Az Trip #23: Shootout Near the O.K. Corral: History, Re-enactment

Re-enactors: L to R: Wyatt, Virgil, tourist, Morgan, Doc Holliday

In today's blog about my Arizona September trip to visit our friend Dan, we explored the rest of the town of Tombstone. In today's blog you'll learn about the famous shootout NEAR the O.K. Corral (it happened in an alley next to the corral), and the Earps and Doc Holliday vs. the "Cowboys." In fact, there are several groups of actors that perform it daily. We saw the version at the O.K. Corral itself, which still stands from the 1880s. In today's blog you'll see pictures from that re-enactment and read about the history behind the event that even made the New York Times in 1881. Read on! >>>

WHAT WAS THE OK CORRAL? The O.K. in O.K. Corral stands for Old Kindersley, apparently the owner's name. It was a livery and horse corral from 1879 to about 1888.

I'M A WYATT EARP ADMIRER- Most people don't know this about me, but in the early 1990s I became fascinated with Wyatt Earp. He was a lawman who never used a gun to disarm criminals and threatening situations. To me, he was a hero before superheroes. (Sure he ran the Oriental Saloon gambling, but gambling was a profession). I actually went to cities around the U.S. where he lived and tracked down his history in each, from Kansas City, KS to Salt Lake City, UT to Tombstone, AZ.

the handsome actor portraying Wyatt Earp

ABOUT THE SHOOTOUT - The Gunfight at the O.K. Corral was a 30-second shootout between lawmen and members of a loosely organized group of outlaws called the Cowboys that took place at about 3:00 p.m. on Wednesday, October 26, 1881. 
  
   As I mentioned in a previous  blog, the Cowboys were cattle rustlers, thieves and murderers. The Earps were the law in Tombstone. Virgil was the town Marshall. He deputized his brothers Wyatt and Morgan and Doc John Holliday (gambler, dentist, gunfighters) as special policemen.   When the cowboys threatened the lives of the Earps over and over again, it finally came down to this event. 


WHICH COWBOYS DIED? Billy Clanton, Tom and Frank McLaury died from wounds during the shootout.

re-enacting the shootout of Oct 26, 1881

  

actual location of the shootout, next to Fly's studio

WHICH COWBOYS SURVIVED? -  Ike Clanton, Billy Claiborne, and Wes Fuller were the only Cowboys who came out of the fight alive – and that was because they ran for their lives. Ike, one of the biggest troublemakers, ran like a coward after making the initial threats. He was later killed while attempting to rob someone (served him right).

FAST FACT - Tombstone is also called "The Town too tough to die." That's because in 1887 an earthquake in Mexico ruptured some underground aquifers and flooded the silver mines. The mines from that age remain flooded today.

NEXT: WHO WAS C.S. FLY AND WHY WAS HE FAMOUS?