"Who gives a flippin' fudge about the O.K. Corral anymore?" - Well, some folks! The following is thread summary on the Gunfight at the O.K. Corral since inquiring minds around town have been asking why there might be bad blood between Clanton, Claibornes, & Earps:
#WynonnaEarp

First, context: Tombstone, Arizona is located on ancestral Apache land in the southeast corner of the state. Founded in 1877 it became a silver mining boomtown. The O.K. Corral was, unsurprisingly, a livery - that is, a place to feed, shelter, and water your horse. (2)

As with many boomtowns of any size, keeping order was touch and go with gambling & brothels common businesses. 'Cowboys' (rather than the more respectable 'Cowmen' at the time) were also common in Arizona - workers/hands who minded cattle but also more transient rustlers. (3)

Wyatt Earp, a man who spent his formative years in Missouri, had fallen on hard times and joined his brother James out west in Wichita, Kansas where he was a deputy for a short stint. Later moving to Dodge City, KS, Earp was appointed asst. marshal. (4)

While chasing an outlaw through Texas in 1878, Wyatt crossed paths with gambler Doc Holliday who assisted in the chase. Holliday & his common-law wife, Kate Horony, would soon rejoin Wyatt in Dodge City, KS. (5)

Wyatt's brother Virgil was the town constable in Prescott, Arizona Territory. He wrote to Wyatt about the opportunities of Arizona boomtowns. Resigning from Dodge City, Wyatt, & later Holliday, would join up in Prescott. In 1879 Virgil was appointed marshal in Tombstone. (6)

When the Earp brothers moved to Tombstone the population hovered around 1,000. Originally planning to start a stagecoach company, Wyatt made most of his money as a gambler & the brothers invested in silver mines. in 1880 Wyatt began working 'shotgun' on stagecoaches. (7)

By 1880, two more Earp brothers, Morgan and Warren, had moved to Tombstone as well with Doc Holliday arriving with $40,000 worth of gambling winnings. In July of 1880 U.S. Marshal Virgil Earp used the assistance of his brothers Wyatt and Morgan to track down 6 Army (...)(8)

mules that had been stolen by Frank and Tom McLaury. Threats were made in person and in 2 local newspapers. The result was the beginnings of bad blood. Later that month Virgil was appointed deputy sheriff for the county and Wyatt was appointed deputy by Virgil. (9)

While the Earps tended to toe the line of legality and decent public behavior, including vouching for a cowboy Bill Brocius for 'accidentally' killing town marshal Fred White, the Conchise County Sheriff, Johnny Behan was more sympathetic to the interests of the ranchers. (10)

The Clanton Ranch laid claim to 700 head of cattle in 1880 and one of the most profitable ranches in the area. However, the Clanton cattle brand was unregistered in the 2 nearby counties, which was legally required. Affiliated cattle rustling & outlaw cowboys, (...)(11)

including Bill Brocius, Tom and Frank McLaury, Ike Clanton's father ran a profitable cattle smuggling business on the border of Mexico.
In 1881, when Virgil decided to run against Johnny Behan for Sheriff, Virgil offered Ike Clanton reward money for a tip about (...)(12)

the Benson stagecoach robbery. The robbers were later murdered and the plan foiled. Later that year, fearful that his cooperation with the Earps would leak and undermine his rapport with the other cowboys, Ike told others in town that Holliday and the Earp brothers.... (13)

were involved in the Benson stagecoach robbery itself.
In another another staegecoach robbery in September of 1881, Wyatt and Virgil arrested the friends of the Clanton's and McLaury's. The two arrested men later confirmed their alibis for the robbery and were released....(14)

one month later the men were re-arrested by the Earps and this solidified the Cowboys feelings that the Earps were out to get the Cowboys by any means necessary & this lead to more threats.
In October of 1880 Doc Holliday had a fight with his mistress Big Nose Kate. (15)

Holliday kicked her out and Sheriff Behan saw an opportunity. The sheriff suggested a way she could get even with Holliday and she signed and affidavit implicating Holliday in the Benson stagecoach robbery and murders of the actual robbers. An arrest warrant was issued... (16)

for Holliday. Earps found witnesses for Holliday's alibi at the time of the murders & Kate later revealed that Behan had influenced her to sign the document she didn't understand. The Cowboy plot was revealed, the DA threw out the case, & Doc gave Kate money to leave town (17)

On October 25, 1881 word came from an undercover detective that Billy Clanton & Frank McLaury, and Billy Claiborne were in town and planning to join Ike and Tom in Tombstone to sell some cattle stock owned by the McLaurys. (18)

Later that night Holliday approached Ike about the lies he had been telling. Virgil only to be broke up the argument. Ike threatened to confront Holliday in the morning and repeated to Virgil "I will be ready for you in the morning" Virgil went to the saloon and (...)(19)

played cards all night with Clanton, Tom McLaury, and Johnny Behan.
Its important to note that in 1881, the city council passed an ordinance that required anyone carrying a bowie knife, dirk, pistol, or rife to deposit the weapons at a livery or saloon when they enter... (20)

the town. This ordinance would be the legal basis for City Marshal Virgil Earp's decision to confront the cowboys on the day of the shootout.
Ike continued to make threats about he Earps into dawn and word spread to Virgil who listened and went back to sleep.
(21)

