The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance: Stuart N. Lake and the Making of the American West

By Michael D. King

Before Hollywood immortalized icons like John Wayne and Clint Eastwood, and before the thrilling tales in dime novels captivated imaginations with daring lawmen and nefarious villains, there was a captivating figure named Stuart N. Lake. A former press aide, wrestling promoter, and World War I veteran, Lake emerged as an unlikely architect of the mythology surrounding the American West, crafting a legacy forged from a mix of embellished truths and masterful storytelling.
His most notable work, the groundbreaking 1931 bestseller "Wyatt Earp: Frontier Marshal", did more than simply recount Earp's life; it solidified the archetype of the Western hero in the American psyche. Yet, the story of Stuart N. Lake is as riveting and intricate as the legends he wove—an exploration of a man who understood the allure of a compelling narrative, even if it meant bending the truth just a little bit.

Born in 1889 in Rome, New York, Lake's early life gave little hint of his future as a chronicler of the frontier. His experience as a press aide to Theodore Roosevelt during the tumultuous Bull Moose presidential campaign of 1912 sharpened his skills in shaping public opinion. Later, he ventured into the flashy world of professional wrestling, where showmanship often reigned supreme—a fitting precursor for his storytelling career.
The turning point in Lake's journey occurred, surprisingly, not in a dusty Western town but in the vibrant streets of New York City. While working as a journalist, he crossed paths with the legendary lawman Bat Masterson, who sensed the public's growing hunger for tales of the Old West and nudged Lake toward the man who would become synonymous with frontier justice: Wyatt Earp.

By the late 1920s, Earp was an elderly man living in relative obscurity. Seizing an opportunity, Lake sought him out, conducting a series of interviews that would lay the groundwork for *Wyatt Earp: Frontier Marshal*. The book, published just two years after Earp's death, became an instant classic, portraying Earp not as a multifaceted figure with his share of controversies but as a valiant hero—a white knight gallantly roaming the plains.
While the book's success was undeniable, its historical precision raised eyebrows. Critics and historians have since unraveled Lake's narrative, revealing a complex web woven with threads of exaggeration, invention, and pure fiction. One of the standout myths Lake fostered was that of the "Buntline Special," a long-barreled Colt .45 reportedly gifted to Earp and his lawman colleagues. There's just one problem: no credible historical evidence supports that Earp ever owned such a weapon!

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Lake's storytelling manipulated timelines, embellished incidents, and polished Earp's character to present him as a flawless icon for public admiration. The messy realities of Earp's life, filled with complicated relationships and dubious methods, conveniently fell by the wayside. Lake didn't just write a biography; he created a resounding legend.
The impact of "Wyatt Earp: Frontier Marshal" was nothing short of revolutionary. It resurrected Earp from the shadows of history and catapulted him into the national spotlight. The book's thrilling narrative served as a blueprint for a multitude of Western films and television shows, with Hollywood eagerly embracing Lake's romanticized vision of the Old West.

Transitioning into a successful screenwriter, Lake penned or contributed to classic Westerns such as "The Westerner" (1940), which earned him an Academy Award nomination, and "Winchester' 73" (1950). His influence was so profound that the portrayal of the West in cinema for decades bore his unmistakable stamp: a landscape where clear moral lines existed, and steely-eyed lawmen single-handedly subdued wild frontiers.
Though his other works never quite matched the acclaim of his Earp biography, Lake's impact on the Western genre is immeasurable. He grasped that the American public wasn't necessarily seeking relentless historical accuracy; they craved heroes and myths that reflected their rugged individualism and pioneering spirit.

Stuart N. Lake passed away in 1964, leaving behind a complex legacy. Was he a historian or a huckster? A biographer or a mythmaker? Perhaps the most fitting answer lies in a line from John Ford's iconic Western, "The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance": "When the legend becomes fact, print the legend." Stuart N. Lake didn't just print the legend; he crafted it. In doing so, he indelibly shaped our collective memory of the American West, ensuring its tales would resonate for generations to come.

