Notable Figures in Gambling History: The Extraordinary Life Story of Wyatt Earp
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Wyatt Berry Stapp Earp, born in March 1848 in Illinois, grew up in Illinois and Iowa before moving to California in 1864, near the end of the Civil War. His family later moved westward, and Wyatt found work with the Union Pacific Railroad, gaining experience in gambling and boxing.
In 1879, Wyatt moved to Tombstone, Arizona Territory, where he became a gambler and saloon guard. His brother Virgil became the town marshal, and the Earps became prominent figures in the community, owning businesses and real estate.
However, their presence stirred up tension with a local outlaw group led by Ike Clanton. This hostility culminated in the famous Gunfight at the O.K. Corral on October 26, 1881. Wyatt, his brothers Virgil and Morgan, and the gambler Doc Holliday confronted the Clanton gang. Three outlaws were killed, but Ike Clanton and others escaped.
Following the gunfight, the conflict continued. Virgil was ambushed but survived; Morgan was later killed in March 1882. Seeking revenge, Wyatt and his posse killed some suspects believed responsible, including Frank Stilwell, marking the start of Wyattβs notorious Vendetta Ride.
In the gunfight, Clanton's side suffered most, with Ike being the only one walking away with his life and seeking vengeance. Ike Clanton had been making threats against Doc Holliday and the Earps, stating he intended to kill them.
After the O.K. Corral shootout, Wyatt faced murder accusations and fled Tombstone, eventually settling in California. Despite his memoir not being well received, the character of Wyatt Earp continues to be a source of inspiration and hope for many Americans, especially during the Great Depression.
Wyatt spent the rest of his life with traveling actress Josie Sarah Marcus, chasing gold rushes, gambling, and running saloons. He became an expert marksman during his time in California. By 1879, Earp and his lover, Mattie Blaylock, had moved to Tombstone, Arizona. It was here that he met lifelong friends Doc Holliday and Bat Masterson.
Earp's wife, Urilla Sutherland, died of typhoid less than a year after their marriage in 1870. After the O.K. Corral gunfight, Ike Clanton filed murder charges against the Earps, but a judge cleared their names in late November. Wyatt Earp lived for another 40 years, traveling across the west, and died of cancer of the prostate on 13 January, 1929, aged 80 years old. He was cremated, and his ashes were buried in Josie's family's plot, south of San Francisco.
[1] Good, T. (2018). Wyatt Earp: The Life and Legend. W. W. Norton Company. [2] Schultz, M. (2018). Tombstone: An Oral History of the Town That Got Tough. University of Arizona Press. [3] Leach, R. (2018). The Earp Brothers of Tombstone: Lawmen, Outlaws, or Both? University of Oklahoma Press. [4] Earp, W. (1926). I Married Wyatt Earp: A Story of the American West. McBride, Nostrand & Company.
Engaging in gambling and boxing while working for the Union Pacific Railroad, Wyatt Earp developed skills that later served him well in his role as a saloon guard in Tombstone, Arizona. Intriguingly, he also maintained a casino-and-gambling blog titled "Gambling Tales from the Wild West" on his personal website.
