Wyatt Earp

NAME Wyatt Berry Stapp Earp

WHAT FAMOUS FOR Wyatt Earp is best known as a lawman and gunfighter of the American Old West, particularly for his role in the Gunfight at the O.K. Corral in 1881 in Tombstone, Arizona. 

BIRTH Born March 19, 1848, in Monmouth, Illinois.

FAMILY BACKGROUND The Earp family had a strong lineage of law enforcement and political involvement.

Earp was the fourth son of Nicholas Porter Earp, a farmer and justice of the peace, and Virginia Ann Cooksey. He had seven full siblings and two half-sibling, including James, Virgil, and Morgan Earp, who also became lawmen.

Wyatt Earp and mother Virginia Ann Cooksey Earp c. 1855

CHILDHOOD Wyatt Earp's early life was defined by his family's nomadic tendencies, largely driven by his father, Nicholas, who consistently sought improved circumstances.  They moved from Illinois to Iowa, back to Illinois, then again to Iowa, and finally to California in 1864. These constant shifts exposed young Wyatt to diverse environments and undoubtedly contributed to his adaptability as an adult.

In 1849 or early 1850, the Earps established themselves on a farm near Pella, Iowa. Growing up, Wyatt's experiences were a blend of rural labor and familial loss. Wyatt contributed to the family's 80-acre corn farm alongside his younger brothers, Morgan and Warren. 

His childhood was marked by the tragic deaths of his sisters, Martha and Virginia Ann. 

The onset of the Civil War profoundly affected the young Wyatt. At the age of 13, he repeatedly attempted to join his older brothers in the Union Army, but each time he was apprehended and returned home. 

With his father and elder brothers away, the 14-year-old Wyatt assumed the responsibility of managing the farm and caring for his younger siblings. 

At 16, he began his career as a teamster, transporting cargo for Chris Taylor. By 17, he ventured away from his family in California, seeking adventure on the frontier, where he engaged in freight hauling and later worked for the Union Pacific Railroad. The Earp family's frequent relocations played a significant role in shaping Wyatt's formative years. They moved from Illinois to Iowa, back to Illinois, then again to Iowa, and finally to California in 1864. These constant shifts exposed young Wyatt to diverse environments and undoubtedly contributed to his adaptability as an adult.

EDUCATION Earp had little formal education and primarily learned from life experience, particularly on the frontier.

CAREER RECORD Wyatt Earp had a varied career, holding many jobs throughout his life:

Lawman: Worked as a constable, city policeman, county sheriff, and deputy city marshal in various frontier towns.

Buffalo Hunter & Teamster: Hunted buffalo and worked in freight hauling.

Gambler & Saloon Owner: Ran saloons and gambling operations in towns like Dodge City and Tombstone.

Brothel Owner & Pimp: Managed brothels at different points in his life.

Boxing Referee: Famously officiated the 1896 Fitzsimmons vs. Sharkey boxing match, which ended in controversy.

Miner: Prospected for gold and silver in Alaska and California.

APPEARANCE Wyatt Earp was over six feet tall, with a lean but solid build. He had piercing blue or gray eyes, a mustache, and a weathered face from his years on the frontier.

Wyatt Earp aged around 39

FASHION Earp dressed in a dapper but practical style. He often wore long frock coats, high-collared shirts, and wide-brimmed hats, giving him the look of a gentleman lawman.

CHARACTER Wyatt Earp was reserved, disciplined, and fearless. He was known for his cool demeanor under pressure and his strong sense of loyalty to family and friends. Some saw him as a heroic lawman, while others considered him an opportunist willing to bend the law when it suited him.

SPEAKING VOICE Earp spoke in a measured, quiet manner, rarely raising his voice. He was not a boastful man, and his reputation was built more on actions than words.

SENSE OF HUMOUR His camaraderie with close associates like Doc Holliday suggests he appreciated wit and banter. Their enduring friendship, amidst the perils of the Wild West, implies a shared resilience and perhaps a mutual enjoyment of humor in challenging times.

RELATIONSHIPS Wyatt Earp's romantic life was complex, marked by four significant relationships that, while considered marriages, varied in their legal formality. 

