Mrs Earp

When most people hear the name Earp, they think of Wyatt, Virgil, Morgan, and sometimes the lesser known James and Warren. They also had a half-brother named Newton, who lived a fairly quiet, uneventful life. While it’s true these men made history on their own, they all had a Mrs. Earp behind them—some more than one. The Earp men, starting with the patriarch of the Earp clan, Nicholas Porter Earp, did not like being alone. Nicholas Earp was married three times, with his last marriage being at the age of 80 his bride being 53. Three of his sons would follow their father’s lead and marry more than once. It’s also possible these Earp brothers had additional brides or lovers that have yet to be discovered! One could argue some of these women helped shape the future of the Earp brothers and may have even been the fuel behind some of the fires they encountered. This book collectively traces the lives of the women who shared the title of Mrs. Earp either by name or relationship. The name Earp has stirred up many a historical controversy over the years, from false photos to false accounts and so much more. With any history, there is bound to be controversy simply because it can be a jigsaw puzzle.

Wyatt Earp is one of the most legendary figures of the nineteenth-century American West, notable for his role in the gunfight at the O.K. Corral in Tombstone, Arizona. Some see him as a hero lawman of the Wild West, whereas others see him as yet another outlaw, a pimp, and failed lawman. Roy B. Young, Gary L. Roberts, and Casey Tefertiller, all notable experts on Earp and the Wild West, present in A Wyatt Earp Anthology an authoritative account of his life, successes, and failures. The editors have curated an anthology of the very best work on Earp—more than sixty articles and excerpts from books—from a wide array of authors, selecting only the best written and factually documented pieces and omitting those full of suppositions or false material. Earp’s life is presented in chronological fashion, from his early years to Dodge City, Kansas; triumph and tragedy in Tombstone; and his later years throughout the West. Important figures in Earp’s life, such as Bat Masterson, the Clantons, the McLaurys, Doc Holliday, and John Ringo, are also covered. Wyatt Earp’s image in film and the myths surrounding his life, as well as controversies over interpretations and presentations of his life by various writers, also receive their due. Finally, an extensive epilogue by Gary L. Roberts explores Earp and frontier violence.

Which lawman did the most to tame the frontier, Bat Masterson or Wyatt Earp? Neither of them was a saint. At times their actions were not in compliance with the law, and they only served as peace officers for limited portions of their lives. What sets them apart from the thousands of sheriffs and marshals who served on America’s frontier? Did they make more arrests than others? Did they kill large numbers of men? Did they lead adventurous lives? Was it their character? Was there just the right ring to their names that led people to remember them? Did they get the right publicity at the right time? Did they just outlive all the others? Or was it a combination of these factors? This joint biography reveals the intersection of their legacies and attempts to answer the questions about their place in the story of the West. .

What can be learned from another retelling of the Tombstone saga? Recent revelations challenge the traditional view of Wyatt Earp's campaign against the Cow-boy confederation as a bloody personal feud a la western fiction. It was a seek and destroy mission sanctioned by the United States attorney general, the U.S. marshal and the Arizona Territory governor, following a year of corrupt law enforcement in league with the Cow-boys' livestock raids, stagecoach holdups and other atrocities. Presented in three sections, this book establishes the major players involved in the convergence on Tombstone, provides an account of Earp's activities during the 18 months prior to the final action and discusses the provenance and credibility of the "Otero Letter." Discovered in 2001, the letter--believed to be written by New Mexico Territory Governor Miguel Otero--offers evidence that Earp's party was given government aid. The author examines the details of the letter, including the shotgun dual between Earp and Curly Bill, the split between Earp and Doc Holliday, sanctuary for the Earp posse in Colorado and Holliday's extradition fight, Earp's covert assault resulting in Johnny Ringo's death, and the controversial courtship and marriage of Earp and Josephine Marcus.

Passed down through generations, these stories illustrate the subtle presence of the past in the everyday lives of modern Montanans.

Describes the life and legend of Wyatt Earp, from his early life and career as a lawman to his famous gunfights and his legacy that lives on in popular culture.

The Truth About Wyatt Earp is the result of extensive research done by the author, Richard E. Erwin. After retiring from his career as a Criminal Defense Lawyer, he took up the task of ferreting out the truth surrounding the life and times of Wyatt Earp. He presents here solid evidence, based on old newspaper accounts, public records, documents buried in museums, state and national archives and libraries and reports of other researchers, to substantiate his view of what he believes to be The Truth About Wyatt Earp. Did you know... That Wyatt Earp was once indicted for horse stealing (He was never convicted.)? That there were four witnesses who could have testified that Tom McLaury was armed at the commencement of the O.K. Corral fight? That both Wyatt Earp and Doc Holliday spent more than two weeks in jail in the custody of John Behan while the hearing on the O.K. Corral shoot-out was going on? The truth comes out in this illuminating essay on one of the most fascinating characters in history.