared, Milton’s arm was shattered by gunfire. Dunlop and Yaos were mortally wounded.

Milton was the nations first official border patrol officer. And he was also tasked with escorting anarchists back to Russia under guard. All of this is just a small part of the Fairbank and Milton story. And it is a sneak peak at this epsiode of Coffee With Jim. 

Ghost Town Adventures

Do you have a ghost town story? When did your passion for ghost towns begin? Please, share them in the comment section. And take a listen to the recent episode of Coffee With Jim.