Prescott in Yavapai County, Arizona — The American Mountains (Southwest)
Doc Holliday in Prescott
Photographed by Worcester Bong
1. Doc Holliday in Prescott Marker
John Henry "Doc" Holliday of Tombstone fame spent two separate tenures in Prescott. In early November 1879, Doc arrived with Wyatt and James Earp and their families. The Earp brothers, including Virgil who had been a Prescott constable, journeyed to Tombstone while Doc stayed behind in Prescott, which he found to his liking. In the spring of 1880, Doc traveled to Las Vegas, New Mexico, to take care of some unfinished business involving a saloon he had co-owned there. He was back in Prescott sometime before June. Holliday lived with Richard Elliott, whose house sat on three lots behind this marker. Also boarding there was the acting governor, John Gosper. According to Wyatt Earp, Doc did very well gambling along Whiskey Row. The above photograph of Doc was taken by Daniel Francis Mitchell in his studio on Cortez Street. It is one of only two verified images of the legendary dentist, gambler, and gunslinger. Evidence suggests that his friend Wyatt wrote letters to Doc urging him to come to the boomtown down south. Holliday arrived in Tombstone in the fall of 1880. On October 26, 1881, near the OK Corral, Doc and the Earp brothers shot their way into everlasting fame.
Erected 2024 by City of Prescott, Arizona; funded by private donors: Thumb Butte Questers, E Clampus Vitus - Lost Dutchman
this page online
Topics and series. This historical marker is listed in this topic list: Notable Places. In addition, it is included in the E Clampus Vitus series list. A significant historical date for this entry is October 26, 1881.
Location. 34° 32.551′ N, 112° 28.196′ W. Marker is in Prescott, Arizona, in Yavapai County. It is on North Montezuma Street, on the right when traveling north. This historical marker is located near the southwest corner of the parking lot located north of Bashford Courts building in downtown Prescott. From the northeast corner at the intersection of North Montezuma Street and West Gurley Street, proceed north on the sidewalk approximately 200 feet, then you'll see the historical marker on your right. Touch for map. Marker is in this post office area: Prescott AZ 86301, United States of America. Touch for directions.
Regionally, this marker is in the Prescott Area. It is also in the American Southwest and in the Mountain West. Globally, it is in North America, the Western Hemisphere, the Western World, and the Anglosphere. Historically, it finds itself in what was once New Spain and also Mexicos Alta California.
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker: Bashford Burmister Company (about 300 feet away, measured in a direct line); Hotel St. Michael (about 300 feet away); Prescott (about 300 feet away); Solon Hannibal Borglum America's First Cowboy Sculptor (about 400 feet away); Plaza Bandstand (about 400 feet away); Bashford Block (about 400 feet away); Statehood Tree / Centennial Witness Tree (about 400 feet away); Frank Brito (about 400 feet away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Prescott.
Regarding Doc Holliday in Prescott. Doc Holliday is known for his participation in the gunfight at O.K. Corral in Tombstone, Arizona. Holliday earned a degree in dentistry from the Pennsylvania College of Dental Surgery in 1871. He was diagnosed with tuberculosis and moved to the Southwest hoping the drier climate would ease his symptoms. He was married from 1877 to 1882 to Mary Katharine "Big Nose" Horony, a dance hall woman and occasional prostitute. He died from tuberculosis on November 8, 1887 in Glenwood Springs, Colorado and is buried at the Pioneer Cemetery (Linwood Cemetery) in Glenwood Springs.
Also see . . . Doc Holliday (Wikipedia). Overview:
John Henry Holliday (August 14, 1851 November 8, 1887), better known as Doc Holliday, was an American dentist, gambler, and gunfighter who was a close friend and associate of lawman Wyatt Earp. Holliday is best known for his role in the events surrounding and his participation in the gunfight at the O.K. Corral in Tombstone, Arizona. He developed a reputation as having killed more than a dozen men in various altercations, but modern researchers have concluded that, contrary to popular myth-making, Holliday killed only one to three men. Holliday's colorful life and character have been depicted in many books and portrayed by well-known actors in numerous movies and television series.(Submitted on July 28, 2025.)
Credits. This page was last revised on February 16, 2026. It was originally submitted on July 26, 2025, by Worcester Bong of Prescott Valley, Arizona. This page has been viewed 2,227 times since then and 352 times this year. Photo 1. submitted on July 26, 2025, by Worcester Bong of Prescott Valley, Arizona. • Andrew Ruppenstein was the editor who published this page.
