If tourists truly want to see Tombstone, you need to visit Ringo’s Grave, too. It’s a must-see.
A lonely place, dark and sullen under a giant five-stemmed blackjack oak. You might not believe in Old West lore, but you are heedful when you approach it.

It’s the place where John Ringo died. The tree where he supposedly shot himself in the head with his Colt .45, ending an apparently troubled life.

In front of the tree on the west side of Turkey Creek near the Chiricahua Mountain foothills is a body-length cairn with a scratch-worded epitaph:

“The remains of this noted gunman and outlaw lie here . . . A coroner’s jury reported the death to be suicide, and Ringo was buried on the spot. There were others who viewed the body and maintained that the July 13, 1882 death of Ringo was murder.”

Ringo the legend has had more extravagant claims about him than Wyatt Earp, Billy the Kid, Wild Bill Hickok, Jesse James and Buffalo Bill combined, writes author Jack Burrows in “John Ringo: The Gunfighter Who Never Was.”

There is a feeling he was “a coward and a backshooter,” Duhanich says. “But he did stand up to Doc Holliday.”

Area newspapers, including those in Tucson, bought the Ringo myth of him being a deadly gunslinger, but the closest he apparently came to killing anyone was when he got mad at a guy in a Safford bar who declined his offer of whiskey for a beer. Ringo shot him point-blank, but hit only his ear.

His judged suicide may be the most compelling story. He was cradled in the tree, the rifle placed carefully against it, boots hanging nearby on his saddle. And he was partially scalped.

One rumor was Wyatt Earp was after him. But the close range angle of the bullet to the right temple clearly indicated the wound was self-inflicted.

Find all hotels by Best Western in Pearce, AZ

price find illustration

Upfront pricing

Our total price for your stay includes taxes and fees

deals illustration

Treat yourself

Save 10% or more on over 100,000 hotels worldwide with Member Prices

Learn about One Key

bed illustration

Be picky

Search almost a million properties worldwide

Check prices for these dates

Tonight

Tomorrow

Next weekend

In two weeks

Sep 12 - Sep 14

Compare rooms and suites by Best Western in Pearce with rates, reviews, and availability. Most hotels are fully refundable.

Save an average of 15% on thousands of hotels when you're signed in

Sign up, it's free

Top Pearce Hotel Reviews

Explore a world of travel with Expedia

40033108-70fb-4ffb-b682-0ab2208365dab3341393-27d2-42d9-af12-a15507a31bdb