Wyatt Earp

Verified Timeline

Lore & Background

Earp arrived in Wichita, Kansas, in 1874, where his alleged wife opened a brothel. At this brothel, Earp was arrested more than once; he may have been a pimp. He was appointed to the Wichita police force and developed a good reputation as a lawman but was 'not rehired as a police officer' after a physical altercation with a political opponent of his boss. Earp left Wichita, following his brother James to Dodge City, Kansas, where his brother's wife Bessie and Earp's common-law wife Sally operated a brothel. In this city, he became an assistant city marshal. In 1878, he went to Texas to track down an outlaw, Dave Rudabaugh, and met John 'Doc' Holliday, whom Wyatt credited with saving his life. Earp moved between boom towns. He left Dodge in 1879 and moved with brothers James and Virgil, later joined by his younger brother Morgan, to Tombstone, Arizona, where a silver boom was underway. The Earps held law enforcement positions that put them in conflict with an outlaw group known as the 'Cowboys', who threatened to kill the Earps on several occasions. The conflict escalated, culminating in the shootout at the O.K. Corral in 1881, where the Earps and Doc Holliday killed three Cowboys. During the next five months, Virgil was ambushed and maimed, and Morgan was murdered. Earp, Warren Earp, Doc Holliday, and others formed a federal posse that killed three more Cowboys whom they thought responsible. Earp was never wounded in any of the gunfights, unlike his brothers Virgil and Morgan or Doc Holliday, which added to his mystique after his death. After leaving Tombstone, Earp went to San Francisco, where he reunited with Josephine Marcus, and they later joined a gold rush to Eagle City, Idaho. In San Francisco, Earp raced horses, but his reputation suffered when he refereed the Fitzsimmons vs. Sharkey boxing match and called a foul, leading many to believe he had fixed the fight. When Earp appeared in the ring to act as referee, Police Captain Wittman disarmed him of a large pistol before the bout began. That night, Earp was arrested on a charge of carrying a concealed weapon and released on bail. Earp and Marcus joined the Nome Gold Rush in 1899. He and Charlie Hoxie opened the Dexter saloon, and made an estimated $80,000 (equivalent to $3,096,000 in 2025). At the time, Josephine had a gambling habit, and the money did not last. Around 1911, Earp began working mining claims in Vidal, California, retiring in the summers with Josephine to one of several cottages they rented in Los Angeles. He made friends among Western actors in Hollywood to try to get his story told but was portrayed during his lifetime only briefly in one film, Wild Bill Hickok (1923). Earp died in 1929, notorious for his handling of the Fitzsimmons–Sharkey fight and role in the O.K. Corral gunfight. This changed only after his death when the flattering biography Wyatt Earp: Frontier Marshal by Stuart N. Lake was published in 1931, becoming a bestseller and creating his reputation as a fearless lawman.

Reader's Guide

Wyatt Earp's significance stems primarily from his role in the O.K. Corral gunfight, which became a defining event of the American West. However, his contemporary reputation was mixed: he was notorious for his handling of the Fitzsimmons–Sharkey boxing match, where he called a foul and was widely believed to have fixed the fight, and he was arrested that night for carrying a concealed weapon. After his death in 1929, his legacy was transformed by Stuart N. Lake's 1931 biography Wyatt Earp: Frontier Marshal, which portrayed him as a fearless lawman and became a bestseller. This flattering depiction, amplified by films, television shows, biographies, and works of fiction, created a lasting but contested image. Long after his death, Earp has both devoted admirers and detractors, reflecting the ongoing debate over his true character and actions. In 1874, Earp arrived in the boomtown of Wichita, Kansas, where his alleged wife opened a brothel. At this brothel, Earp was arrested more than once; he may have been a pimp. He was appointed to the Wichita police force and developed a good reputation as a lawman but was 'not rehired as a police officer' after a physical altercation with a political opponent of his boss. Earp left Wichita, following his brother James to Dodge City, Kansas, where his brother's wife Bessie and Earp's common-law wife Sally operated a brothel. In this city, he became an assistant city marshal. In 1878, he went to Texas to track down an outlaw, Dave Rudabaugh, and met John 'Doc' Holliday, whom Wyatt credited with saving his life.

Did You Know?

• Wyatt Earp was named after his father's commanding officer in the Mexican–American War, Captain Wyatt Berry Stapp, of the 2nd Company, Illinois Mounted Volunteers.
• Earp was arrested for stealing two horses from William Keys in 1871, escaped through the roof of the jail, and headed for Peoria, Illinois.
• In 1878, Earp went to Texas to track down outlaw Dave Rudabaugh and met John 'Doc' Holliday, whom Wyatt credited with saving his life.
• Earp was never wounded in any of the gunfights, unlike his brothers Virgil and Morgan or Doc Holliday.
• Earp and Charlie Hoxie opened the Dexter saloon in Nome, Alaska, and made an estimated $80,000 (equivalent to $3,096,000 in 2025).