Growing Up Around Tombstone

About the Book

Growing up Around Tombstone is a family history of the Escapules. They are one of the oldest families still living in Tombstone, having emigrated from France during the early 1870s. The books tells how the Escapules mined and built ranches but mostly it tells of the family’s life and struggles as recalled by one of the second generation Escapules born in Tombstone. There is a detailed account of family life, ranch work and horses, working and developing the mines, and making a living. The story takes the reader from the early days in Tombstone, through the war years, and up until the mid-1950’s. The Escapules were a close, hard- working, and loving family. There is also a good depiction of life as it was lived by the townspeople. The book is rich in old family photographs and documents that help give a sense of the times and how people lived their day to day lives. There are also stories of many of the people living in Tombstone and the surrounding area. Ernest and Mildred Escapule and their family are the main characters. Tombstone, Arizona, became world famous for the rich silver and gold strike before the turn of the century, its lawless days, and the gun fight at the O K Corral.

About the Author

Charles Bernard Escapule lived all his life around Tombstone except for the time he spent in the navy. During his life, he farmed, ran a few head of cattle, reopened the State of Maine Mine, and processed the old tailing piles to extract the silver and gold left by the earlier miners. He and his brother, Louis Escapule, also designed and manufactured a portable unit that extracted precious metals from ores. These were sold worldwide. He retired from the USDA Agricultural Research Service in Tombstone and now resides outside of Tombstone in a rural area.