A One-Way Trip To Boot Hill

Today–October 26–back in 1881, the gunfight at the O.K. corral occurred.

It’s the most famous gunfight in the history of the Old West, and it took all of thirty seconds. (During which thirty shots were fired.)

It’s also a source of enduring controversy.

The battle pitted Wyatt Earp (pictured), along with his brothers Morgan and Virgil, together with the dentist Doc Holliday, against the Clanton brothers, the McLaury brothers, and Billy Claiborne.

When the battle was over, the McLaury Brothers and one of the Clantons lay dead. They are now buried in the Boot Hill Cemetery.

The gunfight remains a source of controversy because of disputes about who fired first, who was justified, and whether the fight should have taken place at all.

It went on to be the stuff of film and legend.

Wyatt Earp himself moved around the southwest and ended up in Hollywood, where he came to know various stars of Westerns, including a young John Wayne, who based his portrayal of lawmen on Earp.

What history will ultimately decide about the story remains to be seen. In the meantime,

GET THE STORY.

NOTE FROM 2005: I am SO kicking myself! Dang it! I just undertook a trip to Arizona and wanted to go to Tombstone, where the gunfight occurred, but I thought I’d wait until whatever historical commemoration of the event that the local community has. I visited the town’s web site in preparation for my trip, but it said nothing about the anniversary. I had NO idea that it was just FOUR DAYS after I’d been in the state! I would have totally changed my itinerary to be there for that! Consarnit! Next year, I tell you!!!

Author: Jimmy Akin

Jimmy was born in Texas, grew up nominally Protestant, but at age 20 experienced a profound conversion to Christ. Planning on becoming a Protestant seminary professor, he started an intensive study of the Bible. But the more he immersed himself in Scripture the more he found to support the Catholic faith, and in 1992 he entered the Catholic Church. His conversion story, "A Triumph and a Tragedy," is published in Surprised by Truth. Besides being an author, Jimmy is the Senior Apologist at Catholic Answers, a contributing editor to Catholic Answers Magazine, and a weekly guest on "Catholic Answers Live." View all posts by Jimmy Akin