Cochise County’s Worst Earthquake

I never thought Cochise County was a place where earthquakes could happen. Shockingly enough, in 1887, we experienced an earthquake strong enough to destroy buildings and leave people in shock. It started with 3 faults rupturing in Mexico that spanned 63.4 miles and showed up as a 7.4-7.6 on the Richter Scale, affecting Mexico, and a good portion of Arizona and New Mexico as well.

a crack in the middle of a road in the middle of nowhere

A Normal Day

May 3rd, 1887, began as a relatively normal day. Soldiers on Fort Huachuca were going about their mornings as normal, and miners in Tombstone and Bisbee were busy hauling ore.

Early in the afternoon, farm animals such as chickens, horses, and dogs began to freak out. Horses were neighing like crazy, dogs were barking and hiding, and chickens in a ranch near Tombstone were reportedly bawking and running around as if they were being attacked. Not long after, the ground began to shake, and chaos ensued.

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black and brown horses on field during daytime

The Earthquake

It is reported that the earthquake began hitting Cochise County towns between 1:30 and 2:30 pm.

In Tombstone, the ground began to tremble, and cracks appeared along Allen Street and in the walls of nearby buildings.

W.F. Banning, a newspaper writer in Bisbee, reported that boulders began rolling down the hills for at least 10 minutes after the quake.

Charleston was hit so hard that many residents were forced to sleep outside after the event due to the damage in their homes.

St. David had it the worst, with the quake lasting nearly 3 minutes and an entire schoolhouse collapsing as the earthquake shook the land.

Water gysers began shooting water upwards of 2 feet into the air, spewing water all over the area. Animals were either paralyzed with fear or running away so fast that no one could catch them.

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a road with buildings on the side

The Aftermath

This intense earthquake resulted in a few dozen deaths, and almost every single building in the area experienced some kind of damage. Former Tombstone Sheriff John Slaughter, then a rancher in Douglas, reported that nearly every building on his ranch was destroyed, and a crack in the ground a mile long had appeared nearby.

Not all of the earthquake's effects were destructive. The water gysers had created ponds and lakes all over the valley, bringing freshwater to a community that had been struggling with drought and malaria. But it didn't last as long as people hoped.

READ: The Complex Legacy Of Sheriff Texas John In Cochise County

a crack in the ground with a plant growing out of it

Cochise County isn't the type of place you would expect an earthquake, especially not one of that size. Today, geologists continue to study faults in Arizona and Mexico, revealing several active faults in the area. It is theorized that these faults could slip or rupture again in a couple of thousand years.

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