Edna Landin was selected as a 2022 Hall of Fame honoree by the Arizona Women’s Hall of Fame. Landin spent 15 years promoting and publicizing the city of Tombstone and was vital to the preservation of Tombstone Courthouse State Historic Park.

The Arizona Women’s Hall of Fame honors women who have left a lasting legacy in their fields and contributed to the history and diversity of Arizona. By researching, disseminating, applying, and bringing the histories of Arizona women to a wider audience, the organization strives to create a more equitable representation of Arizona.

Landin arrived in Tombstone in 1949 at age 52, but quickly began working to transform the city into a viable community after the relocation of the county seat. Her vision of Tombstone combined the town’s history with the already well-known “Wild West” mythology. From 1952-1955 and again from 1966-67, she served as the president of the Tombstone Chamber of Commerce, she was the first woman to serve on the Tombstone City Council from 1959-60, and she was named “Woman of the Year of Tombstone” in 1956.

As president of the Tombstone Restoration Commission (TRC), Landin helped preserve the abandoned Courthouse as well as advocating for preservation ordinances and single-handedly fundraising more than $35,000 from donors in 35 states, England and Sweden to restore the building. The TRC purchased the Courthouse from the town and opened the building to the public in the mid-1950s. After legislation was passed in 1958 creating the Arizona State Parks Board, Landin worked with the city of Tombstone to submit a proposal for the Courthouse to be transferred to the Board.

Due to the restoration and rehabilitation efforts of the TRC, Tombstone Courthouse State Historic Park opened in 1959 and officially became the first operational state park. Today, the park is one of the most recognizable landmarks in the city and houses what is widely considered to be Tombstone’s authentic history. Additionally, the park contributed 58 jobs and more than $6 million in economic impact to Cochise County in 2020. Landin is also credited with being responsible for Tombstone’s recognition as a registered National Historic Landmark by the United States Department of the Interior in 1962.

A virtual program will be broadcast from the Scottsdale Museum of the West 3 p.m. Wednesday, April 27. Afterwards, the program will be shown and placed permanently on the website at AZWHF.org and Phoenix TV Channel 11. Landin’s portrait will be placed in the Arizona Women’s Hall of Fame exhibit a the Arizona Capitol Museum.

Managing and conserving Arizona's natural, cultural and recreational resources for the benefit of the people, both in our parks and through our partners.

For information about the more than 30 Arizona State Parks and Natural Areas, trails, Off-Highway Vehicle Program and State Historic Preservation Office, call 1-877-MY-PARKS or visit AZStateParks.com.