Share

Bat Masterson biography

1 photo

Quick Facts

  • NAME: Bat Masterson
  • OCCUPATION: Police Officer, Journalist
  • BIRTH DATE: c. November 26, 1853
  • DEATH DATE: October 25, 1921
  • PLACE OF BIRTH: Henryville, Canada
  • PLACE OF DEATH: New York, New York
  • Originally: Bartholomew Masterson
  • Full Name: William Barclay Masterson
  • AKA: William Masterson
  • AKA: Bat Masterson

Best Known For

Bat Masterson was a prominent lawman, gambler, saloon keeper and sports writer of the American West. He was a good friend of legendary lawman Wyatt Earp.

Quiz

Think you know about Biography?

Answer questions and see how you rank against other players.

Play Now

Synopsis

Born in Canada on November 26, 1853, Bat Masterson began working as a buffalo hunter and army scout in 1873. Over the next decade, Masterson was a lawman, saloon keeper and gambler. During this time, he befriended legendary lawman Wyatt Earp in both Dodge City, Kansas, and Tombstone, Arizona. Masterson spent his later years in New York City, working as a sports and features writer for various publications. He died in New York City on October 25, 1921.

Famed Lawman

Bat Masterson was born Bartholomew Masterson in Henryville, Quebec, Canada, on November 26, 1853 (some reports list his birth as November 24 or 26, and the year as either 1855 or 1856). Masterson later went by the name William Barclay Masterson, in addition to Bat. Though he was born in Canada, he grew up on a series of family farms in New York, Illinois and Kansas. In 1873, Masterson left home and began working as a buffalo hunter and Indian scout in Dodge City, Kansas. Over the next decade, he worked intermittently as the Ford County sheriff (1877-79) and a deputy U.S. marshal (1879), but largely made his living as a saloonkeeper and gambler.

Masterson was a good friend and associate of the legendary lawman Wyatt Earp, who served both Dodge City, Kansas, and Tombstone, Arizona. His brothers, Ed and James Masterson, were also Dodge City lawmen.

Later Years

Masterson spent his later years in New York City. In 1905, President Theodore Roosevelt appointed him deputy U.S. marshal for the southern district of New York, a position that Masterson held until 1907. His enthusiasm for boxing and other sports led him to become a feature writer for Human Life Magazine, a sports writer, and eventually the sports editor of the New York Morning Telegraph. 

Masterson died of a heart attack on October 25, 1921, in New York City.

© 2013 A+E Networks. All rights reserved.

ADVERTISEMENT
9542043 9542043
profile id: 9542043
profile name: Bat Masterson
profile occupation:
related profile id: 9542043
related profile name: Bat Masterson
related profile occupation:
related profile img: /imported/images/Biography/Images/Profiles/M/Bat-Masterson-9542043-1-402.jpg
related profile URL: /people/bat-masterson-9542043
profile
pop
Your Connections

Sign in with Facebook to see how you and your friends are connected to famous icons.

specific profile connection
See More Bio Connections
Your Friends' Connections
specific friend connection
Profile Connections
    Show More Connections
    Included In These Groups

    See all related groups

    ADVERTISEMENT

    Celebrity Connections

    Show More Connections
    Fact Check: We strive for accuracy and fairness. If you see something that doesn't look right, contact us!