Preservation: Wyatt Earp's House
Categories: Preservation: You Can Help
By: TW Editors 09/01/2007
Bob and Melba Matson are brave, courageous and bold. In 1986, they bought a house in Monmouth, Illinois—but not just any house. Wyatt Earp was born there on March 19, 1848.
Committed to keeping the history alive, the Matsons spent thousands of dollars maintaining the 1841 structure (with an addition built in the mid-1860s) as a nonprofit museum exhibiting Earp memorabilia. Not exactly on the beaten path, the house has had only about 10,000 visitors in the past 21 years. But the lack of traffic has never discouraged the Matsons.
Bob and Melba are following in Wyatt’s footsteps, heading to Arizona for retirement. They put a “For Sale” sign out, hoping that someone interested in preserving the history would buy the place. Imagine their surprise when their own two children, who have been involved with the birthplace museum for years, purchased it. They’ll be carrying on an important legacy set by their parents. 309-734-3181
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