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The Southern Arizona Transportation Museum is noted for it's locomotive and, above all else, it's ghost.
The museum was founded in 1998. When the museum took over the plot, they restored the main depot and its three adjacent structures which were built in 1941.
The original site was home to the Southern Pacific Railroad Depot, a large wooden building built in 1880 for one of the newest train stops on the Southern Pacific railroad route through the Southwest.
On March 20, 1880 the first train pulled into the depot at 11:00 a.m. – an hour ahead of schedule.
With all of its history it’s no wonder that The Transportation Museum has its own set of ghostly visitations.
A woman attired in 1800s mourning clothing has been seen wandering through the main museum building. She is said to look depressed and waiting for someone or something to happen.
A grumpy old man is said to wander the premises.
A smell of old perfume wafts through the bathroom and personnel computer area. It is said to be a protective older woman who looks over certain employees.
Locomotive #1673
Locomotive #1673 was used in the Rogers and Hammerstein musical, Oklahoma, in 1954. The train portion of the musical was filmed at the now defunct Elgin Train Depot – a regular stop on the locomotive’s route.
A year later locomotive #1673 was retired, donated to the city of Tucson and housed at Himmel Park. Due to the weather and irresponsible visitors, the locomotive became rusted and damaged from all the wear and tear. A restoration committee was put into place and the locomotive was restored.
On December 3, 2000, Southern Pacific steam locomotive #1673 was moved from Himmel Park to the Southern Pacific Railroad Depot by a large flat bed truck where it resides today.
Witnesses have spotted a massive green cloud hovering over the locomotive or near the structure where it is housed.
Also, a specter conductor wearing a dark uniform and hat has been witnessed sitting on a bench and staring in awe at the locomotive. He is said to be in his later 40s with a thin build. He has short, dark hair and a mustache on his face.
Wyatt Earp and Frank Stilwell
Tucson was no stranger to the brutal and often callous killings that were common of cowboy life. Some of the most notorious cowboys traveled by train from Tombstone to Tucson – and sometimes onward to California.
In fact, an incident happened on these train tracks that would go down in history as the first killing in what is now known as the Earp Vendetta Ride. The Earp Vendetta Ride was a three week battle between Arizona Territory law enforcement and their personal enemies. Members of the Ride included Wyatt Earp, Warren Earp, Doc Holiday, Sherman McMasters, Turkey Creek Jack Johnson and Texas Jack Vermillion. The first of many who would be killed was Frank Stilwell. Wyatt Earp killed Frank Stilwell at the Southern Pacific Railroad Depot on March 20, 1882.
It all started with the assassination of U.S. Deputy Marshall Morgan Earp and the attempted assassination of Wyatt Earp. Morgan was the younger brother of Wyatt Earp and patrolled Tombstone and surrounding cities with Wyatt and his other brother Virgil.
On Saturday, March 18, 1882 at 10 p.m. Morgan and Wyatt were ambushed by unidentified gunmen while playing pool at the Campbell and Hatch Billiard Parlor on Allen Street in Tombstone. The rifle shots came through a glass-windowed locked door. Covered by the door, no one was able to identify the person or persons shooting at the Earp brothers.
The shots fired at Wyatt had missed him entirely. However, Morgan was not so lucky. The bullet hit Morgan in the back, shattering his spine and passed through his left kidney. He died an hour laying in an adjacent billiard’s lounge not on the pool table like the myth proclaims.
Angry and embittered, the Earp brothers believed that Clanton supporters had killed Morgan. Wyatt believed that Ike Clanton was the mastermind of the plot and that he had hired two gunmen to assassinate him and his brother. Wyatt suspected Frank Stilwell, an accused stage-robber, had fired the death blow, while William "Curly Bill" Brocious had tried to assassinate Wyatt but had missed.
Before being accused of stage robbery, Stilwell started out as a deputy sheriff of Cochise County. He was appointed by Johnny Behan in April of 1881. By August of the same year Stilwell was fired for "accounting irregularities." A month later, he became the prime suspect in a Bisbee stage-coach robbery that took place on September 8, 1881. The Earp brothers along with Behan arrested Stilwell and he was held in a Tucson jail. Shortly after he was arrested, Stillwell was acquitted due to lack of evidence.
Six months later, on the night of March 20, 1882 Frank Stilwell and Ike Clanton were at the Southern Pacific Railroad Depot for unclear reasons. Later, Clanton confessed that he knew that the Earp family was going to be in Tucson. Virgil Earp and other Earp family members had stopped for lunch in Tucson and then were put on a train bound to California. Wyatt Earp, Doc Holiday and three others were there for protection.
According to one report, Stilwell and Clanton were seen with weapons on a flat-car in the train yard waiting to assassinate Virgil Earp as he boarded the train. Wyatt, Doc Holiday and his posse spotted Stilwell and Clanton first. Shots were fired.
As gunfire exploded through the night air, Stilwell spotted Wyatt coming toward him. Stilwell dropped his weapon and ran through the train yard. Earp caught up to him and shot him point blank under the ribs. It is said that Stilwell had his hands up in defense. His last words were, "Morg, Morg," short for Morgan as Wyatt Earp had an uncanny resemblance to his brother.
The next day, Stilwell’s body was found riddled with bullets. Wyatt first shot would have been the death blow. However, the body had at least three shot gun wounds and two shotgun blasts. The coroner declared that he had never seen a body in such disrepair in his whole life.
All five men in the Earp party were indicted in the killing of Frank Stilwell. As a defense, Earp claimed that Stilwell had resisted arrest and all were arraigned of the murder.
Originally Frank Stilwell’s body was buried in Old Tucson cemetery. However, when the cemetery closed down he was moved to Evergreen Cemetery. His body still rests there today.
Some say these train tracks are haunted by the ghost of Frank Stilwell. Gun shots have been heard near the tracks. When investigated nothing out-of-the-ordinary is found. Could it be Frank Stilwell trying to tell his tale?
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