Generally accepted to be a picture of Earp in Prescott, Arizona Territory, in 1880. It was a working-class, ethnically mixed neighborhood, where smoke from factory chimneys filled the air. Kaloma - The alleged Photograph of Josie Earp - Elzey [19] Josephine could be controlling. She is the author of The Queen of Denver: Louise Sneed Hill and the Emergence of Modern High Society. The Life and Legend of Wyatt Earp was the first adult Western on television and became a top-ten-rated series, reports the LA Times. Tombstone: The Earp's versus the Red Sash Cowboys | ogwright [6] They traveled via ship to Panama, went over the Isthmus of Panama, and caught a steamship to San Francisco. [27], Josephine is quoted in I Married Wyatt Earp that she received a letter and $300 from her father, urging her to return to San Francisco. The feud escalated, and on October 26, 1881, it finally exploded into violence in a gunfight at the OK Corral in Tombstone. While the town already had five saloons with five courtesans, Johnny's new saloon had none. It is possible she overdosed by accident and died of respiratory depression. Both of Behan's children, Henrietta and Albert, were ill with meningitis around 1877, and in July of that year, Henrietta died from the disease. Is Tombstone a True Story? Is the 1993 Movie Based on Real Life? Blaylock was said to have suffered from headaches, and while in Tombstone, Arizona, she became addicted to laudanum, a then-common opiate and pain killer. There were few employment possibilities for young girls. The Markham troupe is documented as leaving San Francisco on board the Southern Pacific Railroad, not a ship nor a stagecoach, in October 1879 for Casa Grande, Arizona, the end of the line. Josie had two miscarriages during her life and was apparently unable to have children. He was known to disappear for days at a time "to see property", the family euphemism for a drinking binge, and Earp was his regular partner. [18]:36 Josephine worked hard to conceal Wyatt's prior relationship to his common-law wife and former prostitute Mattie Blaylock, with whom Wyatt was living when Josephine first met him in 1880. [9] The coroner's report of her death was brief. She wrote, "life was dull for me in San Francisco. Did Bessie continue sporting once they arrived in Tombstone? The family was settled at a farm near Iowa. Blaylock was said to have suffered from headaches, and while in Tombstone, Arizona, she became addicted to laudanum, a then-common opiate and pain killer. Running into town in the direction of the shots, Josephine was relieved to see that Wyatt was uninjured. Josephine left Behan in 1881, before the Gunfight at the O.K. Corral on October 26, 1881. [56], On May 22, 1875, Behan's wife Victoria filed for divorce. Raised by devout parents on Iowa farmland, she yearned for freedom and a life of adventure. He recorded Josephine as a member of the Marcus household,[5] information that may have been offered by her parents. The horse was a frequent winner and sometimes Wyatt bought Josephine some jewelry with the proceeds. [28] When Stuart Lake was researching his book Wyatt Earp: Frontier Marshal he heard stories about Sadie's personal history. Bat Masterson, a friend of Wyatt Earp's who was in Tombstone from February to April 1881,[29]:41[30] described her to Stuart Lake as "an incredible beauty"[31] and as the "belle of the honkytonks, the prettiest dame in three hundred or so of her kind. It is unclear why the pair decided to leave home but historians have speculated the sisters did not enjoy life on their parents farm in Iowa and decided to embark on a different path. [43], While there are no records that her father sent her money, researchers have located records of money orders totaling $50 sent by Josephine to her family in San Francisco. [46][47] She was the step-daughter of Yavapai County Sheriff John P. [43] Josephine said Behan asked her to marry him and persuaded her parents to approve their engagement. Garner and I discuss Wyatt Earp's life as a sporting man and his involvement in horse racing and boxing. Otero wrote in his letter, "Holiday said something about Earp becoming 'a damn Jew-boy.' "[84][19][21], Among the facts Josephine wanted scrubbed from Earp's history, she persuaded biographers Flood, Lake and Burns to write that Earp was a non-drinker. [19] A town like Tombstone, full of single men, attracted women who sought adventure with little concern for what others might think. C. S. Fly/Wikimedia Commons A portrait of Wyatt Earp's wife, Josephine Earp, in 1881, the year they met. He continued his career in law enforcement in Dodge City. The Tombstone Epitaph reported on November 11, 1881 that "S. Mansfield" from San Francisco had passed Colton, California (where Wyatt Earp's parents lived) en route to Arizona, a few days before Wyatt's testimony at the Spicer hearing. [120], The book has become an example of how supposedly factual works can trip up researchers, historians, and librarians. [99] Wyatt had some modest success with the gold mines[100] and they lived on the slim proceeds of income from that and investments in Oakland and Kern County oil field. What Happened To Wyatt Earp's Wife? - FAQS Clear Tombstone Ending Explained: What Happened To Each Main Character Corral made him a legend. The divorce also cited Behan's threats of violence and unrelenting verbal abuse. Wyatt took a job managing a horse stable in Santa Rosa. He lived so long, passing away in 1929 at the ripe old age of eighty, that he had time to mold and nurture his public image after it had become a bit ragged . Upon their return, they arrived late in the evening and a day earlier than expected, at the house built with her father's money. Mrs. Hirsch, because of Doras part in it was as anxious as my people (family), to keep it a secret. [26]:46 Neighbors in Prescott witnessed Behan visiting the "house of ill fame" on Granite Street on several occasions during December 1874. To feed her gambling habit, Josephine would pawn the jewelry to millionaire Lucky Baldwin, but Wyatt would later buy the jewelry back. [2], Sadie Mansfield left Gillete, near Tip Top, and arrived in Phoenix on February 13, 1880. After a week in Tombstone, the Markham troupe finished their engagement and headed north to Prescott. There is no legal record of a marriage between the two. In the 1880 United States Census Blaylock is listed as Wyatt's wife though there is no record of a legal marriage. Actor Hugh O'Brianbecame a household name and earned Emmy nominations for his portrayal of the O.K. Heartbroken and addicted, Blaylock tried her best to prevail. Wyatt Earp | The Old West [66], After the Gunfight at the O.K. Behan left on an 'electioneering' tour toward Black Canyon, Wickenburg and other places" north and west of present-day Phoenix. He was in agreement, but Josephine, who was 37, miscarried soon after. On July 3, 1888, Blaylock took a lethal dose of laudanum and alcohol. According to Edward C. Meyers Mattie: Wyatt Earps Second Wife, Blaylock was the youngest of three children and her familys second daughter. Wildcat - The Untold Story of Pearl Hart. Related read: The Real Story of Doc Holliday and Big Nose Kate Mattie & Wyatt Leave Arizona Wyatt Earp: Tombstone, Siblings & OK Corral - History [31], Other researchers have questioned what she did prior to 1883. Mattie eventually returned to Arizona where she spent her remaining years working as a prostitute. Wyatt Earp took up with the beautiful, young Sadie, even as his drug-addicted wife, Mattie, lay in bed with crippling headaches. Considine tried to keep Earp from succeeding, and arranged for his establishment to be raided. Blaylock planned to return to sex work in Pinal City, but with most of the prospective clientele gone with the silver, making a living there proved difficult. [21] Mattie resumed life as a prostitute and committed "suicide by opium poisoning" on July 3, 1888. Wyatt Earp had a total of three wives. [14]:101 Lake corresponded with Josephine over several years, and he claimed she attempted to influence what he wrote and hamper him in every way possible, including consulting lawyers. San Francisco's population had boomed to 149,473, and housing was in short supply. [26]:4748, In February or March 1879: The Prescott Weekly Journal-Miner reported that John Behan was visiting San Francisco. Sid Grauman of Grauman's Theater and cowboy actor and long-time friend of Wyatt Earp William S. Hart paid for her funeral and burial. Earp moved to Wichita, Kansas, and worked as a shotgun guard for Wells Fargo. Meet Mattie Blaylock, The Abandoned Common-Law Wife Of Wyatt Earp By Marco Margaritoff | Edited By Erik Hawkins Published March 24, 2022 In the mid-19th century, Mattie Blaylock left her farm life in Iowa behind and eloped with Wyatt Earp, but ended up abandoned by the lawman after the Gunfight at the O.K. From Wichita to Dodge City, to the O.K. He knew his wife preferred the name "Josephine" and detested "Sadie", but early in their relationship he began calling her 'Sadie'. In 1879, five prostitutes lived there. [73]:38, After the Earp Vendetta Ride ended in April 1882, Wyatt left Arizona for Colorado. But Leah never left San Francisco with Josephine. He reportedly worked on a floating brothel thereafter and married teenage prostitute Sally Heckell, who was busted alongside him on Sept. 10, 1872, and identified