FAIRBANK

NAME: Fairbank
COUNTY: Cochise
ROADS: 2WD
LEGAL INFO: T20S, R21E
CLIMATE: Mild winter, Hot summer
BEST TIME TO VISIT: Anytime
COMMENTS: 10 miles west of Tombstone.On SR 82 east, mile 61 (Nogales to Tombstone). Video available, see below.
REMAINS: A few buildings and foundations

 

Faibank's post office was established May 16, 1883 and has not been discontinued. Named for N.K. Fairbank, Fairbank was a railroad supply point and stage terminal. The town had about 100 people and a Wells Fargo office, store, restaurant, meat market, saloon, and a mill.The general store was open until a few years ago and Fairbank is still on the Southern Pacific Railroad today. - Ghosttowns.com

 

Update: Howdy, I just wanted to send you some updated information on Fairbank, Arizona. It seems the post office shut down in the early 1970's. I have also included some recent pictures (March 26, 2001) that you may use. Included is the Post office, one of the houses, an interior shot of a house, the grand central mill, and a few from the cemetary which is in suprisingly good shape. If you decide to use any of these pictures, all I ask is that you credit them to TOMBSTONEWEB.COM Thank you and have a Great Day! Keith Davis

Addition: Fairbank who is 10 miles from Tombstone was a second satellite community to Tombstone who came to live with construction of New Mexico & Arizona Railroad. This short line were connection between Southern Pacific track in Benson and border town Nogales. Fairbank was grounded were track turn to west. Town were named after Nathaniel Kellogg Fairbank, one Chicago investor who was ground member of Grand Central Mining Company in Tombstone. Town has never more then 100 people, but allot of tracks, because 3 different railroad companies established depots here. Because of the railroad Fair-bank lives longer then Charleston and Millville. Fairbank was the place were once was a train robbery that involved one of Arizona's most respectable lawman, Jeff Milton. In February 1900, Milton was in express train and guarded Wells Fargo money box. A gang, including Billy Stiles and Burt Alvord (both lawman who turn to be a criminals) attack the train when the train stopped in Fairbank for water. Milton wounded deadly one of five robbers. During the shooting he were hit in the left arm and he trove the key of money box out in the bushes, try another door. The bandits pulled back and robbery failure. One of the bandits escape to Mexico and 3 others were captured. Milton were so badly wounded, so they take him with the train to a chirurge in San Francisco. When the doctor tell him that the arm has to be amputee (cut over), he say: "That man who cut my arm will be a dead man". His arm were saved and he was able to use the arm again. Fairbank, which is now head quarter for San Pedro River Resource Conservation Area, has many god ghost buildings. Submitted by: Bobby Krause Zlatevski

Hello, I visited the site of Fairbank, AZ today (2/28/02), and noticed some severe damage to the area. The entire south side of the post office building has collapsed, and this building is now surrounded by a chain link fence stating that the site is "temporarily closed to the public". The trails and all surrounding the area appeared to be open, though. This is a horrible shame... not only is the building a very interesting object, but the Fairbank area was recently mentioned at length in a Sierra Vista Herald article. -Scott Jaeger

At the time of the Earp/Clanton/McLaury gunfight near the OK Corral Fairbank, Arizona was the railroad rail-head nearest  to Tombstone. Following Virgil's ambushing and Morgan Earp's murder in early 1882, it was at Fairbank's train depot that the Earp clan boarded the train with Morgan's body for the trip to California via Tucson.

Ronnie Benson


Fairbank
Courtesy Tom McCurnin


Fairbank
Courtesy Tom McCurnin


Fairbank
Courtesy Tom McCurnin


Fairbank
Courtesy Tom McCurnin


Fairbank
Courtesy Tom McCurnin


VIDEO AVAILABLE


Fairbank circa 1890
Courtesy Arizona Historical Society


Fairbank Today
Courtesy Tom McCurnin


Fairbank, 1980
Courtesy Tom McCurnin


Fairbank
Courtesy Keith Davis


Fairbank
Courtesy Keith Davis


Fairbank
Courtesy Keith Davis


Fairbank
Courtesy Keith Davis


Fairbank
Courtesy Keith Davis


Fairbank
Courtesy Keith Davis


Fairbank
Courtesy Keith Davis


Fairbank
Courtesy Keith Davis


Fairbank
Courtesy Keith Davis


Fairbank
Courtesy Keith Davis


Fairbank
Courtesy Keith Davis

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