Rachelle Whiting Becomes First Woman Sheriff of Calaveras County

Calaveras County Sheriff Rachelle Whiting
The First Woman Sheriff of Calaveras County's 174-year History

A first in the 174-year history of Calaveras County, California, has taken place. There's a new Sheriff in Calaveras County and the Sheriff's a woman.

Though women working in law enforcement in some capacity is nothing new today, I was surprised to find out recently that there are only a few women County Sheriffs in the entire United States. In fact, according to the National Sheriff's Association, "There are less than 60 women Sheriffs currently serving across the country. Less than 2% of America's Sheriffs are women."

Imagine that! Less than 60 women Sheriffs in the whole country. And here's something else, my research tells me there are 3,143 counties and county-equivalents in all 50 states and the District of Columbia. So yes indeed, Calaveras County Sheriff Rachelle Whiting is part of a small but very prestigious group.

So how did this come about? Well, over her 24 years with the Calaveras County Sheriff’s Office, Rachelle Whiting has risen through the ranks by working hard and demonstrating that she is a fine leader. Over the years, she's received several awards and commendations from the Sheriff’s Office including Deputy Sheriff of the Year, Campaign Ribbons, Unit Citations, and Medals of Merit commendations. But really, there's more to the story than just that.

On October 26, 2022, Calaveras County Sheriff Rick DiBasilio promoted Rachelle Whiting to the position of Undersheriff. On December 7, 2023, Undersheriff Whiting graduated from the FBI National Academy. Located on more than 500 acres within the immense Marine Corps Base in Quantico, Virginia, the FBI Academy's 10-week program is renowned for its academic excellence and provides advanced training in areas such as communication, leadership, and fitness.

The FBI National Academy website states, "Classes are offered in a diverse set of areas, and officers participate in a wide range of leadership and specialized training. Officers share ideas, techniques, and experiences with each other and create lifelong partnerships that transcend state and national borders."

Then there's "The Yellow Brick Road" which is more than just a fitness challenge.

The FBI National Academy website states, "The final test is the fitness challenge. The Yellow Brick Road is a grueling 6.1-mile run through a hilly, wooded trail built by the U.S. Marines. Along the way, the participants must climb over walls, run through creeks, jump through simulated windows, scale rock faces with ropes, crawl under barbed wire in muddy water, maneuver across a cargo net, and more. When (and if) the students complete this difficult test, they receive an actual yellow brick to memorialize their achievement."



As you can see by the picture above of her holding her yellow brick stating "Yellow Brick Road FBINA 288" (FBI National Academy Session 288), she successfully completed five graduate-level courses and an extremely challenging fitness program.

Please understand that this prestigious achievement is huge. This is a big deal. This program is so highly selective that the FBI National Academy only accepts the top 1% of law enforcement leaders worldwide.

Sheriff Rick DiBasilio said, "Undersheriff Rachelle Whiting's graduation from the FBI National Academy is a significant achievement for our department. We are incredibly proud of her and confident that her new insights and skills will significantly contribute to the safety of our community."

Then, with a few years left to serve in his position, in May of this year, 2024, after eight years in office as Calaveras County Sheriff and having over two decades of service with the department, Sheriff Rick DiBasilio announced his retirement date as August 9, 2024. His recommendation to the Calaveras County Board of Supervisors was to appoint Undersheriff Rachelle Whiting to serve out his time in office which ends in 2028.

As a resident of Calaveras County, I cannot tell my readers how happy I am that the Board of Supervisors took Sheriff Rick DiBasilio's recommendation to heart and voted her into the position.

As for Sheriff Rick DiBasilio? I was able to get to know him a little over the last couple of years. He is a great man. He's one of the best people that you'd ever find. And frankly, you'd be fortunate to call him a friend.

As for his time as our Sheriff? I'm extremely grateful for Sheriff Rick DiBasilio's devotion to duty, his good heart, and his caring ways. His steadfast dedication to making Calaveras County a safer place for all of us while keeping a positive attitude about things always impressed me. At age 65, he's certainly earned the right to enjoy life with his family. And yes, I wish "Sheriff Rick" all the best.


