Above is a photo of the Golden Eagle Brewery as it looks today as the Crystal Palace Saloon on the corner of Fifth and Allen Street in Tombstone. Near midnight on December 28, 1881, Virgil Earp was walking across Fifth Street towards the front door of the Eagle Brewery when numerous shotgun blasts rang out from a second floor window of the Huachuca Water Company building across Allen Street. Virgil Earp survived this ambush, however his left arm was seriously injured and damaged for life.
Ike and Phin Clanton were arrested for this shooting, however they were both released and the charges were dropped after numerous witnesses testified that Ike and Phin were in Charleston (13 miles away) when the attack occurred.
During the 1880's, this building was two stories (now a false front) which housed the offices of Virgil Earp and Doctor Goodfeller, better known as the gunfigther surgeon, and others.
Today the Crystal Palace Saloon is still a favorite watering hole and meeting place for many Tombstone residents.
The Crystal Palace during the 1940's
before it was restored
to look like it did in the 1880's
A postcard in the 1930's (pictured)
shows the bar
before it was restored to it's 1879
- 1882 original look.
Crystal Palace Saloon in November
2001
© 1996-2005 All Rights Reserved - No Part of this Website nor any of it's contents may be reproduced in any manner without written permission from TombstoneArizona.comContact site webmaster.