Amazing Photos From The Old Wild West You Might Be Surprised Exist

The resulting maps and reports were essential in opening up the West to settlement and development. Today, the Wheeler Survey Group is considered one of the most important scientific expeditions in American history.

Doc Holliday

Doc Holliday is best known for his role in the gunfight at the O.K. Corral, but there is much more to his story than that. Holliday was born in Georgia in 1851 and grew up in a wealthy family. He was educated in the finest schools and showed great promise as a student.

However, his life took a turn when his mother passed away from tuberculosis when he was just 15 years old. His father remarried soon after, and Doc didn’t get along with his new stepmother.

As a result, he left home and headed west. He eventually ended up in Dodge City, where he met Wyatt Earp.

The two men became friends, and when Earp was appointed marshal of Tombstone, he asked Holliday to come to help him keep the peace. It was there that Holliday made his name as a gambler and a gunfighter.

On October 26, 1881, the famous gunfight at the O.K. Corral took place. Holliday was on Earp’s side, and though they were outnumbered, they emerged victorious.

However, the fight led to a vendetta against the Earps by the Cowboys, a group of outlaws who supported the McLaury brothers (who had been slain in the gunfight).

Over the next few months, several members of both groups were massacred in shootouts. Finally, Wyatt Earp tracked down the leaders of the Cowboys and slew them all.

Doc Holliday played a key role in this final showdown, and after it was over, he left Tombstone for good.