Biography of Wyatt Earp
January 13, 1929
Wyatt Berry Stapp Earp was born on 19 March 1848 in Monmouth, son of a farmer, Nicholas Porter, and his second wife Virginia: its name derives from Wyatt Berry Stapp, Commander Wyatt of Nicholas Porter during the Mexican-American war. I celebrate Sheriff character of the old west, was also horse thief, gambler and saloon Manager: its shape is very recurrent in cinematographic works: among others was played by actor Henry Fonda (1946), Burt Lancaster (1957), Kevin Costner (1994) and Val Kilmer (2012). Already in 1849 Wyatt Earp and his family leave Monmouth to home in California: the journey, however, stops before, and so the Earp Family settles in Iowa, near Pella, on a farm. Sold, after a few years, the farm, Wyatt's father returns to hometown, where however can not find work or as a farmhand or as Cooper; Decides, therefore, to become municipal guard, and in the meantime to engage in trade with alcohol. Discovered and condemned, is obliged to sell the property: and so the Earp Family back to Pella; shortly after, he began the civil war.
While his brothers Virgil, James and Newton become part of the Union army in 1861, Wyatt is not accepted, since he has only 13 years old, despite his strong desire to enlist. In 1865 he finds work, together with his brother Virgil, in the company of Phineas Banning, well-known financier, and is used along the line that crosses the Imperia Valley; the following year he was in Arizona, Wagonmaster along the road that connects Wilimngton to Prescott. Shortly after the 20-year-old Wyatt is expected to perform the same task for a company at the service of the Union Pacific Railroad, engaged in the railway sector: it is during this period that begins to step into the ring as a Boxer (addressing, among others, Mike Donovan and John Shanssey) and indulge in gambling.
In 1868 his father Nicholas becomes Sheriff of Lamar, small town in Missouri: a charge that only keeps for a year (before he became a Justice of the peace) and that just leaves Wyatt. It's on 17 November 1869: a few weeks after his first wife, Urilla Sutherland wedding New York source. The woman, however, dies shortly after, perhaps because of typhoid. Little is known of that period in the life of Wyatt Earp: in 1875, however, he is Sheriff in Kansas in Wichita, a city he has to leave to go to Dodge City. Become Sheriff here, he sees growing its reputation as man can cope with more complicated situations. In Dodge City Wyatt know Mattie, his second companion, with whom he later moved first to New Mexico, Virgil, and then Arizona in Tombstone.
It is precisely here that, after being joined by brothers Morgan and Virgil, takes part in the gunfight at the OK Corral with Doc Holliday. This is one of the most popular events in the history of the West, which occurs on 26 October 1881: on one side the Earps, Wyatt, Morgan and Virgil together with Doc Holliday; on the other hand, Ike and Billy Clanton, Tom and Frank McLaury and Billy together with Claiborne. In thirty seconds, killed three men and fired 30 shots. Five months after the challenge, Morgan is killed and Virgil was wounded during an ambush by a group of Cowboys: the life of Wyatt becomes deeply, and Lawman becomes a cruel Avenger, determined to punish all those who took part in the ambush against his brothers. Wyatt Earp died at 80 years old on January 13, 1929 in Colma, after retiring from public life with his new girlfriend Josephine Marcus.
Article contributed by the team of collaborators.