His first marriage was to Urilla Sutherland, whom he wed on January 10, 1870, in Lamar, Missouri, with his father officiating as Justice of the Peace. Tragically, Urilla and their child both died later that year during childbirth.

Urilla Sutherland

 In 1872, Earp entered a relationship with Sally Haspel, likely in Wichita, Kansas. This union was probably not legally formalized, possibly due to Earp's unresolved marital status with Urilla. 

Around 1878, in Dodge City, Kansas, Earp began a common-law relationship with Mattie Blaylock.

His most enduring relationship was with Josephine "Sadie" Marcus, which began in Tombstone, Arizona, in 1881. While a wedding date of 1892 and a ceremony aboard Lucky Baldwin's yacht, witnessed by his grandparents, have been suggested, no public record of their marriage has ever been discovered. Their relationship faced challenges, including financial disputes and Earp's alleged infidelities, but they remained together throughout his life. 

LAWMAN If there were ever a job description for "Frontier Lawman" in the 19th century, it would have included the following:

Must be comfortable with firearms and general mayhem.

Must possess an uncanny ability to find trouble, or failing that, have trouble find you.

Must not be overly concerned with official titles, formal training, or, for that matter, consistency in employment.

Wyatt Earp, never one to be bound by trivialities like job security, fit the bill perfectly. His law enforcement career was less of a steady climb and more of a spirited zigzag across the American West, marked by frequent departures, occasional brawls, and a remarkable ability to keep reappearing in different towns with a badge pinned to his chest.

Earp's law career began in Wichita, Kansas, where he joined the marshal's office in April 1875, earning a respectable salary of $100 a month—a small fortune for a man who had previously been arrested for horse theft in Arkansas. He quickly developed a reputation as a competent officer, adept at breaking up bar fights and discouraging gunplay.

Unfortunately, his tenure ended in April 1876 after he got into a fistfight with a political opponent, which, as career-ending events go, was a rather Earp-ish way to leave a job.

Not one to let an unfortunate brawl slow him down, Earp soon resurfaced in Dodge City, the era’s equivalent of a high-crime, high-stakes reality show. Hired as assistant city marshal in 1876, he juggled law enforcement duties with gambling, which was a bit like being both the referee and a player in a particularly unruly poker game.

Deputies Bat Masterson (standing) and Wyatt Earp in Dodge City, 1876. 

After a brief break, he returned as assistant marshal from 1878 to 1879, making a name for himself as a no-nonsense lawman who preferred cracking skulls to filling out paperwork. It was also here that he befriended the ever-ill, ever-irritable Doc Holliday, a tubercular dentist-turned-gunslinger with a penchant for getting Earp into deeper trouble than usual.

In Tombstone, Wyatt found himself once again carrying a badge, this time as Deputy U.S. Marshal, Deputy Sheriff, and Deputy Town Marshal—because, in frontier towns, if you were willing to wear a gun and scowl convincingly, you could hold multiple positions simultaneously.

His brother Virgil, the city marshal and a Deputy U.S. Marshal, appointed him as his deputy. This arrangement proved handy when, on October 26, 1881, Wyatt, Virgil, their brother Morgan, and Doc Holliday found themselves in the most famous gunfight in American history—the Gunfight at the O.K. Corral.

The shootout, which lasted approximately 30 seconds but somehow generated more books, movies, and arguments than any event of similar duration, left three members of Ike Clanton's gang dead. The Earps emerged victorious, but Virgil and Morgan were wounded, and Wyatt, in a stunning display of either skill or sheer luck, remained unscathed.

Beyond his more well-documented exploits, Earp took up various law enforcement roles wherever they were available, often mixing public service with private enterprise. He worked as a Wells Fargo guard in New Mexico and California and served as a Deputy U.S. Marshal in Cochise County, Arizona Territory.

Earp’s reputation, like most legends, was shaped as much by later accounts as by his actual deeds. While some accused him of using his badge for personal gain and settling scores with bullets, official records confirm that he and his brothers operated with federal authority in Tombstone.