Undersheriff Rachelle Whiting selected and sworn in by the Calaveras County Board of Supervisors

On August 13, 2024, Undersheriff Rachelle Whiting was selected and sworn in by the Calaveras County Board of Supervisors as the 24th Sheriff of Calaveras County on a 5 to 0 vote. She was administered the oath of office immediately after the vote. Below is what she said to the Board of Supervisors that historic Tuesday morning:

"After 24 years serving our Sheriff’s Office, I am hoping this Board, our community, our agency partners, and especially my co-workers know me and my commitment to Calaveras County by now.

I think my career track record as a law enforcement leader speaks for itself, but I do want to say: I have a Bachelor’s Degree in Business Management, a Graduate Certificate in Criminal Justice, and am close to completing my Master’s Degree in Public Safety.

The reason I bring this up is because I have been impressed and inspired by how many deputies, all the way through the ranks to Captain, have been seeking higher education in addition to their dedicated work at the Sheriff’s Office. It speaks to our commitment to pursuing opportunities that will continue our personal and professional development. I believe the complexities of twenty-first century policing demand educated professional law enforcement leaders and collectively we are here to fill that role.

I am fifth generation Calaveras County. My parents are here today. My adult kid who also graduated from Calaveras High School is here. As with many of our Sheriff’s Office employees, my husband and I understand the intricacies of raising children in our rural county and worrying about childcare, transportation, the safety of our kids in local schools. School safety is a priority.

I understand the necessity and I am committed to ensuring the level of professionalism and level of trust you have come to expect from the Calaveras County Sheriff's Office.

I believe in upholding the Constitutional Rights of our citizens.

Our Sheriff's Office paramount objective is the protection of our communities and public safety in Calaveras County. With my appointment, that will not change. We have a reputation for managing a clean adult detention facility and will ensure focus on valuing the efficiency of the jail and court security operations. We recognize that the community holds us to the highest standards of conduct; and I take the expectation of accountability and transparency serious. We will continue our existing programs and expand on engagement opportunities for community dialogue on how we are doing and what we can do better.

I have been working alongside Sheriff DiBasilio as his second in command since October 2022. We have had a strong succession plan in place for uninterrupted continuity of operations at the Sheriff’s Office. Through recent budget cycles, I have shown this board how I work cooperatively and collaboratively with County Administration and other Department Heads, making hard but fiscally sound decisions without affecting operations or reducing programs at the Sheriff’s Office. That is thanks to the professional and highly experienced command staff that I work cohesively with and led by Captains Ballard, Sturm, Villegas, and the other Sheriff’s Office Administrators.

Rick DiBasilio leaves some big cowboy boot-sized shoes to fill with the expectation of how a Sheriff should be in our community and I will uphold that standard. My goal is to maintain a culture at the Sheriff’s Office focused on our core values by recruiting and retaining the best for Calaveras County.

The Sheriff is just one person. The Calaveras County Sheriff’s Office is full of dedicated self-sacrificing individuals, with huge servant hearts, focused on our community.

I am so proud to be part of and hopefully to continue to have the opportunity to lead this team."

On August 26th, 2024, a local online news agency MyMotherLode.com reported the following:

Outside the government center on Monday, [August 26, 2024] former Calaveras Sheriff’s Captain Christopher Hewitt officially administered the Oath of Office to Whiting. Immediately after, Whiting bestowed the oath onto newly hired members and those who recently achieved a promotional advancement.

According to the Sheriff’s Office, the following promotions were made (noting their years of service). New Undersheriff Chris Villegas with 26 years, Captain Anthony Eberhardt with 25 years, Lieutenant Chad Poortinga with 20 years, Sergeant Jesse Green with six years, Corporal Jason Longoria with five years, and Senior Dispatcher Jade Kesterson with three years. The new hires were Dispatcher Serena Kimes, Correctional Officer Madison Byrd, and Correctional Officer Christopher Lamke.

