October 26th was a very special day for those of us who are scholars, researchers, and writers (and fans) of the life and times of Wyatt Earp and Tombstone. During this next month, I will be reviewing the many books and films about Wyatt Earp.

You will get an insider’s look into the field and tips for visiting Tombstone on the 125th Anniversary of the Gunfight at the OK Corral. I know the best books, which ones to avoid, all the juicy gossip, and where the bodies are literally buried (and a few some authors say are not buried where I say they are)!

First hint: If you do not have a reservation, plan to stay in Tuscon, as the latest report is every motel room between there and Tombstone is already taken.

The Gunfight at the OK Corral occurred a little after 2:30 p.m. on a very windy, chilly Wednesday afternoon on October 26, 1881, one hundred and twenty-five years ago. It snowed later that evening, leaving a dusting of about two inches. When Tombstone is windy and chilly, it is cold. That afternoon, the dust was blowing. Snow flurries were in the air, as well as occasional pellets of sleet.

Not only was Ike Clanton nursing a hangover, he was also nursing a grudge against Wyatt Earp. A few months earlier, Earp had approached Clanton about ‘turning’ on his Cowboy brethren who had been supplementing their cattle rustling income by robbing the select stage of bullion and passengers’ valuables.

Marshall Williams, the Wells Fargo & Company’s agent in Tombstone, had a drinking, gambling, and womanizing problem. One evening, while drunk, he told Ike’s associates that Ike was working with Wyatt. A few months after the shootout, Williams left town, his job, and considerable gambling debts. We will never know if he was in league with the Cowboys or not.

The Cowboys were a loose confederation of outlaws. Several of us consider their depravations to be one of the earliest examples of organized crime in this country’s history. The number of outlaws is estimated to be a low of perhaps fifty, which I feel is much too low. I theorize that there was a minimum of one hundred and fifty.