Below Stuart N. Lake Meets Merritt Beeson in Dodge City, Kansas

In the sun-baked expanse of Dodge City, Kansas, around 1930, a captivating photograph makes its rounds on Facebook, shared by the page “Old Historical Reflections.” This striking image captures a quiet yet significant moment in Western lore—Stuart N. Lake, the man who would immortalize Wyatt Earp, is deep in conversation with Merritt Beeson, the son of the illustrious Dodge City marshal, Chalkley Beeson. The post reveals that Lake was diligently conducting research for what would become his groundbreaking biography, “Wyatt Earp: Frontier Marshal” (1931). It’s a snapshot that not only freezes time but also highlights the intersection of history and legend in the American West. (Photo Courtesy Boot Hill Museum of Dodge City, Kansas)

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The Marshal's Maker: Stuart N. Lake and the Invention of an American Hero

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​The Book:"Wyatt Earp: Frontier Marshal"

​"Wyatt Earp: Frontier Marshal" is a book that embodies the power of storytelling through profound contradictions. While it falls short as a historical biography—marked by fabrications, deliberate omissions, and exaggerations—it shines brilliantly as a masterpiece of American myth-making. Stuart Lake didn't simply write about Wyatt Earp; he crafted the iconic version that the 20th and 21st centuries would come to admire. His work stands as a powerful reminder that a compelling narrative can resonate deeply, becoming more influential—and seemingly more "real" in the public consciousness—than the complex and often inconvenient truths of history.

The analysis reveals that Lake, with the enthusiastic support of an elderly Earp seeking a polished legacy and the careful oversight of his widow, Josephine, constructed a heroic ideal through an active process of creation and curation. Using a hagiographic writing style, Lake presented Earp as the "greatest gun-fighting marshal the Old West ever knew." He invented key events like the "Ellsworth Showdown" to provide his hero with a legacy of superiority while systematically omitting facts that might tarnish Earp's reputation, such as his early criminal charges, associations with prostitution, and even the existence of his first two wives, Urilla Sutherland and Mattie Blaylock. He transformed a complex local feud in Tombstone into a national epic, illustrating it as a battle between the forces of civilization and savagery.

The legacy of this carefully crafted myth has been profound and enduring. Lake's book set the standard for nearly every subsequent popular portrayal of Wyatt Earp. John Ford's classic 1946 film, "My Darling Clementine," drew on Lake's biography, embracing its heroic tone and romanticized narrative. The beloved 1950s television series, "The Life and Legend of Wyatt Earp," starring Hugh O'Brian, brought Lake's version to millions of American households each week, solidifying Earp's legacy. Even films like "Tombstone" (1993) and "Wyatt Earp" (1994), which sought greater historical accuracy, remained within the mythic framework established by Lake. While they confronted the darker aspects of Earp's character, the essential image of Earp as the stoic protagonist in a grand frontier narrative endures, inherited directly from "Frontier Marshal".

The question arises: why has this crafted version of Wyatt Earp proved so influential? The answer lies in the archetype that Lake skillfully fashioned. The Wyatt Earp of "Frontier Marshal" symbolizes a fantasy of perfect American masculinity. He is level-headed and courageous, embodying decisive action over empty words. As an individualist, he upholds a personal code of honor, ensuring his actions benefit the community. He stands as a beacon of justice in a lawless land, the taming force of the wilderness, and a figure capable of restoring order through righteous action when established institutions falter. He embodies everything generations of Americans, from the Depression-era readers of 1931 to today's moviegoers, aspire their heroes to be. Stuart Lake recognized this deep cultural yearning. He understood that the real Wyatt Earp—a flawed, complex man who was a gambler, a pimp, a fugitive, and a vigilante, alongside his role as a lawman—was not the hero America sought. So, Lake created one. In doing so, he ensured that his version of "truth" would resonate powerfully and lastingly, allowing his Wyatt Earp to eternally inspire within the fabric of the American imagination.