Sheriff Whiting concluded the ceremony by stating, "These employees are accepting a challenging role focused on heightening public safety and enriching the quality of life for all our citizens."

Several family members, and law enforcement leaders from neighboring communities, were on hand for the event.

As for who was in attendance at her swearing-in on Monday, the news article above didn't do justice to the number of people there. Like so many others, besides me being there to watch history take place that day, the front of the Calaveras County Sheriff's Office saw neighbors, friends, co-workers, local firefighters, members of the California Highway Patrol, and law enforcement officers from a lot of agencies even from as far away as Sparks, Nevada. It was an impressive showing of support.

My friends, while I know of at least one person reading this article who thinks I'm full of "BS," I truly believe you can tell a lot about someone's innermost character, their good soul, by what touches their heart. During the ceremony, there were a few brief moments when Rachelle Whiting had to collect herself and not let go of the stoic facade that goes with being a Cop. It was then that she spoke about the love that she has for her husband and family and those who she feels have been like mentors to her. She came close to losing it a couple of times, but as she has on different occasions, she used humor to get past the moment to attend to the business at hand.

There is a great deal that we learn about the goodness of others by the way they give credit to others for their achievements. I have a tremendous respect for people who do that. In her case, it was wonderful to see her give so much credit to her husband. She made it known that his support was a huge part of why she was standing there at that moment. And yes, my respect for her grew even more at that point. Witnessing such love and devotion between a couple brought tears to the eyes of many there.

As for the job at hand? I know Sheriff Whiting is up to the task. She is extremely caring. She has a great deal of empathy for others, their plight, their situation, and their circumstance. She understands the problems within our community. And yes, she's an extremely intelligent person, who also has a tremendous amount of common sense. What more can we ask for in a Sheriff?

Well, there's this. I love that Sheriff Rachelle Whiting is from here. I love that she grew up here, went to school here, got married here, attends church here, and goes fishing and four-wheeling here. Also, among other things, she's been that parent with a kid showing livestock at the County Fair. She's a fifth-generation in this county, and the fact that she has 24 years of service with the Calaveras County Sheriff's Office, tells me that she knows what we need in our county.

She has my respect and admiration. She knows Calaveras County and the rural culture of the people who live here. And yes, I love that she's made history by becoming the first woman Sheriff in the 174 years of Calaveras County being in existence. While some see this as no big deal, let's remember that women have been treated like second-class citizens, kept down, limited, paid less, and in many cases were often treated as being owned like cattle in this country. So yes, it's a very big deal that Rachelle Whiting is the first woman Sheriff in this county.

Rachelle Whiting is the right woman to be our new Sheriff for all the right reasons. No, this was not some sort of political appointment. She didn't become Sheriff because she's a woman. She was our Undersheriff and she earned it and deserved to be promoted.

She rose through the ranks. She's worked hard. And yes, she's shown that she has what it takes, the right stuff, the smarts, the common sense, the drive to do well, and the ability to lead. She's not afraid to take on tasks. She has the strength to step up, take responsibility, and move forward to accomplish the objective. She does this while maintaining true faith in the Lord. Whether you're a man or a woman, those are extremely admirable attributes.

And no, if you're wondering, her life has not been all roses. Like many of us, life has thrown her huge challenges. Of course, the challenges have only shown her as someone strong, someone who weathers life's struggles, faces life with courage and gets past the losses. All that while not becoming bitter. All that while being a great Cop.

As for Rachelle Whiting becoming the "First Woman Sheriff of Calaveras County," the 24th Sheriff in this county's 174-year history? This is wonderful because she's always been an outstanding role model for young women, and now she is even more so. As an inspiration to others, besides having a career in law enforcement that many an officer would love to emulate, she's an excellent example of what women can achieve in life.

She will encourage aspiring young women to enter things that they are passionate about. Whether it's the law enforcement field, working in forestry, or whatever else fits their passion, Rachelle Whiting encourages young women to strive to fulfill their dreams. As for women in law enforcement, women are natural multitaskers who find balance and can shift smoothly between their roles in leadership and other roles such as Motherhood -- which in itself is tough enough.