herself as his wife. Following the Earp Vendetta Ride, the Earp posse went to Albuquerque, New Mexico for two weeks. In the summer they retreated to Los Angeles, where Wyatt struck up relationships with some of the early cowboy actors, including William S. Hart and Tom Mix. In the midst of all this conflict, Wyatt is dealing with the fact that his wife, Mattie, has become addicted to Laudanum, a mixture of opium and morphine. They rented a cabin from Rex Beach for $100 a month and spent the winter of 18981899 there. Earp's former wife, Mattie Blaylock traveled with other Earp family members in April 1882, to Colton, California, waiting for Wyatt to telegraph her and invite her to join him. [21], In about 1923, Charles Welsh, a friend who Earp had known since his time in Dodge City in 1876, and a retired railroad engineer, frequently invited the Earps to visit his family in San Bernardino, Needles, and later in Los Angeles. [63] They bought the only home they ever owned, a small cottage in Vidal, and lived there during the fall, winter and spring months of 1925 1928, while he worked his Happy Days mines in the Whipple Mountains a few miles north. Born in Wisconsin in 1850, Mattie was raised in Fairfax, Iowa until she ran away from home at the age of 16. Corral in 1882. After the Gunfight at the O.K. [2], On February 6, 1875, criminal charges were filed against Sadie Mansfield for petty larceny, accusing her of stealing two German silver spoons worth $126.00. [35] Married women of the era were expected to avoid working outside the home, or risk being considered "public women," a euphemism for prostitute. [34], Josephine's life on the frontier and possibly as a prostitute allowed her greater independence. Known as "Sadie" to the public in 1881, she met Wyatt in the frontier boom town Tombstone, Arizona Territory when she was living with Cochise County Sheriff Johnny Behan. [21], Josephine loved to play poker[104] and developed a serious gambling habit,[11] losing heavily at times. Wyatt Earp is the most recognizable face of the Earp family. Celia Ann Mattie Blaylock was a prostitute and the common-law wife of Wyatt Earp, a western frontiersman famous for his participation in the 1881 gunfight at the O.K. [26] He was furious about her gambling habit, during which she lost considerable sums of money. On November 25, 1899, the Seattle Star reported Earp's arrival. In 1998, a series of articles by Tony Ortega in the Phoenix New Times, including interviews with Glenn Boyer, argued that Boyer invented large portions of the book. Sadie "would always interfere whenever Wyatt would talk with Stuart Lake. On June 1 or 2, 1880, William V. Carroll, the census enumerator for the 9th ward in San Francisco, visited the Marcus home. 7 things you didn't know about Wyatt Earp and his famous gunfight Her parents greeted her cheerlessly and took her back in disgrace.[1]. He holds dual bachelor's degrees from Pace University and a master's degree from New York University. After Wyatt died, Josephine spent her last years in Los Angeles. "United States Census, San Francisco, California", "San Francisco Morning Call Newspaper Vital Statistics", "I Married Wyatt Earp: The Recollections of Josephine Sarah Marcus Earp", "Voting Ward Maps, 1852, 1860, 1870, 1880", "The Jewish First Lady at Legendary Lawmaker Wyatt Earp's O.K. Sadie was apparently no longer claiming to be Behan's wife. Grace Spolidora was a teenager during the Earp's many visits to her family's home near Needles, California and sometimes went to San Diego with them. At this point, Matties profession was listed as keeping house. Celia Ann Mattie Blaylock was born around 1850 into a religious family in Iowa. [26]:56. "[2] She said, "the whole experience recurs to my memory as a bad dream and I remember little of its details. His elder brothers joined the Union Army when the American Civil War began, while Wyatt, 13 years old, and his younger brothers took care of the farm. Wyatt Earp in 1869 4. What happened to Wyatt Earp? - TimesMojo Cason says she and her sister "finally abandoned work on the manuscript because she [Josie] would not clear up the Tombstone sequence where it pertained to her and Wyatt. Much of her life from about 1874 to 1882 (when she lived in the Arizona Territory) is uncertain; she worked hard to keep this period of her life private, even threatening legal action against writers and movie producers. [23] Sadie Mansfield reappeared in Tombstone when she was noted in the July 1882 Tombstone census, but Josephine Marcus and Josephine Behan were not. I finally finished reading this book about the life and times of Wyatt Earp. [55] The paper also reported on April 9, 1875, that a