Legend or Lie? Tombstone Thunderbird

Ancient Legends Around the World
22 followers
Ain't nobody going to believe this.
Legend or lie, through history many cultures have passed down legends.
Legends are based on an element of truth. The rest is mythical and left up to your imagination.
What is that?
And so the legend goes. April 26, 1890, the Tombstone Epitaph published an incredible article of
gunslingers shooting the Tombstone Thunderbird right out of the sky.
The heck is that thing?
Yeah, I guess you did hit it.
126 years later, the legend lives on. What is it?
The most popular theory of a picture existing, the real picture, is a pterodactyl-like creature spread
out on a barn, wingspan about 18 feet, and it had cowboys holding hands, stretching their arms out,
depicting the actual size of the creature as it was spread.
However, this picture has never surfaced, never been found, and anything published will always be out there.
So, if it's still out there and hidden, it's one great hide-and-seek game.
Hey, what's that?
So, did it happen?
Joshua Hawley works at the site of the famous 30-second shootout at the OK Corral.
Hawley is also an author, researcher, and Tombstone paranormal historian on the Tombstone Thunderbird.
Tombstone is probably the most famous one because of its legend.
It's the story of the Thunderbird and Tombstone Arizona.
You put those two together and it becomes an anomaly.
Through the years, many could have sworn they saw the picture in magazines,
but that is not possible as the Tombstone Epitaph had no ability to publish pictures back then.
The thing is that it hasn't been found yet after hundreds of people looking for something they remember.
But they implant that memory and just sit there and go, I know I saw it.
The Library of Congress has the April 26, 1890 issue on file and it shows no photo.
However, the legend continues for a reason.
You've got to remember the time that the article was written, the late 1800s,
mining was not a thing. It was dying down.
Tombstone was a dusty little town with very few people left inside.
Having good news articles to write became more of a challenge.
There is one strange thread to the story that leaves some plausibility to it.
It was back in the 1930s or 40s.
There was one old cowboy there and he decided to speak out.
And he told reporters that he was one of the ranchers that shot at the creature.
But they misled the story so badly.
Him and his friend chased the creature as it flew in the air.
But the horses were getting spooked and turned around on them
and they couldn't get it back to where they, you know, chasing the creature.
And they were a little frightened out too.
But they never shot it down. They never killed it, quote unquote.
And it flew away.
This legend will never end.
It is a mystery such as the Loch Ness Monster is a mystery.
Bigfoot's a mystery.
And as long as there's questions about it.
I'm going back downtown.
Tell the paper.
They'll never believe this.
It's going to last forever.
