This popular saloon of
today first got its start as the Grand Hotel in September, 1880. Declared
as one of the finest hotels in the state, the hotel was luxuriously
furnished, provided thick carpeting, and its walls were adorned with
costly oil paintings. Providing 16 bedrooms, each with a "view,” they were
fitted with solid walnut furnishings, toilet stands, fine fixtures, and
wallpaper. The lobby was equipped with three elegant chandeliers and more
luxurious furnishings, while the kitchen boasted hot and cold running
water and facilities to serve some 500 people in the span of a couple of
hours. The hotel opened with an invitation only ball on September 9,
1880.
During its first few years, the hotel often housed some of Tombstone's
most famous residents including Wyatt
and Virgil Earp, Doc Holliday, and
the Clanton Gang
when they came into town. In fact, Ike Clanton and the
two McLaury
brothers were registered guests the night before the famous
OK Corral
gunfight.
There was also another interesting character living at the hotel during
its heydays -- a man they called the "Swamper.” A janitor and odd job man
of the hotel, the Swamper was regarded as an honest employee and was
given accommodations as part of his pay. His bedroom, located in a dark
corner of the basement not only served as a retreat from the hotel’s many
customers, but also, his own private mineshaft. The basement, located deep
below the surface of Tombstone's
streets, was not too far from the many
mine shafts which ran beneath the town. For some time, Swamper painstaking
spent his off hours tunneling an entrance from his bedroom to the nearby
mine shafts. When his tunnel was complete, he was able to access a thick
vein of silver, where he began to "moonlight” as a miner, taking from the
vein silver nugget after silver nugget. What he did after hoarding his
silver is unknown, but many believe it may still be hidden somewhere
beneath Big Kate’s Saloon.
Alas, the Grand Hotel’s luxurious life would be a short one as she did not
survive the devastating fire of May 25, 1882. Above ground, the only thing
that remained standing were her seven graceful arches and her floor joists
on the main level. The rest of the building collapsed into the basement.
Today, the building is home to Big Nose Kate’s Saloon. A number of changes
have been made to the original structure since it burned down and has been
rebuilt. The bar area, that was originally housed in the basement of the
old hotel, is now located on the main level. In the basement is a gift
shop, but the tunnel leading to the mine shafts still exists. The saloon
holds the Grand Hotel’s original long bar, the only one of which survived
the fire of 1882 and is still available for thirsty patrons. The only
other long bar that survived the two infernos is in the Bird Cage Theatre,
now a museum. Imagine setting your elbows down on the very place that once
did the
Earps, Doc Holliday, and the Clantons.
Today, not only does this historic saloon continue to be popular among its
new patrons, but is also said to remain home to a couple of spectral ones
as well. Naturally, the most evident is that of the "Swamper,” who
allegedly has never left the building. Staff, locals and tourists alike
have had experiences with this old miner, ranging from photos where he has
appeared, to a number of fleeting appearances as he roams the halls,
stairways, and especially the basement. Part of the legend claims that
the "Swamper” hid his silver somewhere in the building and returns to
protect it.
Other appearances have been made by fleeting cowboy
spirits which have
been seen at the bar, standing in doorways, and by one account, knocking
over cases of beer in the basement.
Perhaps, this is one of our old
friends – the
Earps
or Holliday?
Other witnesses have claimed to have heard phantom people singing and
talking in deserted rooms, reported that things fall to the floor of their
own accord, doors open and close with unseen hands, lights turn on and off
by themselves, and silverware has been known to go flying off tables.
The mannequins on the false balcony have seemingly been moved and
sometimes even tossed from the balcony. The sounds of footsteps and muted
voices are often heard coming from the basement when no one is down there.
Areas in the saloon also experience extreme cold spots and gusts of cold
air.
Photographers have made numerous reports of strange hazy forms appearing
in images, as well as having numerous camera malfunctions.
One story tells of the building’s owner and several employees exploring
old "Swamper’s” tunnel. They soon discovered that it still led all the way
to the old shafts of the Toughnut Mine. Safely, they made their way back
to the basement, but as they approached Swamper’s tunnel, they heard a
loud moaning sound and heavy footsteps coming down the stairs leading to
the tunnel.
Kathy and Dave at Big Kate's Saloon, April,
2007.
Sure that someone had come into the building, they came out of the tunnel,
immediately searching the premises, only to find the building empty and
the doors still locked. Perhaps Swamper was afraid they were going to find
his silver?
Other strange events have occurred on the staircases leading to the
basement, including female employees who have felt pushed off the last
stair. Another female employee felt cold, clammy hands encircling her
throat.
Whatever you do, don't let the ghosts scare you because the atmosphere and
food at Big Kate's Saloon is wonderful and place is a "must stop" in
Tombstone.
The restaurant/saloon is located at 417 E Allen Street.
More Ghosts
There are yet more hauntings in
Tombstone, such as a ghost
who allegedly haunts Room 119 at the old
Tombstone Hotel. Sometime in
the past, a man evidently hanged himself in the room, and now, guests
report hearing voices and witnesses objects moving in the room.
A
ghostly man in a frock coat has been seen wandering near the old
Wells Fargo Bank Building, while others have reported seeing the apparitions of
stage drivers and cowboys. In front of the recreated C.S. Fly Studio,
people have reported smelling perfume, when there is none present.
At
the renovated
Crystal Palace Saloon, people say the ghost of
Big Nose Kate continues to lurk.
Evidently, when she lived in
Tombstone, the establishment
was one of her favorites. Today staff and customers have reported the
unexplainable movement of objects to different locations, lights that turn
on and off by themselves, and gambling wheels that spin of their own
accord. According to the tales, Kate is
not alone in the building, as yet others have spied phantom cowboys at the
bar and walking around in the saloon.
Discoveries
America Arizona DVD - Grand Canyon,
Navajo
Nation, Monument Valley, Canyon de Chelly,
Ancient Puebloan
ruins, Saguaro National Monument, Petrified Forest,
Colorado
River, Lake Havasu, ballooning Sonoran Desert, Mariachi festival, Tucson,
OK Corral,
Tombstone
and Mission San Javier del Bac. Desert wildlife and plants, Paolo Soleri's
Arcosanti and Cosanti, and
Navajo
weavers.
Discoveries
America Arizona DVD