letter was waiting for her in the post office. The Tragic Story of Mattie Blaylock, the Forgotten, Discarded Wife of They moved to San Francisco, where Josephine attended dance school as a girl. The Jewish Women's Archive describes Josephine Sarah Marcus Earp as "impulsive, adventurous, and outspoken." The daughter of German-Jewish immigrants, she was born in New York in 1861 and moved to San Francisco with her folks at age seven. Boyer's book was considered a factual memoir, and cited by scholars, studied in classrooms, and used as a source by filmmakers for 32 years. This is the book from which the movie Tombstone was based. [2] Earp was appointed assistant marshal in Dodge City under Marshal Lawrence Deger around May 1876. In 2009, the Tonto National Forest, in conjunction with local citizens and preservation organizations, began preserving the historic cemetery, interpreting the history, and updating grave markers. She said that she had believed Behan was planning to marry her, but he kept putting it off, and she grew disillusioned. He also told Baldwin to stop lending money to Josephine, but she continued to gamble anyway. Money flowed from Nevada through San Francisco, and for a while the Marcus family prospered. He lived about two blocks from the family, so he likely already knew the family. 1880; Tip Top, Yavapai, Arizona Territory; roll 37, page 413A,, enumeration district 22. This is the story of that life together after Wyatt's famous. Jaffa was also Jewish. ), you were probably thrilled when, When Josephine Marcus Earp died in Los Angeles on December 19, 1944, her small memorial attracted little attention, The Real Story of Doc Holliday and Big Nose Kate, Im Your Huckleberry: the Real Meaning of Doc Hollidays Famous Line, Tombstone vs. Wyatt Earp: 7 Differences in the Dueling Movies, 10 Fascinating Facts About Jack Swilling, the Founder of Phoenix, 8 Interesting Facts About the Arizona Rangers, 15 Native American Ruins in Arizona that Offer a Historic Glimpse into the Past, 8 Famous (and Infamous) Sheriffs of the Old West, Blood Brothers: The Unlikely Friendship of Tom Jeffords and Cochise, 8 Things You Might Not Know About Morgan Earp, Wyatts Favorite Bro, 9 Fascinating Facts About Virgil Earp, Noble Lawman of the West, Mrs. Earp: The Wives And Lovers Of The Earp Brothers, A Wyatt Earp Anthology: Long May His Story Be Told, I Married Wyatt Earp: The Recollections of Josephine Sarah Marcus Earp. [4] In the 1880 United States Census of Tombstone, Blaylock is listed as Wyatt's wife though there is no record of a legal marriage. When Wyatt died in 1929, Josephine Earp had his body cremated and secretly buried him in the Marcus family plot in the Jewish Hills of Eternity Memorial Park in Colma, California. She said that during the last years of Wyatt's life, Josephine received an allowance from her family and gambled it away, often leaving Wyatt hungry. In 1879, the couple relocated from Kansas to Tombstone, Arizona. Find many great new & used options and get the best deals for Tombstone (DVD, 2002, 2-Disc Set, Vista Series Directors Cut) COMPLETE with Map at the best online prices at eBay! Blaylock and her sister Sarah, meanwhile, rejected their prospective suitors and soon hatched a plan to escape and see the world. It was located for sale in a flea market. Wyatt Earp wasn't always on the right side of the law. "[8], During 1874, when Josephine was 13, production of gold and silver from the Comstock Lode had fed a feverish stock market, leading to a great deal of speculation. Mattie Blaylock spent her entire childhood learning scripture and attending church. It tells the story of Wyatt Earp's darkest secret. He promised Blaylock a telegram with instructions on where to reunite when it was safe, but never did. They arrived while the city was recovering from the disastrous earthquake of October 21, 1868. [71][86][29]:78, They boarded the steamship Rosalie for Nome, Alaska on September 21. [43] These facts may explain why Josephine later thought of this time in her life as "a bad dream. They performed H.M.S. "Allie's Story: Mrs. Virgil Earp and The "Tombstone Travesty", "Pharmacology and Pharmacokinetics of Alcohol and Opioids", https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Mattie_Blaylock&oldid=1143484556, This page was last edited on 8 March 2023, at 00:57. For those of you with knowledge about Victorian medicines, you know they're mostly high grade opiates. [6] Henry Marcus initially made enough money to send Josephine and her sister Hattie to music and dance classes at McCarty's Dancing Academy, a family-owned business on Eddy St. that taught both children and adults. [107] The San Francisco Examiner ran a