Category: Lawmen

Wyatt Berry Stapp Earp (March 19, 1848 – January 13, 1929) was an American lawman and gambler who became a legendary figure of the Old West. Born in Monmouth, Illinois, he was the fourth of five children in the Earp family. His early life was marked by a series of moves and financial struggles, leading him into various jobs and ventures as a young man.

Early Life (1848–1864)

Wyatt Earp was born on March 19, 1848, in Monmouth, Illinois, to Nicholas Porter Earp and Virginia Ann Cooksey. He was the fourth of eight children, with four brothers (James, Virgil, Morgan, and Warren) and three sisters. Wyatt grew up in a family with a strong sense of duty and justice, values instilled in him by his father, who had served in the Mexican-American War.

In 1864, the Earp family moved to California, traveling by wagon train across the Great Plains. They settled in San Bernardino, where Wyatt spent his teenage years. During this time, he worked on the family farm and occasionally took on odd jobs, developing the skills that would later serve him well as a frontiersman and lawman.

Early Adventures and First Brush with the Law (1865–1870)

After the Civil War ended, Wyatt’s older brothers, Newton, James, and Virgil, returned home, and the family relocated to Lamar, Missouri, in 1868. Here, Wyatt’s father became the local constable, and in 1869, Wyatt followed in his father’s footsteps, becoming a constable himself at the age of 21.

However, Wyatt’s early career in law enforcement was marred by controversy. In 1870, he was accused of horse theft in Arkansas, along with two others. The charges were later dropped, but the incident left a stain on his reputation. This experience taught Wyatt the importance of keeping on the right side of the law, but it also gave him insight into the harsh realities of frontier justice.

Marriage, Tragedy, and the Drift Westward (1870–1874)

In 1870, Wyatt married Urilla Sutherland, the daughter of a local hotel owner. Tragically, Urilla died of typhoid fever just months after their marriage, leaving Wyatt devastated. This loss marked a turning point in his life, as he left Missouri and began drifting westward.

Over the next few years, Wyatt worked various jobs, including as a buffalo hunter, teamster, and railway worker. He spent time in the Kansas cattle towns of Wichita and Dodge City, where he first became involved in law enforcement. These towns were known for their lawlessness, and Wyatt quickly gained a reputation for his toughness and ability to maintain order.

Lawman in Kansas: Wichita and Dodge City (1874–1878)

Wyatt Earp’s first significant role as a lawman came in Wichita, Kansas, in 1874. He was appointed as a deputy city marshal and quickly made a name for himself by enforcing the law with a firm hand. However, his tenure in Wichita was cut short after a dispute with a fellow officer led to his dismissal in 1876.

Undeterred, Wyatt moved to Dodge City, Kansas, another rough-and-tumble cow town where he found work as an assistant marshal. Dodge City was a key stop on the cattle drives from Texas, and it attracted its share of gamblers, outlaws, and drifters. Wyatt’s skill in handling these rough elements earned him respect, and he became known for his ability to keep the peace without resorting to unnecessary violence.

During his time in Dodge City, Wyatt formed alliances with other well-known lawmen of the era, including Bat Masterson and Charlie Bassett. These relationships would prove valuable throughout his career.

The Lead-Up to Tombstone (1878–1879)

In 1878, Wyatt Earp left Dodge City and drifted westward again, this time ending up in the silver mining town of Las Vegas, New Mexico, where he briefly served as a lawman. From there, he traveled to various boomtowns in search of fortune, including the gold rush town of Deadwood in the Dakota Territory. His travels eventually took him to Colorado, where he reunited with his brothers.

By 1879, Wyatt and his brothers, Virgil and Morgan, decided to seek new opportunities in the booming silver mining town of Tombstone, Arizona. Along the way, Wyatt stopped in Prescott, Arizona, where he briefly worked as a lawman before continuing on to Tombstone.

Tombstone Arizona

By the time he reached Tombstone in 1879, Earp was already a seasoned lawman with a reputation for being tough and unafraid to take action.

Earp arrived in Tombstone with his brothers Virgil, Morgan, and James, along with their wives. Tombstone was a booming silver mining town, full of opportunities and danger. The Earp brothers quickly became prominent figures in the community, with Virgil serving as Deputy U.S. Marshal.

The Lawman and the Cowboys

Tombstone in the late 1870s and early 1880s was a lawless place, with tensions running high between various factions. The most notorious of these were the Cowboys, a loosely organized group of outlaws and rustlers, many of whom had connections to powerful local interests. The Earps, as lawmen, inevitably clashed with the Cowboys, who saw them as threats to their way of life.

The Cowboys, including Ike Clanton, Tom McLaury, and Frank McLaury, were involved in various illegal activities, from cattle rustling to stagecoach robbery. The Earps, along with their friend John “Doc” Holliday, sought to bring law and order to Tombstone, leading to a simmering feud with the Cowboys.