As our new Sheriff, Rachelle Whiting is the perfect role model to encourage women to enter law enforcement in some capacity. Of course, when talking about her being an excellent role model, here's something else, Sheriff Rachelle Whiting is an excellent example to all young people living in Calaveras County. Sadly, some have the idea that they're somehow limited in life because they're from a rural county.

Because she's from here, Rachelle Whiting has shattered the unrealistic notion of young people being somehow limited in their goals because of being from a rural area. She's done so by showing young people that the sky's the limit no matter where they're from -- especially if you are a woman. Yes, she proved to everyone that a woman can reach the stars -- even if you're from a rural community like Calaveras County. She's proven that hard work and toughness wins the day.

I believe she will do an outstanding job. And I wish her all the best.

Tom Correa

Dangerous Dan Bogan

Dangerous Dan Bogan

Story by Terry McGahey

One of the least known and underrated gunmen in the Old West was a man by the name of Dan Bogan. Dan Bogan was born in Alabama in 1860 but was moved to Hamilton County, Texas as a young child. By the time he was seventeen or younger he became a cowboy. 

He had two older brothers who became involved in horse theft with one being killed and the other in prison. Known as a troublemaker, Bogan would challenge people to fights.  

On May 2nd, 1881, he and a friend by the name of Dave Kemp were making the rounds of the saloons causing trouble and challenging people. Kemp talked Bogan into leaving and when reaching their horses Bogan spotted a local farmer by the name of F.A. Smith sitting upon his wagon. 

He then began to insult Smith verbally. Then grabbing a chair for Smith's wagon and pounding it on the ground, he once again verbally insulted Smith. At this point, Smith told Bogan, "I don't whip dogs, otherwise I’d step down and whip you." 

Having enough Smith stepped down from his wagon, and as he approached Bogan, Dan reached into his coat pulling a pistol. But it was too late, Smith hit him with one punch knocking him to the ground. Smith then wrestled the gun away from Bogan and while doing so Bogan's friend Kemp ran over and hit Smith with his pistol. Smith then turned with his own gun toward Kemp and pulled the trigger, but his weapon misfired and Kemp fled. Afterward, Smith turned Bogan's gun into the Marshal. I’d say that old boy was pretty tough.

Shortly after Bogan left Hamilton County for the Texas Panhandle and then on to Wilbarger County, Texas. When arriving, Bogan joined up with a cattle drive working for the R-2 Ranch heading up to Dodge City, Kansas. Once in Dodge City, they hit the saloons drinking and partying and getting out of hand so Marshal Jack Bridges with his deputies ran them out of town. While leaving, a small gunfight ensued and a man by the name of John Briley was shot to death during the engagement while Bogan and the others fled town.

Once back in the Panhandle of Texas, Bogan teamed up with a fellow by the name of Tom Harris who started his own outfit called the "Get Even Cattle Company". Reason for that name is because he, Bogan, and others tried to start what you might call a union which got them blacklisted from the ranches of the area before Bogan had left on the cattle drive to Kansas.

Naturally, this outfit was nothing more than cattle rustlers picking up other ranchers' cows and changing the brands to their own, most likely with a running iron. Once the ranchers and county commissioners figured out what was going on and who the culprits were, they hired Pat Garrett of Billy the Kid fame to find them while insinuating he "should or could kill the ring leaders" which included Bogan.

Garrett and his boys gathered up about thirty head of what they figured to be stolen cattle with Bogan's brand on them. Bogan hired an attorney by the name of H.H. Wallace who demanded twenty-five thousand dollars in damages. Oldham County, Texas, fearing that Bogan might possibly have a case settled for eight hundred dollars. 

Later on, indictments were handed down against one hundred and fifty-nine cowboys including Bogan. Most of those cowboys fled the area which satisfied Garrett, all except Bogan and three other cowboys named Bassett, Harris, and Thompson.