series of stories over three days describing Earp's life in exaggerated detail that ridiculed him. It was amidst the chaos that Blaylock made her younger self proud and chose her own husband. [43], Sadie, traveling as either Mrs. J. C. Earp or Mrs. Wyatt Earp, left Tombstone for her family in San Francisco via Los Angeles on March 24, 1882. He had a "relationship with" Sadie Mansfield, likely the same girl who had traveled with Hattie Wells' prostitutes from San Francisco. Three days later, Sieber and Sgt. [88][89][90], In the spring they decided the gold rush in Dawson was drawing to an end and headed for Nome instead. Meet Mattie Blaylock, The Abandoned Common-Law Wife Of Wyatt Earp. Josephine ran away, possibly as early as age 14, and traveled to Arizona, where she said she went "looking for adventure". While they survived without a scratch after 30 seconds of gunfire, Blaylock had already been wounded as Earp had already met Josephine Sadie Marcus months ago. Mrs. Virgil Earp. Her poor lifestyle would see her age out of favor, while her laudanum addiction saw her die of suicide by opium poisoning on July 3, 1888. Wikimedia CommonsMattie Blaylock ran away from home when she was 18. It's October 26, 1881, in Tombstone, and Arizona is not yet a state. In early April, Wyatt left Arizona for New Mexico and then Colorado. She also told the Earp cousins that Pauline Markham had a maid named Julia. [71] Josephine got pregnant at the same time, and she thought she could persuade Earp from heading to Alaska. At this point, Mattie's profession was listed as keeping house. 1944: Wyatt Earp's common-law Jewish wife dies - Haaretz.com Previously, Matties grave was unmarked. He wrote (in her voice), "Hattie and I attended the McCarthy Dancing Academy for children on Howard Street (Polk and Pacific). [8] "There was far too much excitement in the air to remain a child. [103] The Earps were frequent visitors and often spent the holidays with the Welsh family, but they did not appreciate Josephine's gambling habits. Wyatt Earp was born in Monmouth, Illinois in 1848. The Sad Story Of Mattie Blaylock, Wyatt Earp's Common-Law Wife With Kevin Costner, Dennis Quaid, Gene Hackman, David Andrews. She attributed the highly exaggerated stories about Wyatt Earp to Josephine. He was known as a lawman, gambler, and boxing referee, exemplifying the pinnacle of American grit, inspiring practically every Hollywood western in some way. Urilla Sutherland: The Truth About Wyatt Earp's First Wife The United States Census confirmed her as his common-law wife by 1880. Instead . Wyatt Earp: Directed by Lawrence Kasdan. Also coming to Tombstone is Wyatt's good friend, Doc Holliday. At some point after leaving home, Celia chose the alias "Mattie", probably in an effort to conceal her identity and remain as anonymous as possible. Earp and partner Charles E. Hoxie built the Dexter Saloon, the largest in Nome. [39] Josephine said she left the acting troupe in February 1880, just after the Markham troupe ended its initial run of performances in Prescott. [44] She said that Sieber and his scouts led her stagecoach and its passengers to a nearby adobe ranch house. Virgil married his third and last wife, Alvira "Allie" Packingham Sullivan, between 1871 and 1872. Tombstone Ending Explained: Legend Passes Into Cinema Shortly afterwards, Wyatt Earp began his famous "Revenge Ride" to rid the Territory of outlaws. [43], During the next few months, until April 1882, Sadie Mansfield is recorded in various newspapers as traveling back and forth between Tombstone and San Francisco several times. [11][22][23][24]:47[24]:65, The facts about Josephine's life in the Arizona Territory and in Tombstone have been obscured by her legal and personal efforts to keep that period private. Wyatt, Wyatt's wife Mattie, his brother James, James's wife Bessie, James's 16-year-old step-daughter, and Doc traveled by wagon train from Dodge City to Prescott, picking up Big Nose Kate on the way. His second wife was Mattie Blaylock, who became addicted to pain killer medicine. The Epitaph reported on February 27, 1882 that S. Mansfield of Tombstone was returning from the west with other passengers, passing through Colton, California. "Doc" Holliday: A Story of Tuberculosis, Pain, and Self-medication in She enjoyed some brief success as a juvenile actress on the San Francisco stage during the 1870s. They traveled West, thinking they would find some work. It is supposedly the definitive read about Wyatt Earp. According to the 1860 census, Celia attended local schools. As the oldest, Martha Jane Blaylock was the first to be married in 1860, when she was 17.
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