Wyatt Earp quietly passes away in Los Angeles at the age of 80, nearly 50 years after the renowned gunfight at the O.K. Corral.
For many years, the Earp brothers were engaged in rivalry with the Clanton-McClaury ranching families over control of Tombstone, Arizona, both politically and economically.
On October 26, 1881, the escalating tensions erupted into violence, resulting in Wyatt, along with his brothers Virgil and Morgan and their close friend Doc Holliday, killing three members of the Clanton and McLaury families during a brief, 30-second shoot-out on a street near the O.K. Corral in Tombstone.
A later hearing determined that the Earps and Holliday had acted within their roles as law officers and deputies, leading to their acquittal of any charges. Nonetheless, discontent lingered among the populace, and the Earps’ favor declined. Moreover, the shoot-out ignited a fresh wave of vengeance rather than resolving the ongoing feud with the Clanton-McLaurys.
In late December 1881, the Clantons and McLaurys initiated their campaign of revenge by ambushing Virgil Earp with a shotgun; while he survived, he was left without the use of his left arm. Just three months after that, while Wyatt and Morgan were enjoying a game of billiards, an unidentified shooter struck, fatally injuring Morgan.
As a U.S. deputy marshal, Wyatt held both the legal right and duty to seek justice for Morgan’s murder; however, he demonstrated a greater desire for vengeance than law enforcement. Within three days of Morgan’s death, Frank Stillwell, a suspect in the murder, was discovered deceased in a Tucson, Arizona, rail yard.
Both Wyatt and his close companion Doc Holliday were charged, with later evidence confirming, for the murder of Stillwell. Wyatt evaded arrest, fleeing Arizona along with Holliday and several allies, taking the opportunity to kill a Mexican man named Florentino Cruz, whom he suspected had a hand in Morgan’s demise.
In the ensuing years, Wyatt traveled across the West, invested in gold mines in Idaho, operated a saloon in San Francisco, and raised thoroughbred horses in San Diego. As the century turned, he became involved in the Alaskan gold rush, managing a saloon in Nome until 1901.
After taking part in Nevada’s last significant gold rush, Wyatt ultimately settled in Los Angeles, attempting unsuccessfully to find someone who would spotlight his numerous western escapades. His significant involvement in the shootout at the O.K. Corral did, however, capture the attention of the burgeoning film industry in the city.
For several years, Wyatt served as an unpaid technical advisor on Hollywood Westerns, using his vibrant history to share authentic insights with flamboyant stars such as William Hart and Tom Mix. When Wyatt passed away in 1929, it was reported that Mix openly wept at his funeral.
Ironically, the fame that Wyatt had missed during his lifetime was achieved shortly after his passing. A young journalist named Stuart Lake released Wyatt Earp: Frontier Marshall, a wildly imaginative biography that depicted the gunslinger as a noble and valiant figure of frontier justice.
Following this, numerous similarly laudatory films and books were produced, solidifying Wyatt Earp’s status in the enduring mythology of the American Wild West.
