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Women Wild West

of the

10 Famous

COWGIRLS, OUTLAWS, AND GUNSLINGERS

hen we think of the Wild West and Moving in and out of retirement, Annie kept A vast collection of Oakley’s personal
the pioneers who set out for parts shooting. She and Frank gave much of their possessions, performance memorabilia, and
Wunknown after the Civil War, our earnings to orphanages as they remained firearms are on permanent exhibit in the Garst
reference is the American Cowboy. While a childless. She passed away in 1926 at the age of Museum and the National Annie Oakley Center in
cowboy’s life was a hard one, living freely 66 followed by Frank just 18 days later. Greenville, Ohio.
on America’s western frontier nevertheless
appealed to thousands of men who left their
homes in search of ADVENTURE and
OPPORTUNITY. But they were not alone on CALAMITY JANE (1856 – 1903)
the western frontier. Women, too, made a name
and life for themselves. Some could shoot and Buffalo Bill’s Wild West Show also featured another,
ride as well as or better than many of their male much less agreeable cowgirl known as Calamity Jane. With
counterparts. Here are ten famous cowgirls, questionable character, boldness, and the ability to captivate,
outlaws, and gunslingers who broke barriers and Calamity Jane was a woman of all trades.
made a living—honestly and dishonestly—by In 1865, Martha “Calamity” Jane Canary traveled from
their horses, their guns, and their wits. Missouri to Virginia City, Montana, on a five-month-long
wagon trail. This teen spent most of her time hunting with
the men in the caravan and became a good markswoman and
ANNIE OAKLEY fearless rider.
Upon completing the journey, Jane lost her mother and one
(1860 – 1926) year later, her father. She and her five siblings arrived at Fort
Bridger in 1868 doing whatever job they gave her. In 1870, she
joined General George Armstrong Custer as a
Widely known as “Little scout at Fort Russell, Wyoming, donning the
Sure Shot” Oakley, Annie uniform of a soldier. This was the beginning of
Oakley, born Phoebe Ann Mosey, Calamity Jane’s habit of dressing like a man.
grew up to be an incredible While working and traveling with the military, Jane earned her nickname after a
sharp-shooter and world-renowned Native American ambush where she daringly rode to and then lifted Captain Egan,
master of dangerous trick shots. At who had been shot and fell onto the ground, up onto her horse to get him back to
30 paces she could split a playing the Fort. Upon recovering, the Captain laughingly said, “I name you Calamity Jane,
card held edge-on, she hit dimes the heroine of the Plains.” In her own words, Calamity would later say of this time,
tossed into the air, she shot that she was the most reckless and daring rider and one of the best shots in the West.
cigarettes from her husband’s lips, By the late 1870s Calamity Jane had captured the imagination of several
and as a playing card was thrown magazine-feature writers who covered the colorful early days of Deadwood, South
into the air, she riddled it before it Dakota, one of the liveliest mining camps in the country after gold deposits were
touched the ground. At the height of found, which led to the Black Hills Gold Rush. One dime novel dubbed her “The
her fame, Annie was a headliner in White Devil of the Yellowstone.”
Buffalo Bills’ Wild West show, which Having the reputation for being able to handle a horse better than most men and
she joined in 1885 with her husband, Frank Butler. shoot like a cowboy, her skills took her into Buffalo Bill’s Wild West Show in 1895
Oakley’s worldwide stardom as a sharpshooter where she performed sharpshooting astride her horse.
enabled her to earn more money than most of the It is said she was the lover of “Wild Bill” Hickok, avenged herself on his killer, and bore his
other performers in the Buffalo Bill Show. secret love child. She did follow him into Deadwood where she worked as a Pony Express rider and
Annie Oakley was also an advocate for women was there when Hickok was shot dead at the Nuttall & Mann’s 66 Saloon.
fighting in combat. Throughout her lifetime, she Calamity lived up to her moniker by being a hard-drinking, sure-shooting, opinionated, and
passed on the art of shooting to more than 15,000 surprisingly caring Western woman who exaggerated her own tales to anyone who would listen. In
women. Her desire to teach the ladies of the day August of 1903, Jane was dying in a room at the Calloway Hotel near Deadwood. Her last request
was to be buried next to Wild Bill on Mt. Moriah
how to “… handle guns as naturally as they know
how to handle babies” was more than a century
ahead of its time.
In 1901, Oakley was badly injured in a train BELLE STARR (1848 – 1889)
accident but recovered after suffering temporary
paralysis and enduring five spinal operations. She Possibly the most notorious female outlaw and gunslinger of the Wild West was Belle Starr.
left the Buffalo Bill show and in 1902 began a less
taxing acting career in a stage play written Born in 1848, Myra Maybelle Shirley Reed Starr was a classically educated young lady whose
especially for her, The Western Girl. Oakley life turned upside down following a Union soldier attack at her family’s home in the early
played the role of Nancy Berry who used a pistol, American Civil War. It is said her brother John A. M. “Bud” Shirley traveled with guerilla bands
a rifle, and rope to outsmart a group of outlaws. to act against the Union soldiers and that Belle supported his efforts by spying for the self-named
“buccaneers.” Bud Shirley was killed by federal troops in late June 1864.

30 Journal of Antiques and Collectibles