The most famous lawman in history immortalized his name as a legendary cowboy. But how much of this famous cowboy’s story do you know? Here’s some information and stories about Wyatt Earp you may not know.
Legendary Cowboy Wyatt Earp
The Legend
Who is Wyatt Earp? He was born in 1848 in Monmouth, Illinois. He spent some time growing up there and in Iowa with his two parents Nicholas and Virginia Ann Earp. He had two older brothers and one half brother, all of which were involved in the Civil War. Wyatt made more than one attempt to escape and join his brothers in war but was always caught and sent back home.
It was at age 17 when he finally moved out and got a job working for the Union Pacific Railroad. Just one year later in 1869, he became a constable at a very young age. Wyatt was married in early 1870 to Urilla Sutherland, who died less than a year later to Typhoid. Completely shattered by the loss of his wife, he fled to a different town to start a new life—Dodge City, where he became marshall. This is also where he met Doc Holliday and gang. The rest is somewhat history as this is when his legacy as a legendary cowboy started.
His many jobs
Wyatt Earp is somewhat of a jack of all trades in his own right. Not only was Wyatt Earp a lawman but he also owned several saloons across the southwest. On top of that, he had a fascination with boxing, so he became a boxing referee on the side for fun. Not all his ventures were noble, however, as he did run several brothels. You could say that all these extracurricular activities were funded by Wyatt Earp’s troubling gambling addiction. It was here where Wyatt Earp found most of his personal and financial troubles.
The Gunslinger Wyatt Earp
After moving to Tombstone, Arizona, Wyatt and his brothers found themselves in some trouble with a local rancher and some outlaws. Gunfire was exchanged and several people were killed at the O.K. Corral. The rancher, Ike Clanton, who was involved in the incident at the O.K. Corral filed criminal charges towards the Earp brothers. The judge threw the charges out, favouring Wyatt for being a man of the law.
His life as a famous cowboy
After leaving Arizona, Wyatt settled in California with his wife Josephine Marcus. There, he worked as a saloon keeper, a miner, as well as working in real-estate. Later in his life, he worked close by John H. Flood who wrote his memoirs. It’s very likely the stories of Wyatt Earp are exaggerated to say the least. It’s believed by historians that Wyatt Earp spun every story he could to make himself sound more like a hero then he really was. Wyatt Earp died in 1929 in Los Angeles at the age of 80.
His life story is widely believed to be fictional.
The Legendary Cowboy in You
We may never know the true stories about Wyatt Earp, but we do know that you can shoot like a real legendary cowboy at the Machine Gun Experience shooting range. With the Gunslinger package, you can channel your inner legend. Contact us today to sign up for the experience.