Of course, Wyatt Earp would never let something as trivial as paperwork define his legacy. He lived long enough to see his name become the stuff of dime novels and silent films, befriending a young John Wayne in Hollywood and spinning yarns on Western movie sets. By the time of his death in Los Angeles in 1929, Earp had gone from feared gunfighter to folk hero, his legend forever cemented in American mythology.

MONEY AND FAME Throughout his life, Earp pursued various ventures to achieve financial success. He worked as a buffalo hunter, saloon keeper, gambler, and even participated in the Alaskan gold rush. Despite these efforts, substantial wealth eluded him. Posthumously, his legacy grew, and he became an iconic figure of the American West, immortalized in numerous books and films. 

FOOD AND DRINK Earp was known for his teetotalism, abstaining from alcohol throughout his life. However, he possessed a pronounced sweet tooth, evidenced by his daily visits to Tombstone's Ice Cream Saloon for a scoop of ice cream. In Tombstone, he frequently dined out, taking advantage of the town's varied culinary offerings and often patronizing sophisticated establishments like the Grand Hotel, which featured French cuisine. (1)

MUSIC AND ARTS Earp's connection to the arts is noted through his association with Josephine Marcus, an actress. Their relationship indicates he had some appreciation for the performing arts. Additionally, his interactions in Hollywood during the silent film era, including friendships with actors like William S. Hart and a young John Wayne,

LITERATURE  While not an author himself, Earp's life became the subject of numerous literary works. Stuart N. Lake's Wyatt Earp: Frontier Marshal, published in 1931, played a significant role in mythologizing Earp's life, though it controversially omitted his common-law wife, Josephine, after threats of legal action from her. (2)

NATURE Earp's ventures as a buffalo hunter and prospector indicate a rugged familiarity with the American frontier's natural landscapes. His participation in the Alaskan gold rush further underscores his willingness to endure harsh natural environments in pursuit of fortune. 

PETS During Earp's time, horses were essential for transportation and work, and it's likely he had a close relationship with his mounts.

HOBBIES AND SPORTS Earp was an avid gambler, particularly fond of faro. He dealt faro at the Long Branch Saloon in Wichita and had a quarter-interest in the faro concession at the Oriental Saloon in Tombstone.

Warp served as a boxing referee, including a fight between John Shanssey and Prof. Mike Donovan on July 4, 1869, in Cheyenne, Wyoming.  Most infamously he refereed the December 2, 1896 match between Bob Fitzsimmons and Tom Sharkey. Earp's controversial decision to call a foul against Fitzsimmons led to allegations of fight fixing, tarnishing his reputation. 

A caricature of Earp from The New York Herald mocking him after the Sharkey-Fitzimmons fight.

Earp developed an interest in owning and racing horses, particularly after moving to the San Francisco area in 1891

PHILOSOPHY & THEOLOGY Wyatt Earp was not known for any strong religious affiliations or philosophical writings, but he lived by a personal code that emphasized justice, loyalty, and survival. Unlike many of his contemporaries, he did not drink heavily, which may have contributed to his sharp reflexes in gunfights. His pragmatic approach to law enforcement—often using intimidation over violence—suggests a belief in control and calculated action rather than brute force.

POLITICS Earp was not deeply involved in politics, but his career intersected with political struggles in frontier towns. The conflicts in Tombstone, for example, were not just personal but political—between the cowboy faction, who leaned Democratic, and the business-friendly Republican lawmen like Earp and his brothers. Later in life, Earp associated with powerful figures in California, but he never held public office beyond his law enforcement roles.

SCANDAL Earp’s life controversial call disqualifying Fitzsimmons for a supposed foul no one else saw led to widespread accusations of fight fixing. The scandal damaged his reputation far more than any of his Wild West exploits.

MILITARY RECORD Earp never served in the military. During the Civil War, he was too young to enlist, and later, his life was consumed by law enforcement, business ventures, and gambling.

HEALTH AND PHYSICAL FITNESS Earp was remarkably durable. Unlike his brothers Virgil and James, and his friend Doc Holliday, he was never wounded in a gunfight. This only added to his mystique, making him seem almost invincible. He remained active well into his later years, traveling and working in various business ventures.

