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Life after Tombstone for Virgil and Allie Earp
After receiving his injuries in Tombstone, Virgil spent the next two years recovering at his parent's home in Colton, California. Despite the use of only one arm, Virgil was hired by the Southern Pacific Railroad to guard the tracks in Colton's famous "battle of the crossing." Here Virgil Earp attempted to stop the California Southern Railroad as subsidiary of Atchison Topeka and Santa Fe from installing a crossing to enter California over the SP tracks in Colton. Governor Waterman deputized a posse from San Bernardino who rode down and placed the crossing, ending the SP's monopoly in California.
In 1884 Virgil's father, Nicholas Porter Earp was elected justice of the peace. Two years later, Virgil Earp opened a private detective agency, which by all accounts was abandoned in 1886, when he was elected village constable in July.
When Colton was incorporated as a city in July 1887, Virgil Earp was elected as Colton's first City Marshal. He reportedly earned a salary of $75 a month, and was re-elected to another term in 1888. Among other duties, he was reported to have cleared blocked sewers and kept track of the electric light bulbs (True West Magazine). Virgil and Allie's Colton home still stands at 528 West "H" Street.
The next year, Virgil resigned as city marshal and, with his wife, left Colton for San Bernardino. By 1893, he and his wife settled in the short-lived mining town Vanderbilt, California. According to his wife, he owned and operated the only two story building in town, a saloon and meeting hall used for public gatherings and even the town's church services known as Earp Hall. His business success in Vanderbilt, however, did not ensure him the election for town constable, which he lost in 1894.
In 1895, Virgil and Allie traveled to Colorado, meeting up with Virgil's brother Wyatt. This was short-lived however, as they soon moved back to Prescott, Arizona, where Virgil became involved in mining. Later, he moved south and began ranching in the Kirkland Valley. It was at this time, in 1898, that he received a letter from a Mrs. Levi Law. It turned out that this young woman was, in fact, Virgil Earp's daughter from his first marriage. The next year, encouraged by his wife, Virgil traveled to Portland, Oregon where he was reunited with his first wife, Ellen, and Daughter Nellie Jane (Law). His visit was documented in the April 22 edition of The Oregonian. Later that year, according to her letter to The Oregonian, Nellie Jane visited Virgil and Allie Earp at their home in Arizona. Virgil was nominated as a candidate for Yavapai County Sheriff in 1900, but pulled out of the election for health reasons.
By 1904, Earp had returned to Colton, where according to city records he unsuccessfully petitioned to repeal a temperance law that thwarted his ambitions of opening a saloon. Following this setback, he left California for the last time and moved to the booming town of Goldfield, Nevada, where he became a deputy sheriff for Esmeralda County. After suffering from pneumonia for six months, Virgil died on October 19, 1905.
At the request of his daughter, remarried as Nellie Jane Bohn, his remains were sent to Portland, Oregon and buried at River View Cemetery. After the death of her husband, "Allie" (Alvira "Allie" Packingham Sullivan Earp) moved back to California to be near Virgil's family, where she died in 1947. She is buried in San Bernardino, California.
In 1884 Virgil's father, Nicholas Porter Earp was elected justice of the peace. Two years later, Virgil Earp opened a private detective agency, which by all accounts was abandoned in 1886, when he was elected village constable in July.
When Colton was incorporated as a city in July 1887, Virgil Earp was elected as Colton's first City Marshal. He reportedly earned a salary of $75 a month, and was re-elected to another term in 1888. Among other duties, he was reported to have cleared blocked sewers and kept track of the electric light bulbs (True West Magazine). Virgil and Allie's Colton home still stands at 528 West "H" Street.
The next year, Virgil resigned as city marshal and, with his wife, left Colton for San Bernardino. By 1893, he and his wife settled in the short-lived mining town Vanderbilt, California. According to his wife, he owned and operated the only two story building in town, a saloon and meeting hall used for public gatherings and even the town's church services known as Earp Hall. His business success in Vanderbilt, however, did not ensure him the election for town constable, which he lost in 1894.
In 1895, Virgil and Allie traveled to Colorado, meeting up with Virgil's brother Wyatt. This was short-lived however, as they soon moved back to Prescott, Arizona, where Virgil became involved in mining. Later, he moved south and began ranching in the Kirkland Valley. It was at this time, in 1898, that he received a letter from a Mrs. Levi Law. It turned out that this young woman was, in fact, Virgil Earp's daughter from his first marriage. The next year, encouraged by his wife, Virgil traveled to Portland, Oregon where he was reunited with his first wife, Ellen, and Daughter Nellie Jane (Law). His visit was documented in the April 22 edition of The Oregonian. Later that year, according to her letter to The Oregonian, Nellie Jane visited Virgil and Allie Earp at their home in Arizona. Virgil was nominated as a candidate for Yavapai County Sheriff in 1900, but pulled out of the election for health reasons.
By 1904, Earp had returned to Colton, where according to city records he unsuccessfully petitioned to repeal a temperance law that thwarted his ambitions of opening a saloon. Following this setback, he left California for the last time and moved to the booming town of Goldfield, Nevada, where he became a deputy sheriff for Esmeralda County. After suffering from pneumonia for six months, Virgil died on October 19, 1905.
At the request of his daughter, remarried as Nellie Jane Bohn, his remains were sent to Portland, Oregon and buried at River View Cemetery. After the death of her husband, "Allie" (Alvira "Allie" Packingham Sullivan Earp) moved back to California to be near Virgil's family, where she died in 1947. She is buried in San Bernardino, California.
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Comment by Odessa Red on December 6, 2009 at 9:40am -
I had the pleasure of visiting Virgil and Allie's home in Colton during a lunch break...sad to see it as a "rental house."...it seems in decent repair, though.
Here's Allie buried with Earp sister, Adelia, at Mt View Cemetary in San Bernardino
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Comment by Ginny Morgan on December 6, 2009 at 9:48am -
Love the pictures, Red...and love the house...sure would like to have it!
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Comment by Odessa Red on December 6, 2009 at 10:17am
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Me, too, Ginny...I would love to buy it and if not live in it...turn it into a museum...it's actually not situated in a very good neighborhood now.
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Comment by Steve Sanders on December 6, 2009 at 10:34am -
I have been to Virgil's gravesite at the Riverview Cemetery. Just to be accurate that cemetery is actually in Oregon City, OR just south of Portland.
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