In 1885, Garrett and Oldham County Sheriff Jim East learned where the men were hold up on the Howry Cattle Company headquarters in the Panhandle. Riding all night in a snowstorm, the posse reached the house where the men were hiding out. While out gathering wood, Bassett spotted the posse warning the others. 

Tom Harris yelled out to Garrett, "What do you want?" 

Garrett hollered back, "I have warrants for Woods, Thompson, and Bogan, but I have no issues with anyone else." 

Nine cowboys left the house only leaving Thompson and Bogan still inside, Woods was not there at the time. Refusing to surrender, a gunfight ensued with Thompson killed and three posse members slightly wounded, meanwhile Bogan escaped through the back in a blizzard that hit shortly after the posse had arrived.

In 1886, near Lusk, Wyoming, Bogan was working for the Vorhees Ranch and by this time he was known to have killed three men. It's said that the number was twenty-one, but I think this is exaggerated.

One of these men was the owner of a dance hall who had prohibited Bogan from his establishment. Bogan walked in and cold bloodedly shot the owner, killing him. After this incident the editor of a local newspaper by the name of Calkin had written that it was possible that Bogan was wanted in Texas and who had gone by two other names in his past. 

Bogan, along with another cowboy by the name of Sterling Balou, then set out looking for the editor. They entered the Cleveland Brothers Saloon with Bogan drawing his gun and hollering for Calkin and daring anyone to stop him. At this point one of the Cleveland Brothers brought a shotgun to bare upon the two while Constable Charles S. Gunn entered with his gun drawn causing the two to retreat and leave the area.

On January 14, 1887, Bogan was once again causing trouble in a dance hall when once again Constable Gunn entered the building backing Bogan down. Bogan, causing trouble again that same day, brought Constable Gunn to enter the building once more. Bogan with his gun behind his back asked Gunn if he was healed. 

Constable Gunn replied, "I am always armed." 

And with that, Bogan shot Constable Gunn in the stomach. While Gunn was on the floor, Bogan walked over and shot him again point blank in the head. 

During Bogan's attempted escape on horseback, Marshal John Owens shot Bogan in the shoulder with a shotgun knocking him from his horse. Arresting him, Marshal John Owens placed him in the back room of one of the saloons because they had no jail. 

Once again, a Blizzard hit, and with poor security, Bogan escaped once more. Marshal John Owens made the statement that Bogan wouldn’t get too far with his wound and about a week and a half or two Bogan sent word to Marshal Owens, he wanted to surrender and get medical help for his wound because it was beginning to get infected.

Bogan, fearing a lynch mob in Lusk was hesitant and when Marshal Owens took him back he had to fend off a mob that surely wanted to hang him. He was doctored up and the next day Marshal Owens took Bogan and headed towards Cheyenne, Wyoming. By February 4th, Marshal Owens placed him in the Laramie County jail. 

On September 7, 1881, Bogan was convicted of murder and sentenced to hang. Another friend of Bogan's by the name of Hall paid a fellow by the name of Jones to commit a minor crime to be put in jail with Bogan. Jones had hidden sawblades in his shoes, and he and Bogan escaped again through a ventilator shaft. They were also accompanied by two other men named Charles Leroy and Bill Steary.

A posse led by Sheriff Seth Sharpless hunted to escapees with a bounty on their heads of one thousand dollars dead or alive.

Charlie Siringo, an Old West detective, began working undercover finding Hall and his cohorts but Bogan was no longer with them. Siringo produced enough evidence for indictments for Hall and the others resulting in their arrests for assisting Bogan. This hunt led Siringo to Utah and onto New Mexico where he located an old friend of Bogan's who told him, the last he knew Bogan was headed to New Orleans as to catch a ship to Argentina. 

Anything ever heard about Bogan from that time forward was merely hearsay. Charlie Siringo believed that Bogan came back to the United States, was married under a different name, and was raising a family somewhere in Texas. Another former friend of Bogan believed he was married with family living on a small ranch somewhere in Southwestern New Mexico. 

