Virgil learned chronic wanderlust from his father and moved around the western states through most of his life. After the civil war, he held numerous law enforcement positions and established a reputation throughout the west as being an effective peace officer. He gained his first notoriety in a gunfight and then again in the famous shooting at the OK corral. Virgil, with his brothers Wyatt and Morgan, constantly sought opportunities to profit from the boom and bust of wealth across the western frontier. They frequently owned saloons, gambling halls, and mining operations, in addition to being listed as farmers and timber harvesters. His wife Allie was with him throughout these adventures. Virge survived a near fatal cave-in of his mine and died a few years later with Allie at his side and a cigar in his mouth. ( )