At one time, five Earp brothers were living in Tombstone: James, Virgil, Wyatt, Morgan, and Warren. The stories about the gunfights and other activities are well known, but what is not common knowledge is that Wyatt persuaded his brothers to invest in several mining properties here in Tombstone. Wyatt had hoped to make money on mining, and his other activities were often no more than ways of getting by until his mines started paying off.
On December 6, 1879, after first arriving in town, James, Virgil, and Wyatt, along with a business partner named Robert Winders, claimed the "First North Extension of the Mountain Maid Mine" — roughly 17 acres, as shown on the following map. The Mountain Maid Mine's main shaft was located nearby, close to where the present Four Deuces Saloon now stands; see Mines Near Tombstone for its location in the broader district.
They filed a patent for the claim on October 21, 1881, and that patent was granted on November 15, 1882. They began developing the "Earps' Addition" to the townsite and started selling lots in this area. Within a year of arriving, Wyatt had assembled interests in mining claims, town lots, and timber and water rights through partnerships with Winders, Andrew Neff, Dick Clark, Doc Holliday, and several San Francisco investors. One transaction is documented in the Cochise County Recorder's Office: on February 12, 1880, Wyatt and Neff leased their Grasshopper Mine to R. F. Pixley of San Francisco for $3,000. In 1880 they also sold a small piece of property west of town for $6,000. These dealings are the documented source of the Earps' early capital in Tombstone, undercutting the popular image of brothers who lived purely by gambling and law work.
Events in Cochise County soon overtook the Earps' lives. Eventually, Morgan was killed at the Campbell & Hatch Billiard Parlor on March 18, 1882, and all the Earps left the area shortly afterward. Their Mountain Maid claim was not sold or otherwise resolved during Wyatt's lifetime. However, there is an occasional newspaper article about someone who has plans to renew that claim as a tourist destination.
Location
The Earps' mining claim was large and the following map is centered on the "Wyatt House" at Fremont and 1st, near the east edge of the claim.
Sources
- Glenn G. Boyer, "Postscripts to Historical Fiction about Wyatt Earp in Tombstone," Arizona and the West, vol. 18, no. 3 (Autumn 1976), pp. 217–236. Primary source for the December 6, 1879 claim details (partners including Robert Winders), the Grasshopper Mine lease (February 12, 1880, $3,000 to R. F. Pixley), the broader partnership network, and the Cochise County Recorder's Office documentation. Note: Boyer is a committed Earp defender; factual claims are supported by recorder's records and court transcripts.
- Herbert Love, History of Tombstone to 1887 (1933). Supporting source for Earp activities and the timeline of their departure from Tombstone.