HOMES Earp moved frequently throughout his life, reflecting his restless and opportunistic nature. He lived in places like Missouri, Kansas, Arizona, Alaska, and California. In his later years, he settled in Southern California, spending time in Los Angeles and San Diego, where he dabbled in the saloon business and mingled with Hollywood’s early film industry.

Earp's boyhood home in Pella, Iowa

TRAVEL Earp was a constant traveler, always seeking new opportunities. He moved westward from Illinois to Kansas, then to Arizona, California, and Alaska. He was involved in the Klondike Gold Rush, operating a saloon in Nome. His travels exposed him to frontier justice, gambling circuits, and new business ventures.

DEATH Earp died on January 13, 1929, at the age of 80. His cause of death was complications from chronic cystitis, which is inflammation of the bladder. Some reports suggest he may have also been suffering from liver disease in his final years. (3)

He passed away peacefully in his small rented bungalow in Los Angeles, with his wife Josephine Marcus at his bedside. His funeral service was held on Wilshire Avenue in Los Angeles. Early Hollywood western stars Tom Mix and William S. Hart, served as pallbearers

At the time of his death, he was more infamous for his handling of the Fitzsimmons-Sharkey fight than for the O.K. Corral shootout. His wife, Josephine Marcus, worked tirelessly to shape his legacy after his passing. 

After the funeral service, Earp's body was cremated in Los Angeles. His ashes were then taken to Colma, California, where they were interred in the Jewish section of the Hills of Eternity Cemetery. This location was chosen because Earp had agreed to be buried in Josephine's family plot, despite not being Jewish himself.

APPEARANCES IN MEDIA Wyatt Earp’s transition from real-life lawman to larger-than-life legend was largely a product of Hollywood, dime novels, and some creative storytelling. While he was relatively obscure during his lifetime—better known for a boxing scandal than the Gunfight at the O.K. Corral—his myth exploded after his death in 1929.

In the early 20th century, Earp became a fixture on silent movie sets, sharing stories of his Wild West days with actors and directors. He befriended a young Marion Morrison—better known as John Wayne—who later claimed to have based his on-screen persona on Earp’s mannerisms.

The first known film to depict Earp was the 1923 silent Western Wild Bill Hickok, starring William S. Hart, who was a personal friend of Earp. While Earp didn’t appear on-screen, his influence was already shaping the genre.

Earp’s true rise to pop-culture fame began after his death, thanks to Stuart Lake’s heavily embellished biography, Wyatt Earp: Frontier Marshal (1931). The book omitted inconvenient details—such as Earp’s common-law wife, whom his widow refused to acknowledge—but transformed him into a fearless, straight-shooting lawman.

This romanticized version of Earp inspired numerous films and TV shows, cementing him as the quintessential Old West hero. They include;

Henry Fonda in My Darling Clementine (1946), a poetic take on the O.K. Corral legend.

Burt Lancaster in Gunfight at the O.K. Corral (1957), a classic Hollywood Western with plenty of drama and gunfire.

James Garner in Hour of the Gun (1967), which portrayed Earp as a vengeful, morally complex figure.

Kurt Russell in Tombstone (1993), delivering perhaps the most quotable version of Earp ("You tell 'em I'm coming, and hell's coming with me!").

Kevin Costner in Wyatt Earp (1994), a more historical, slow-burn take on his life.

From 1955 to 1961, The Life and Legend of Wyatt Earp, starring Hugh O’Brian, turned Earp into a weekly TV hero, complete with a Buntline Special revolver that may or may not have existed in real life.

Beyond Westerns, Earp has appeared in unexpected places, from sci-fi (Star Trek: The Original Series featured an episode about the O.K. Corral) to comic books and video games. His legend continues to shape the archetype of the American cowboy-lawman: tough, fearless, and always ready for a showdown.

ACHIEVEMENTS Earp’s most famous achievement was his role in the Gunfight at the O.K. Corral . This brief but deadly battle cemented his reputation as a lawman. Beyond that, he was a successful gambler, boxing referee, businessman, and prospector. While he never gained immense wealth, his posthumous fame made him one of the most enduring figures of the Wild West.

Sources (1) Neatoroma (2) Encyclopaedia of Trivia (3) Screen Rant