To coin a phrase we use nowadays for Illegal Aliens who disappear and are not apprehended, I guess Dan Bogan became a "got-away."

About the Author

Terry McGahey
Associate Writer/ Old West Historian

Terry has been a working cowboy, a writer, and an Old West historian. He is best known for his fight against the City of Tombstone and its historic City Ordinance Number 9.

He was instrumental in getting the famous Tombstone City Ordinance Number 9 repealed while at the same time forcing the City of Tombstone to fall in line and comply with the laws of the State of Arizona.

If you care to read how he fought Tombstone's City Hall and won, check out:

The Last Gun Fight -- The Death of Ordinance Number 9 (Chapter One)

Democrat Liars And Fakes

Story by Terry McGahey

Well, here we go. Now the Democrat Party has truly rubbed salt in the wounds of all patriotic Americans and those who have served our country. This party of anarchy just keeps getting worse every day. Just look at what incompetence they are trying to shove down the people's throats now. Harris, who has never been elected to any office on her own merits, but yet here she is running for the highest office in the land.

As a patriot, I will never sugarcoat my words or feelings when it comes to the people who want to destroy our country and Harris is the most far-left individual I have ever seen in my lifetime to run for this great office. How do I believe I know this? Simple, she picked one of the most far-left idiots in our country to run as her Vice President, that tells it all.

Just how did Harris get her real start? Well, it is very well known. When she was in her late twenties or maybe about thirty she carried on an extensive sexual affair with sixty-two-year-old Willie Brown, the mayor of San Francisco, who by the way was married at the time. Willie Brown gave her a major leg up by promoting her to all his buddies in order to get her the prosecuting attorney's position. 

Now I don’t know how you feel about this, but in my opinion that makes her nothing better than a whore, just the same as certain so-called starlets in Hollywood who use the casting couch to further their careers. 

Tell me, how is there any difference between the two? There is none! Even Judge Joe Brown stated how she would raise her skirt if it benefited her and in his opinion also, she is a "Ho."

Harris is nothing but a complete phony, or as Trump called her, a "Chameleon." This woman changes her ethnic background depending on the crowd she is speaking to and she even tried to speak with a southern accent when down south which I might add, she did a terrible job at it.

Personally, I would not let this woman be in charge of a latrine, much less be in a position of power, she will say anything and do anything to gain power. Mark my words, if this woman should win the White House she will throw this country further and further into Socialism/Communism than we have ever seen before in this country's history.

Now we have Tampon Tim. This man was the Governor of Minnesota during the Black Lives Matter and others burning down Minneapolis while destroying people's lives and businesses. Here is a man who spent all those years in the National Guard but did nothing except let lawlessness rule.

Speaking of the National Guard, this idiot has overstated his rank and has even said that he carried a rifle in war. This is just another lie because he never served in a war zone. STOLEN VALOR! This makes him nothing but a lying puke.

Old Tampon Tim has no problem with kids getting a sex change and becoming a girl or boy or whatever they believe themselves to be, not once they become eighteen years of age or older, but at any age. This man is sick!!! 

He also wanted to put tampons in the boys bathrooms in school, hence the name "Tampon Tim." You can’t get any further far left than this horrible, ungodly human being, but this is the idiot Harris chose. Again, what’s that say about her. Get a clue people, if they get into office you will wish you had Biden back in office. Slap me for even thinking that, but it’s true.

Folks, these two have proven they are soft on crime. When Harris was a prosecutor she let dangerous criminals out of prison with at least one of them killing again. Old Tampon Tim allowed the chaos in Minneapolis to take place without calling in the National Guard, and to top it all, no one was ever prosecuted for those horrible acts. I don’t know about you, but these are not the kind of people we need running our country.

I do not care if you are a Republican or a Democrat, don’t vote by personalities or party lines, vote according to their past records because a leopard cannot change its spots. If you only vote by personality you are part of the problem that we will face in this country for the next four years or possibly longer and by then it may be too late. 

Harris and Walz will be nothing more than puppets to the Democrat deep state just as Joe Biden was.

