San Bernardino County history: The Earp family – Welcome to San Bernardino County

Black and white photo of Virgina Earp standing beside Nick Earp as he’s seated in a chair. They’re dressed in 19th century attire. — *Nick and Virgina Earp.*

Colton quickly emerged as the railroad hub of the San Bernardino Valley, and by the 1870s, had grown to a population of 1,000 people. Among its residents was the Earp family.

Nick and Virginia Earp originally worked at a ranch in what is now Redlands and later spent time in Missouri. After a series of misfortunes there, they returned to California in 1877 with their two youngest children, Warren and Adelia.

In 1881, their sons Virgil, Morgan and Wyatt Earp rose to national fame following the famous shootout known as the Gunfight at the O.K. Corral in Tombstone, Arizona. Months after the shootout, Morgan was murdered and Virgil was left with nearly fatal injuries after outlaws sought revenge. Morgan’s body was returned to his parents’ home in Colton, where he was later laid to rest in Hermosa Cemetery.

When Colton was incorporated as a city in 1887, Virgil was elected as Colton’s first city marshal, while his father served as Justice of the Peace. In modern times, the legendary Earp family has been portrayed in movies and TV shows by some of Hollywood’s greatest actors.

Many buildings still standing today in downtown and south Colton date back to these early years when the Earp family helped maintain the law. One of the buildings is the Carnegie Library, which was built in 1891 and now houses the Colton Area Museum.

The information in this historical feature was originally part of a video series produced by the Assessor-Recorder-County Clerk’s office.

Additional County Update News – January 22