Wyatt Earp in Dodge City
Dodge City, Kansas, has had a few famous residents in its history. One of those residents was Wyatt Earp. We ran into Wyatt while walking along the streets of Dodge City.
Standing Tall
Wyatt Earp served as a deputy sheriff and marshal in the 1870s. Of course, he is best known for his part in the shootout at the O.K. Corral in Tombstone, Arizona, a few years later. But before that, he spent some time in law enforcement in Dodge City.
Wyat Earp had a somewhat colorful life, and his time in Dodge City did include some interesting events. But perhaps most notable is that he met Doc Holliday and Bat Masterson in Dodge City, and those names would be important in his future.
Along with his statue was this marker for Wyatt Earp as part of the Dodge City Trail of Fame. Just in case someone did not recognize him from his statue likeness. After all, his statue does not look anything like Hugh O’Brian, who played him on the television show “The Life and Legend of Wyatt Earp”. Or like Kurt Russell, who played him in the movie “Tombstone”. Or like Kevin Costner, who played him in the movie “Wyatt Earp”.
Meeting the Marshal
“Look over there, Wyatt!”
Of course, we could not pass up a photo opportunity with this famous Dodge City resident. Laura always likes to find fun poses, and here, she is directing his attention to something over in the distance. It must have been something serious because Wyatt Earp was already starting to draw his gun. Just to keep everyone safe, I’m sure.
As you can see, using Laura as a guide, this statue is much larger than the statue of Matt Dillon just a short distance away. They were obviously sculpted by different people at different times. And there is nothing wrong with that. It is just interesting to notice differences sometimes.
Fact Vs. Fiction
Many times, books, movies, and television will paint a rosy image of someone from the past, especially if it helps them sell the aforementioned books, movies, and television shows.
Sometimes, Wyatt Earp’s image has been polished up a bit. But who can blame him? I would not want everyone to know all the bad things from my past, either. We all have mistakes and bad choices in our past.
However, I think it is also worth noting that even though we have some less than desirable events in our past, we can still go on to good things, too. You can see this in the Bible with David, Moses, Peter, and others.
Just remember, God can use ordinary people to do extraordinary things. Don’t let your past hold you back.
And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose. - Romans 8:28
About the Photos
The photo of the ground marker is a bit of a photographer fail. There was too much of the shadow of the photographer (that would be me) in the photo. I realized that when I took the photo, so I took another version. But in that photo, I inadvertently cut off the bottom of the marker, not realizing it until I looked at my photos after we got back home. So I ended up using the first version and cropping most of my shadow out of it. Just in case you were wondering why one photo was square and the others were not.
Photo: A single Raw exposure, processed in Luminar AI. Read more about photography tips, photo software, camera gear, and more at Steve’s Photography Tips.
Camera: Sony Alpha A7 II
Lens: Rokinon 35mm f/1.8
Date: April 16, 2022
Location: Dodge City, Kansas