Different faces, same old crap.

About the Author

Terry McGahey
Associate Writer/ Old West Historian

Terry has been a working cowboy, a writer, and an Old West historian. He is best known for his fight against the City of Tombstone and its historic City Ordinance Number 9.

He was instrumental in getting the famous Tombstone City Ordinance Number 9 repealed while at the same time forcing the City of Tombstone to fall in line and comply with the laws of the State of Arizona.

If you care to read how he fought Tombstone's City Hall and won, check out:

The Last Gun Fight -- The Death of Ordinance Number 9 (Chapter One)

Tombstone's Boot Hill

Story by Terry McGahey

The Boot Hill cemetery in Tombstone Arizona first opened in the year of 1878 and was pretty well filled up by 1884 when it was closed. In 1884 the new cemetary was opened about a half mile west of town.

Below I have compiled the different reasons people were interned within Boot Hill, how they died gives somewhat of an insight of how they also lived, if murdered, by accident, natural causes, suicide, hanged or killed by Apaches. I will start with the lowest numbers of why they died leading to the largest.

Legally hanged. 

This number is much lower than what most people would think. There were only six men hung that resided in Boot Hill and one of them was a man by the name of Geo Johnson who was hung by mistake. Mr. Johnson bought a stolen horse and therefore hung as a horse thief only later to be found innocent. One other by the name of John Heath was taken from the jail by a lynch mob and hanged from a telegraph pole

Suicides. 

This number is much lower than I would have thought. Only seven are interred within Boot Hill for taking their own lives. I would have thought more because Laudanum, a mix of whiskey and cocaine was used widely during that time for pain relief.

Killed by Apaches. 

Only eight people in Boot Hill have met this fate. One man was stoned to death by the Apache while two others were killed while gathering wood. The other five are just listed as being killed. Again, I am surprised by that low number given the location in South Eastern Arizona which at that time was the Apache homeland.

Mining accidents. 

There are nine miners interred in Boot Hill because of accidents within the mines. Given the lack of safety during that time period, I would have thought many more miners would have died and been interned there. Of course, this doesn’t mean more hadn’t died in the mines, it just means there are only nine within Boot Hill.

Unknown deaths. 

There are thirty-four individuals in Boot Hill whose markers are just listed as dead and there are also others that have been lost to time. I am pretty sure some of these are natural deaths while others may be from other causes but only god knows the true reasons for their passing.

Natural deaths, disease, horse wrecks, and drownings in the San Pedro River. 

Forty-seven people in Boot Hill met their ends by the combination of fatalities listed above. Two young brothers drown in the river as well as two cowboys crossing the river. Two men had wagon accidents falling from their wagons and being crushed by the wheels. There is also one cowboy who was killed in a stampede. There are also several who died from disease including one young boy who died from drinking bad water.

Shot, Stabbed, or Murdered. 

In only five and a half to six years of burials in the Boot Hill cemetery, sixty-six people died of being shot, stabbed, or murdered in some other way in Tombstone. So between sixty to seventy months, this equals about one man per month shot down, stabbed, or murdered by other means. 

Putting another perspective on this, most of these killings were from the earlier years of the 1880s because by 1884 things quieted down in Tombstone to a degree, so this time period of murder is mostly within about four years. It’s true, Tombstone was one of the most dangerous Wild West towns in the country.

About the Author

Terry McGahey
Associate Writer/ Old West Historian

Terry has been a working cowboy, a writer, and an Old West historian. He is best known for his fight against the City of Tombstone and its historic City Ordinance Number 9.

He was instrumental in getting the famous Tombstone City Ordinance Number 9 repealed while at the same time forcing the City of Tombstone to fall in line and comply with the laws of the State of Arizona.

If you care to read how he fought Tombstone's City Hall and won, check out:

The Last Gun Fight -- The Death of Ordinance Number 9 (Chapter One)

The Total Wreck Arizona Shooting 1882

Total Wreck, Arizona, c.1885.

