Tombstone AZ - Pony Saloon

James H. Marrs, was a frontiersman, proprietor, entrepreneur and one of the town's very first settlers.
Born on August 15, 1856 in Beckwith, Fayette County, West Virginia "Jim" as he preferred to be called was the son of shoemaker James J. and his wife Mildred (Rhodes) Marrs. Jim left West Virginia as a young boy to farm in Missouri until 1878 when he headed to the gold country of Leadville, Colorado. But his stay was short; after eight months he went to Arizona Territory and in 1879 settled in Tombstone's silver camp.
This token is listed in Birt and Spooner as being issued between 1900 - 1914. It is a One Bit token for Good For 12 1/2 cents in Trade. Made of brass, it has an 8 lobed scalloped edge. Rarity for this token in Birt & Spooner is R8, with 7 -12 known. Fortunately, there is a lot of information about this interesting Tombstone pioneer and you can read it all at this link to the "Tombstone Times" (now suspended, links below are currently unavailable (3/'24)), it was written by Karen Mazzeo - [ link ]
For More Great INFO Use this: [ link ]

READ Below the text of Karen Mazzeo's "Tombstone Times" article:

Marrs, was a frontiersman, proprietor, entrepreneur and one of the town's very first settlers.
Born James H. Marrs on August 15, 1856 in Beckwith, Fayette County, West Virginia "Jim" as he preferred to be called was the son of shoemaker James J. and his wife Mildred (Rhodes) Marrs. Jim left West Virginia as a young boy to farm in Missouri until 1878 when he headed to the gold country of Leadville, Colorado. But his stay was short; after eight months he went to Arizona Territory and in 1879 settled in Tombstone's silver camp. At that time the infant town was little more than a tent city where families lived and merchants conducted business. Each morning the smell of frying bacon and strong hot coffee awoke the sleepy residents; the sound of saws and the pounding of hammers a reminder that Tombstone would soon become one of many mining towns that speckled the Arizona landscape.
With the exception of a wife named Carmalita and a son born in 1885 named Johnny; Jim kept his life relatively private in the early years but after the death of his wife in November of 1896 his life became more public. He purchased the Pony Saloon on Allen Street between 4th and 5th and advertising the finest liquors, wines and cigars in all of Arizona Territory, Jim's establishment soon became, "one of Tombstone's most popular resorts." On June 22, 1898 among a host of friends and well wishers Jim was married to a widow named Mrs. Georgia Noriega Bachelder at the Robertson cottage by Probate Judge W. F. Bradley. With his son Johnny and Georgia's children Vernette, Lillie, Charles and adopted daughter Mary the Marrs and Bachelders became one, big, happy family.
On a summer afternoon in July of 1899 black storm clouds rolled in. The wind picked up as bolts of yellow lightning zigzagged across the sky. In the distance thunder crashed as rain poured down. Everyone ran for shelter as the intense pounding from above turned backyards into thick pools of mud and dusty roads into flooding rivers. Jim had not seen such a storm in quite sometime as he watched in awe from the parlor window of his home. Suddenly a large flash of lightning made the hair on his head, arms and neck stand straight up. It had hit very close to home. After the storm had moved off to the west he discovered that the lightning had struck Ms. William King's house scorching some of the wall paper inside. It was lucky that no great damage was done to her or anyone in town by the strong, "heavenly artillery" that thundered down from above.
By February of 1900 the Marr's extended their family by the birth of a daughter named Violet Mildred. The baby brought added happiness especially after Jim's son Johnny left home to enter the university in Tucson that September. Georgia loved Johnny like her own son but the sadness of his departure was replaced by baby Violet which kept her very busy, however; four months later in January of 1901 Violet became ill. With a high fever her condition was grave for a time as Jim and Georgia held their breaths nervously but with Providence little Violet fully recovered. Happy and vivacious, she would be blessed with a baby sister born in January of 1903. With Violet and baby Virginia Mercedes to add to his full nest, Jim was a proud and happy man.