At 17, Earp finally left his family's home in California, embarking on a journey characterized by a sense of wanderlust. His early years were marked by various jobs including freight hauler and a rail worker for the Union Pacific Railroad. During these formative years, he cultivated skills such as boxing and gambling, which would later serve him well in the tumultuous environments he would inhabit. In 1869, Earp returned to his family in Lamar, Missouri, where he took over as constable after his father's resignation. His marriage to Urilla Sutherland added a semblance of stability, though it was tragically cut short by her death just a year later, leading Earp into a period of roaming the frontier unanchored and searching for purpose.
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