Horse Branch in Ohio County, Kentucky — The American South (East South Central)
The Earp Family
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Virgil Earp (1843-1904)
Photographed by Duane and Tracy Marsteller, December 1, 2025
1. The Earp Family side of marker
The Earp Family. The Earp family settled in Ohio County, Kentucky in 1827, where they stayed for 20 years. Nicholas Earp and Virginia Cooksey married in Hartford, Kentucky in 1840. While in Ohio County. Nicholas and Virginia farmed and had their first two sons, Virgil and James Earp. The Earps and their children moved to Illinois in 1845.
Virgil Earp (1843-1904). Western lawman and peace officer Virgil Earp was born in Ohio Co. KY on July 18, 1843. At the age of 18, Earp enlisted in the Union Army. Following the Civil War, he moved with his family throughout the West. In 1879, he was appointed deputy US marshal in Arizona. Earp and his brother, Wyatt, are best Known for their roles in the 1881 Gunfight at the O.K. Corral.
Erected 2020 by Kentucky Historical Society Kentucky Department of Highways. (Marker Number 2612.)
Topics and series. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Law Enforcement • Settlements & Settlers. In addition, it is included in the Kentucky Historical Society series list. A significant historical date for this entry is July 18, 1843.
Location. 37° 26.977′ N, 86° 44.321′ W. Marker is in Horse Branch, Kentucky, in Ohio County. It is at the intersection of Amelia Street and Clark
this page online
Regionally, this marker is in the Tri-State Region and in the Western Coal Field. It is also in the American Midwest, in the South, and specifically in the Upper South. Globally, it is in North America, the Western Hemisphere, the Western World, and the Anglosphere. Historically, it finds itself in what was once the territory of the Mississippian Culture and also the Antebellum South.
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within 2 miles of this marker, measured as the crow flies: PFC Wesley Phelps / Medal of Honor Winner (about 400 feet away, measured in a direct line); Rosine Area Veterans Monument (about 500 feet away); Rosine (approx. 0.2 miles away); William Smith Bill Monroe (approx. Ό mile away); Jerusalem Ridge (approx. 1½ miles away); Monroe Homeplace (approx. 1½ miles away); Home of Charlie and Betty Monroe (approx. 1.9 miles away); Clarence Wilson Home (approx. 1.9 miles away).
Photographed by Duane and Tracy Marsteller, December 1, 2025
2. Virgil Earp (1843-1904) side of marker
Photographed by Duane and Tracy Marsteller, December 1, 2025
3. The Earp Family / Virgil Earp (1843-1904) Marker
Credits. This page was last revised on December 22, 2025. It was originally submitted on December 15, 2025, by Duane and Tracy Marsteller of Murfreesboro, Tennessee. This page has been viewed 75 times since then and 43 times this year. Photos: 1, 2, 3. submitted on December 15, 2025, by Duane and Tracy Marsteller of Murfreesboro, Tennessee. • Devry Becker Jones was the editor who published this page.
