Clara on tombstone

Rating: 9/10 (31 August 2006)

It says in the Goofs that "Factual errors: On Doc Brown's headstone, it says he was laid to rest by his beloved Clara on September 7th, 1885. But according to history, Clara was supposed to have died falling into the ravine (which would be named after her) days earlier, which also means she and Doc most likely would have never met." I don't think this actually is a goof-up. The writers' would've spotted this one, it's too obvious.
When Doc Brown first went back to 1885, he lived in Hill Valley for eight months before writing the letter to Marty. In this time he had made friends & enemies, as we all know. The mayor was one of these. Now, when Marty has arrived in 1885, the Mayor comes to visit Doc, and reminds him to about the arriving school teacher. Doc decides against meeting her.
But, what happened in the history before Marty arrived there? Simple. Doc wasn't informed about falling in love with Clara, and went and met her. He (somehow) handled the horses, or took a different route, and they never crashed into the ravine. And what happened in the original history, the one where Doc never came to the Old West? No one went to meet Ms. Clara and she had to travel to town alone, and her horses were spooked by a snake.
And now that Marty "warned" Doc about him falling in love with Clara, Doc didn't go to meet her, like in the untouched history, and again her horses were spooked. It happened differently, but again Doc was there to save her (even though we never saw the first rescue, nor did Doc & Clara even necessarily realize what might've happened).
Aargh, this is much easier to think through, than to write down. =)