The Gunfight at the O.K. Corral

The most famous event in Wyatt Earp’s time in Tombstone was the Gunfight at the O.K. Corral, which took place on October 26, 1881. The confrontation was the culmination of escalating tensions between the Earps and the Cowboys.

On the day of the gunfight, Virgil Earp, as Deputy U.S. Marshal, decided to disarm the Cowboys, who had been making threats against the Earps and Holliday. Wyatt, Virgil, Morgan Earp, and Doc Holliday confronted Ike and Billy Clanton, and Tom and Frank McLaury near the O.K. Corral. The standoff quickly turned violent, and in just 30 seconds, the exchange of gunfire left Billy Clanton and the McLaury brothers dead. Wyatt Earp, famously, was unharmed.

The gunfight became an instant sensation, with newspapers across the country reporting on the event. While the Earps were hailed as heroes by some, they were also criticized by others who saw the Cowboys as victims of excessive force.

The Aftermath and the Vendetta Ride

The O.K. Corral gunfight did not end the violence in Tombstone. In December 1881, Virgil Earp was ambushed and severely wounded by unknown assailants, likely Cowboys. A few months later, in March 1882, Morgan Earp was shot and killed while playing billiards. These attacks enraged Wyatt Earp, who was determined to seek revenge.

Wyatt assembled a posse and embarked on what became known as the “Earp Vendetta Ride.” Over the course of several weeks, Wyatt and his men hunted down and killed several individuals suspected of being involved in the attacks on his brothers. This extrajudicial campaign of retribution further cemented Wyatt Earp’s reputation as a relentless enforcer of frontier justice.

Escape from Tombstone (1882)

Following the famous Gunfight at the O.K. Corral in 1881 and the subsequent events that led to the deaths of his brothers Morgan and Virgil being seriously injured, Wyatt Earp embarked on a vendetta ride against the cowboys he believed were responsible. This culminated in the Earp Vendetta Ride, where Wyatt, alongside a small group of loyalists, pursued and killed several of those he held accountable. By 1882, Earp was wanted for murder in Arizona and had to flee the state to avoid prosecution.

Wanderings in the West (1882-1887)

For the next few years, Wyatt and his common-law wife, Josephine “Josie” Marcus, wandered throughout the West. They spent time in Colorado, Idaho, Nevada, and California. During these years, Wyatt dabbled in various ventures, including law enforcement, mining, and gambling. His reputation as a lawman allowed him to find work in towns where law and order were needed, but he was also involved in several confrontations that further sullied his reputation.

Law Enforcement in San Diego and Alaska (1887-1899)

By the late 1880s, Wyatt and Josie had settled in San Diego, California. San Diego was in the midst of a real estate boom, and Wyatt capitalized on this by investing in properties and operating saloons and gambling halls. He became involved in several legal disputes, and his involvement in the city’s gambling scene was controversial.

In 1897, the Klondike Gold Rush lured Wyatt and Josie to Alaska. They traveled to Nome, where Wyatt once again ran saloons, gambling halls, and even a small brothel. Earp became a deputy U.S. Marshal in Alaska, though this was primarily a title he used to protect his business interests rather than an active law enforcement role. Wyatt’s time in Alaska was marred by legal troubles and accusations of corruption, but he managed to make a small fortune before returning to the lower 48 states.

California and Business Ventures (1899-1920)

After leaving Alaska, Wyatt and Josie returned to California, where they spent the remainder of their lives. They lived in several cities, including San Francisco and Los Angeles. Earp attempted to cash in on his reputation as a lawman, working as a consultant for early Hollywood Westerns and even trying his hand at gold mining in the Mojave Desert.

However, his later years were not as glamorous as his legend might suggest. Wyatt struggled with financial instability and was involved in numerous lawsuits. He also tried to shape his legacy, working with various authors to create a favorable version of his life story, though many of these attempts failed during his lifetime.

Legacy and Death (1920-1929)

Wyatt Earp spent his final years in Los Angeles, where he lived modestly with Josie. Although he was not widely known to the public during his later years, Earp’s legend began to grow, fueled by dime novels and early Hollywood films. He became friends with some early Western actors and filmmakers, who were intrigued by his life story.

Wyatt died on January 13, 1929, at the age of 80 in Los Angeles. Wyatt Berry Stapp Earp was were buried in the Hills of Eternity Cemetery in Colma, California, where Josie later joined him and was buried beside him.

Posthumous Fame

Earp’s fame truly skyrocketed after his death, as authors and filmmakers began to romanticize his life and the events in Tombstone. His image as a quintessential Western lawman, despite the many controversies and morally ambiguous actions in his life, became deeply ingrained in American popular culture. Over the decades, Wyatt Earp has been portrayed as both a hero and a flawed anti-hero in countless books, movies, and television shows, solidifying his place as one of the most iconic figures of the American West.

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