One of the most famous gun battles of all time, the gunfight at the OK Corral, took place in Tombstone on October 26, 1881. Wyatt, Virgil, and Morgan Earp, along with Doc Holliday attempted to disarm a cowboy group consisting of Billy Clairburn, Billy Clanton, Tom McLaury, Ike Clanton, and Frank McLaury. Three of the cowboys were killed and Virgil Earp, Morgan Earp, and Doc Holliday was wounded. The fight lasted only 30 seconds. At the time, the key players had no idea that they had just been involved in the most famous gunfight in the history of the Wild, Wild West!
The story of The Gunfight at the OK Corral, eventually became a moviemaker’s dream. Many say that Doc Holliday left Griffin, Georgia and rode off into those make-believe Hollywood movies that made him a legend. In the movies, he appeared a fearless gunman and killer. But, in reality he was a very sick man whose only fear was his degenerating physical condition due to the tuberculosis. Sadly, Doc’s only consolation was gambling and the companionship of Kate Elder. In his heart, he secretly longed for Georgia and the family and friends he had left behind.
The legend of Doc Holliday and his gunfights provided Hollywood with movies that could only be described as Western thrillers. However, using Hollywood’s artistic license, scriptwriters often portrayed Doc Holliday’s life incorrectly. They had Doc killing men he never knew and in places he had never been, and some men he is credited with killing were slain by other gunfighters, and some were not killed at all.
In May of 1887, Doc’s trail finally led him to Glenwood Springs, Colorado, and a town famous for mineral baths. He hoped the baths would help to curb the symptoms of the tuberculosis. Instead, he grew progressively worse. On November 8, 1887, he awoke, asked for a glass of whiskey, drank it, and said “this is funny”…and died. At the age of thirty-six, Doc played his one last hand and lost.
Inaccurate reports followed Doc after his death. His obituary was printed in a variety of newspapers, but none of them agreed on the facts. The local newspaper stated that Doc was buried in Linwood Cemetery, Glenwood Springs, Colorado, at 4:00 p.m. November 8, 1887. However, the steep trail that led to the cemetery, which sits on a hill, was impassable because of bad weather. In truth, Doc was buried in a temporary grave at the foot of the hill. The paper also stated that many friends attended his funeral. Since he was buried the same day that he died, this, too, is doubtful.
Today, Linwood Cemetery, overlooking Glenwood Springs, contains a headstone and a monument to the memory of one Doc Holiday. Supposedly, he was buried there. But, historians agree that he was not. Both the monument and headstone are filled with mistakes. Tombstone historian Ben Traywick, states it best: “It is difficult to see how many mistakes could be made on a headstone without trying.”
Historical writings state that Doc Holliday died on November 8th, 1887, and was buried in the Linwood Cemetery in Glenwood Springs, Colorado. The records in Glenwood Springs do not indicate where Doc is buried in the cemetery. In fact, some historians doubt that he is buried there at all. As a member of the Doc Holliday Society, I have research that indicates Doc may be buried in his hometown of Griffin, Georgia.
Bill Dunn of Griffin can tell you exactly where he thinks the remains of that legend are located. Dunn, who is the head of the Doc Holliday Society and a distant relative of Holliday’s, has been engaged in extensive research on the Holliday family for the past 17 years. Bill states,” There is no doubt in my mind why the people in Glenwood Springs don’t know exactly where Doc is buried, as he isn’t there. I believe Doc is buried right here in his hometown of Griffin. Doc was originally buried in Linwood Cemetery, but he is not there now. You just don’t lose the grave of a man who held his celebrity status.”
Some researchers believe that Doc’s father, Major Henry Holliday, C.S.A., went to Glenwood Springs and claimed his son’s remains. Anyone who says that Major Holliday didn’t have motive to return his remains back to his place of birth discounts the strength of a Southern heritage. Money was not an issue. Major Holliday was a very wealthy man. Transportation of the coffin would probably have been done by rail, as the train depot in Griffin was within a mile of the cemetery.
Dunn thinks that if the Major did not retrieve Doc’s remains himself, he had his nephew, Robert Alexander Holliday, go for him. In fact, Doc’s girlfriend, Kate Elder, recalled that one of Doc’s cousins visited him in Tombstone after the shootout at the OK Corral. Dunn believes that this man was cousin Robert. After Doc’s death, it seems reasonable that Robert would have traveled out to retrieve the body, provided the Major had asked the favor.
Strangely coincidental, or maybe not, the grave of Major Holliday is also missing. Considering that the Major was a wealthy landowner, hero of three wars, and mayor of Valdosta, Georgia, that fact seems unlikely. Major Holliday outlived his son, but not the legend. He died on February 22, 1893, in Valdosta, but his grave has never been located. Dunn has found the grave of every Holliday except for the Major and Doc. Dunn now believes without a doubt that he has found the unmarked graves of both in Griffin’s Oak Hill Cemetery.
The two unmarked graves that Dunn has found are located in the plot of close friends of the Hollidays. The families were very close and the friends may have agreed to an anonymous burial of Doc in their family plot to avoid vandalism of his grave. “I believe they buried Doc in Oak Hill when he was brought back from Glenwood Springs and Major Holliday was buried there when he died,” Dunn said. “Why would a plot containing expensive marble markers of the family contain two concrete slab graves with no marking? Could it be they wanted them to remain anonymous?
Osgood Miller, an employee of Clark Monument Company for forty-six years, supports Dunn’s claim. He remembers the late Charlie McElroy, who was the cemetery superintendent during the 1930s, telling him that Doc Holliday was buried in Oak Hill. Charlie had pointed in the direction of the Thomas plot. Several years later the late Griffin historian Laura Clark pointed out the same area as Doc’s final resting place.
In 1906, The Washington Post stated, “Doc Holliday was a native of Georgia and take him all in all, he was possessed of the most daredevil and reckless bravery of any of his associates.” After all these years, does Doc’s ghost walk the streets of Griffin at night? Not likely, but if you visit Oak Hill Cemetery on a moon-lit night you may encounter, as Wyatt Earp once said, “the nerviest, fastest, deadliest man with a six-gun I ever saw.” As Doc once said, “you may be a daisy if you do!”
Now, for the instructions: Find #1.
At this site you will find two dates (on the stone marker), one near the top and the other at the bottom.
Take the top date and add 12868 to find: N33 ??.???.
Take the bottom date and subtract 1686 to find W084 15.???.
And off we go to number two.
Take off your hat, as you should find 2 identical unmarked graves. We believe these are the graves of Doc and his father. Stand between the graves and face towards the west. On a bearing of approximately 258 degrees, walk about 175 feet. You may encounter some small walls and obstacles in your route, but just keep on trucking. A final wall will be too high to just “walk over,” so stop. Here you will find a grave with the words "MEZPAH." (Notice the strange items on top of the grave there. They have been untouched for well over 100 years!!!)
Now, face due south and walk about 475 feet. If you are unsure of the direction, you can use the wall here as it points due south, and exactly at the final cache container..
Please be discrete while searching.
 Kid Friendly  Dogs Allowed
 Available year-round  Restricted hours  Bicycles permitted on paths  Less than 500 ft. from car to cache
 No restrooms available  Accessible in Winter
 Beware of Muggles!  Bring a pen or pencil  Historic Site |
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