The proprietor of the boarding house heard the rumors too and she banged on Holliday's door. Kate Horony woke Holliday & told him the news to which he replied "If God will let me live to get my clothes on, he will see me".
(22)

Around 1pm Virgil and Morgan found Ike on 4th Street, armed. Virgil pistol whipped him, disarmed him, and the Earps took him before the Justice of the Peace. The Justice fined Ike and let him go. Outside the courthouse, Wyatt almost ran into Tom McLaury and they... (23)

stood nose to nose. Wyatt asked if he was armed and he said no but Wyatt testified that he saw the revolver on his person. Witnesses reported that Wyatt drew his revolver and pistol whipped Tom McLaury twice. Billy Clanton and Frank McLaury entered Tombstone a couple... (24)

hours later. Holliday informed them of their brothers' incidents. Being armed when they entered town, & quickly learning about their brothers' beatings, the two men left the saloon without depositing their weapons. Later seeing the Clantons and McLaury's at the gun shop...(25)

Virgil left and retrieved a shotgun which he hid under his long overcoat, as to not alert the public, and returned to the saloon. from the gun shop, the cowboys, now including Billy Claiborne, moved to the O.K. corral where witnesses overhead them threatening to... (26)

the Earps. They then walked out the back side of the O.K. Corral and then west toward the boarding house where Holliday was staying.
Sheriff Behan heard that the cowboys were armed and confronted them to give up their arms. Ike said he was not armed and Tom McLaury... (27)

pulled open his coat to show that he did not have a weapon on him. Frank insisted he would give up his guns after Virgil and his brothers were disarmed. Citizens let Virgil know where the Cowboys were. Virgil rounded up his brothers and Holliday to assist him in...(28)

disarming the Cowboys. Virgil gave the shotgun to Holliday The other Earps carried their revolvers. On their way toward the Cowboys they ran into Sheriff Behan who told them “For God’s sake, don’t go down there or they will murder you!”. Wyatt testified that Behan... (29)

told him that “I have disarmed them”. Another witness said that Virgil told Behan “Those men have made their threads and I will not arrest them but I will kill them on sight.” the fight itself actually took place behind the O.K. Corral, in front of Fly’s photograph.. (30)

gallery and the Harwood house. Wyatt and Virgil testified that they saw Frank and Billy draw and cock their revolvers. Who started shooting first is not certain. Participants and eye witness accounts are contradictory. The six orseven men with guns fired about 30 shots... (31)

in around 30 seconds. Frank and Tom McLaury and Billy Clanton died from gunshot wounds. Holliday and Virgil, and Morgan suffered minor wounds and Wyatt was not harmed. Ike Clanton and Billy Claiborne both said they were unarmed when they fled the gunfight. (32)

Funerals for Billy Clanton (aged 19), Tom McLaury (age 28, and Frank (age 33) were well attended. About 300 people joined the procession to Boot Hill. Four days after the shootout, Ike Clanton filed murder charges against Doc Holliday and the Earps. (33)

Wyatt and Holliday were arrested while Morgan and Virgil were still recovering. After hearing all the evidence, Justice Spicer ruled that Virgil, as the lawman in charge that day, had acted within his office and that there was not enough evidence to indict them. (34)

Spicer did not condone all of the Earps’ actions and criticized Virgil’s use of Wyatt and Holliday as deputies, but he concluded that no laws were broken. Claiborne was later accused of attempted murder of Virgil Earp in December of 1881, which left Virgil's arm crippled. (35)

But there was not enough evidence for the charges to stick. in 1882 Morgan Earp was killed by a shot through a door window in a Saloon in Tombstone, Wyatt was shot at and missed. Wyatt concluded that he would have to go on the offense with Clanton. (36).

Deputy US Marshall Wyatt Earp led a posse that escorted Virgil to the railroad who was bound for California. Wyatt shot and killed a man lying in wait for them at the rail yard. Wyatt never located Clanton. The Earps and Holliday left Arizona in April 1882. (37)

The O.K. Corral and buildings were completely destroyed by a fire that burned almost all of the western business district in May of 1882. The current location of the Corral is privately owned and operated as a historic site & museum. (38)

However, the town's focus on tourism led the National Park Service to threaten (2004) to remove its designation ans a National Historic Landmark District (1961) and the community has since worked with the NPS to develop better stewardship practices. (39)

You can read multiple court transcripts and testimonies from the Spicer Investigation at this link below:
https://azmemory.azlibrary.gov/digital/collection/ccolch/search/searchterm/OK/field/materi/mode/all/conn/and/cosuppress/

Rumors around Purgatory harken back to family feuds between the descendants. Whispers in town continue to swirl with the sudden death of Margo Jean Clanton at the Magpie Ranch and recent reappearance of Wynonna and Waverly Earp. But surely the O.K. Corral is on the past, right?