About this Item
Ca. 8 pages of autograph manuscript text (in pencil), ca. 20 pages of typed manuscript text, and ca. 12 pages of typed manuscript carbon text, in all ca. 40 pages ca. 25,4x20,3 cm (10 x 8 in); 17 loose original gelatin silver photographs from ca. 12,6x17,7 cm (5 x 7 in) to 6,4x8,6 cm (2 ½ x 3 ¼ in), 21 photo negatives from ca. 8,5x10,8 cm (3 ½ x 4 ¼ in) to 5,7x5,9 cm (2 ¼ x 2 ¼ in); 1 real photo postcard ca. 8,8x13,7 cm (3 ½ x 5 ½ in) signed, addressed, and stamped; 1 period photographic film processing envelope ca. 12,6x17 cm (5 x 6 ½ in) filled in pencil to "Margie Stegmeier 11/20/1937"; 2 land patents ca. 35,5x21,4 cm (14 x 8 ½ in) with secretarial signature of Woodrow Wilson and blind-embossed seal of the United States Land Office, in all 4 pages of text; "Field Notes General Land Office Leather Notebook" ca. 18,6x11,4 cm (7 ¼ x 4 ½ in) with 11 pages of manuscript text and six newspaper clippings from ca. 15,9x8,5 cm (6 ¼ x 3 ¼ in) to ca. 2x5,8 cm (0 ¾ x 2 ¼ in); ca. 18 pages of period newspapers (including newspapers "Tombstone Epitaph" (second section) of December 26, 1926 and "The Oasis" of November 17, 1927) and two newspaper clippings mounted on a paper; with two signed letters (including one carbon copy) ca. 28,2x 21,6 cm (11 x 8 ½ in) exchanged between Robert P. Palazzo and Arizona Historical Society; and ca. 56 pages of xerox copies of Melvin's articles, obituaries, reminiscences, his mentions in the writings of different authors, etc. Manuscript leaves mostly toned with some wear, one leaf lacks a small fragment at the lower left corner (no text affected); typed manuscripts and carbon copies with occasional fold marks and pencil/pen corrections; photographs slightly age-toned; envelope worn; field notes leather notebook with glue marks and the loss of a small fragment at the corner of the first page (no text affected), newspapers with minor tears at the edges and fold marks, but overall a very good historically interesting archive. An important, extensive archive of original and typed manuscripts, official documents, newspapers, field notes, gelatin silver photographs, and photo negatives from the pioneer days of Arizona Territory, with interesting notes about early Apache raids and violent killings of local settlers, the alternative story behind the O.K. Corral Gunfight, and the origins of Tombstone, also known as "the deadliest town in the West." Arizona, formerly part of the New Mexico Territory, was organized as a separate U.S. territory in 1863. In the early 1860s, it became a peripheral theater of the Civil War, with Confederate forces briefly occupying Tucson before being driven out by the Union's California Column. The following decades saw rapid growth driven by migration and discoveries of gold near Prescott in 1863, silver at Tombstone in 1877 and copper at Bisbee. This expansion unfolded amid frequent conflict with Apache groups and widespread frontier lawlessness, with raids and outlaws shaping daily life. The arrival of the railroad in 1880 accelerated development, and by the early 20th century the population exceeded 100,000, leading to statehood in 1912. The archive relates to Arizonian pioneer Melvin W. Jones (ca. 1859-1933), born in Georgia in 1857. He came west to Arizona Territory with his family in 1875 and settled near Fort Thomas where his father bought a ranch from the local outlaw Ike Clanton (ca. 1847-1887). In this early frontier setting Melvin became acquainted with many criminals of the Tombstone era, including Billy Clanton (ca. 1862-1881), Frank (ca. 1849-1881) and Tom McLaury (ca. 1853-1881) (participants in the O.K. Corral gunfight ? a brief 1881 shootout in Tombstone, Arizona, between the Earp brothers and Doc Holliday on one side and the Clanton?McLaury gang on the other), Johnny Ringo (ca. 1850-1882), Joe Hill (ca. 1849-1884), and "Curly Bill" (ca. 1845-1882) (all associated with opposition to the Earp/Holliday faction). Jones later served as Justice of the Peace at Fort Tho.
Seller Inventory # NY012
Contact seller
Report this item
