George Whitwell Parsons

George Parsons Photo Taken By C.S. Fly

George Whitwell Parsons was a lawyer, banker, miner, and diarist. He relocated to Tombstone, Arizona, where he became acquainted with notorious figures such as the Earps and John Clum. As a diarist, he recorded daily entries in his journal, capturing events like his first encounter with Ed Schieffelin, Tombstone's founder, the Shootout at the O.K. Corral, and Wyatt Earp's "Vendetta Ride." His journal provides insight into everyday life in Tombstone.

George Whitwell Parsons was born on August 26, 1850, in Washington, D.C. Soon after his birth, his family relocated to New York, where he went to school.

His father, a prosperous attorney, established his own law practice and hoped Parsons would join the firm. Although Parsons became a licensed attorney, he did not find satisfaction in the profession and sought alternative employment to earn a living, prompting his move to Florida.

In Florida, around 1874, Parsons found work salvaging shipwrecks. One stormy afternoon while working in Cape Sable, the southernmost point of the United States mainland in Florida, a hurricane hit the region, and Parsons had a near-death experience that scared him enough to quit that job and move on to California.

Parsons found a job as a bank clerk in 1876 at the National Gold Bank & Trust Co. during his brief stay in California. He transferred to San Francisco for 3 years, but eventually, the bank closed, and Parsons found himself out of work.

Hearing of the boomtown of Tombstone, Arizona, he wanted to go on an adventure and try his luck as a miner. He was able to convince fellow banker and friend Milton Clapp to relocate his family and go with him.

When Parsons' mom passed, he went into a depression. He started a diary to help him cope with her death in 1869. By 1880, he was considered a diarist documenting his journey by stagecoach to Tombstone. He stopped at San Xavier del Bac, the historic Spanish Catholic mission, and bought food at a nearby eatery called the Delmonico restaurant, owned by who would later be known as “The Angel of Tombstone,” Nellie Cashman. She eventually made her way to Tombstone as well.

According to Parsons' diary, he and Clapp reached Tombstone on the afternoon of Tuesday, February 17, 1880, at 6:30 pm. Tombstone was described in Parsons' diary on the first day as a “Rough Place.”

In Tombstone, Parsons had to figure out how to generate an income. With mining being the main reason for coming to Tombstone, he bought a small interest in the “Merry Christmas” mine and worked the claim, which was somewhat of a disappointment. He quit the mine and found a job as a surveyor for $3.00 a day. He also substituted for a sick friend at Tombstone’s branch of the Safford & Hudson’s Bank, which helped him financially. Parsons bought an interest in a few more mines but eventually became a mine broker and opened an agency with partner and friend J.L. Redfern. This became his main source of income.

Parsons was a model citizen and became a member of the “Committee of Vigilance,” an organization of town citizens in support of law and order. By joining this organization, he got to know town sheriff Fred White, the Earp brothers, John Clum, and Johnny Behan. Eventually, he also became acquainted with Ike Clanton, “Curly Bill” Brocius, and Johnny Ringo.

In the mid-1880s, the mines hit a water table and started to flood. Pumps were brought in but were unsuccessful. The population started to decline, and some moved on to Bisbee, Arizona.

Parsons tried to make the best of what was left in Tombstone. He became the first librarian in the Tombstone Library in 1885, but by this time, most of the Cowboy faction had disbanded. Earp and Holliday were now wanted men in Tombstone due to the conflict with the Cowboys. After the shootout at the O.K. Corral, where Cowboys Tom McLaury, Frank McLaury, and Billy Clanton lost their lives, the Cowboys retaliated by trying to assassinate Virgil while crossing 5th and Allen Street. He was hit with three 12-gauge shotgun blasts on the left side of his body. He survived but lost the use of his left arm. Morgan was not so lucky; three months later, on March 18, 1882, Morgan was playing a game of pool at Campbell and Hatch’s Saloon when two shots rang out from the back alley, one hitting Morgan in the back that would end up killing him and one bullet hitting the wall about Wyatt where he was seated watching the game. Wyatt Earp took his revenge. This became known in history as the “Vendetta Ride.”

Wyatt, Warren, and James Earp; Doc Holliday, Sherman McMaster, Jack “Turkey Creek” Johnson, Charles Smith, Dan Tipton, and John “Texas Jack” Vermillion tracked down and killed every Cowboy suspected in the murder of Morgan. They hid in the Dragoon Mountains and picked off the Cowboys one by one when the opportunity presented itself. Most of the Earp party later fled to either Colorado or New Mexico.

In January of 1887, Parsons decided to move back to Los Angeles, California. While he was in Tombstone, he was a prominent citizen of Los Angeles. He joined many committees and organizations. He was one of the founding fathers of the Chamber of Commerce for L.A., heading the committee on mines and mining. Additionally, he was involved in creating a deep harbor in San Pedro, California, where oranges could be shipped to other states. In April of 1898, the San Pedro Harbor opened. George Parsons became known as the “Father of the Deep Harbor.”

Wyatt Earp would eventually move to Los Angels with his wife Josephine. They rented a

Pall Bearers at Wyatt Earp Funeral W.J. Hunsaker (Wyatt’s attorney in Tombstone), George Parsons, John Clum, William Mizer, and Tom Mix.

small apartment where Wyatt would die on January 13, 1929. He was buried in Hills of Eternity Memorial Park, a Jewish cemetery in Colma, California. Among the pallbearers for Wyatt Earp were W.J. Hunsaker (Wyatt’s attorney in Tombstone), John Clum, William Mizer, Tom Mix, and George Parsons.

George Parsons died 3 years later on January 5, 1933, in Los Angeles. He was buried in Evergreen Cemetery alongside family members.