Today it's a ghost town in Pima County, Arizona, with very little remaining to show that there was ever a "town there." It was founded in 1879. The population was large enough to open a Post Office there in 1881. The population was 200 or 300 residents in 1883, at which time the town included five saloons, three general stores, a butcher shop, a shoemaker shop, and a half dozen Chinese laundries. The Post Office officially closed when the town was abandoned just a few years later in 1890. 

The town was built 7 miles from what is today the ghost town of Pantano, Arizona, which sits between Vail and Benson along the old Southern Pacific Railroad line and the Empire Ranch. 

Silver was discovered in the Richmond lode of the Empire mining district in the eastern Empire Mountains in 1879. By 1884 mines of the area had produced some $5,000,000 in silver bullion. Mining declined through the 1890s and early 1900s.

As for its name, one story says that John L. Dillon, the owner of the mining claim, named his mine Total Wreck because he thought that the mine was on a ledge that looked like "a Total Wreck" -- especially since it sat below a quartzite ledge with large boulders of quartzite strewn all over. 

The other story of its name comes from an 1882 news story in The Los Angeles Times reporting that the "strange appellation" of Total Wreck came about when "After a laborious search for minerals in the vicinity of the mine, one day previous to its discovery, Mr. Dillon replied to a friend's inquiry of 'What luck?' by saying: 'Oh, it's a total wreck!' "

In one report from The Los Angeles Times in 1882, a report stated:

The town of Total Wreck has no appearance of a wreck. It is a thrifty, neat-looking village, the streets laid out at right angles. The main street is named Dillon Street in honor of the discoverer of the mine, and the first to discover minerals in this district... 

The town has two stores, two hotels, a restaurant, five saloons, a carpenter, a blacksmith, a butcher, and a shoe shop; also a dressmaker's store, a brewery, and about thirty-five houses... 

It has a residential magistrate and a deputy sheriff, and in case of trouble with the Indians or roughs,  Ninety men could be mustered within Sixty minutes.

Business owners in that year were "N.R. Vail, Salsig & Ballou, Chas. Altschul, A.J. Bobo, Snyder & Co., Nelson & George, P.J. Delahanty, John Vaughn, Alex. Chisholm, S.S. Danner, McClellan & Williams, and Mr. Ballou."

As for the Total Wreck Arizona Gunfight of 1882? Well, on December 2nd, 1882, The Tombstone Epitaph published the following story: 

Trouble at Total Wreck

The EPITAPH yesterday morning contained a brief telegraphic announcement of the attempted assassination of E.B. Salsig at Total Wreck, last Friday afternoon. Since then we have learned the following additional particulars:

The would-be assassin is a man named John Drummond, who is known to many residents of Tombstone. The trouble is supposed to have grown out of Drummond's interference with the sale of an important mine in the Empire District and the views Mr. Salsig expressed about the matter.

Drummond visited the store of Salsig & Sifford, called Salsig out on the street and interrogated him in relation to the matter, applying to him epithets which most men resist. Salsig hit Drummond. 

In response Drummond drew a revolver and shot Salsig there times. The first shot went through Salsig's arm, near the elbow,  fortunately not touching the bone, only making a flesh wound. The second shot struck his side pocket and went through his pocketbook and a bundle of letters, the ball dropped in the pocket; but for this, it might have produced a fatal wound. The third shot cut his coat just above the hip. 

Drummond was arrested and bound over to appear before the Grand Jury, in the paltry sum of $1500. It would be well if such characters as this Drummond could be summarily dealt with. 

-- (end of Tombstone Epitaph report of December 2nd, 1882).

Now according to some sources, legend has it that E. B. Salsig's bundle of letters were love letters. Legend has it that when Salsig was struck in the chest by that second bullet fired from Drummond, Salsig didn't die because he was saved by the large bundle of love letters. Supposedly, those "love letters" absorbed the impact of the bullet and saved his life. Legend also says that E.B. Salsig married the woman who had written those letters.

While I don't know if those letters were "love letters," it does make for a great legend.

Tom Correa