Tucson's Public Art
Wyatt Earp & Doc Holliday

Title: Wyatt Earp and Doc Holliday, by Dan Bates (2005)

Location: Behind the Tucson Train Depot on North Toole.

Details: Bronze life-size sculptures, without even so much as a plaque to describe who's who, or why they are here. Presented by the Friends of Western Art.

She Said:

Tucson's connection to the Old West - hmmm. Having moved here from the east, I must say that I have always thought of Tucson as being part of the west, old or otherwise. That having been said, I'll add that I rather like these bronze gentlemen, poised as they are behind the railroad depot. They don't exactly look as though they're waiting for a train, but they do bring a glimpse of the past to the present, what with their long coats and hardware. As far as which one is which, I think that the one on the left is Earp, and the somewhat more nattily attired one on the right is Doc. Readers, what do you think?

He Said:

This is Tucson's connection to the Old West, specifically the most infamous gunfight of them all. Months after the gunfight at the OK Corral, Wyatt Earp and Doc Holliday caught up with Frank Stillwell at the railroad depot in Tucson, where he was sent to the hereafter (but not by train).

While I think it's a odd thing to commemorate a shooting that took place, oh, about 120 years ago -- especially since there is some controversy over the motive for the shooting, these are well done and add interest to the back of the depot. Perhaps in the future, we may know which one is Doc, and which is Wyatt.



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Copyright © 2005 S. Halversen. All rights reserved.