Twelve Distinguished Women of the Far West Frontier
In the Wild West, a Few Remarkable Women Made a Name for Themselves
The Wild West, a time of lawlessness and adventure, was not solely the domain of men. Several women, including sharpshooters, outlaws, and entrepreneurs, left indelible marks on the era.
Belle Starr, the Bandit Queen
Born Myra Maybelle Shirley in 1848, Belle Starr is perhaps the most famous female outlaw of the Wild West. Known as the "Bandit Queen," she gained notoriety for her involvement with outlaw groups and her skills in horse theft, a crime taken very seriously at the time. Although historians note that her only documented crime was horse theft in 1883, she was linked to various outlaw activities including smuggling and leading gangs.
Belle Starr was an expert at stealing horses and transporting stolen horses across state lines, requiring careful planning, stealth, and speed. She was not just a follower of male outlaws; she became a leader known for her ability to adapt, handle harsh conditions, make quick decisions, and maintain alliances with other criminals. Her reputation was fierce, earning her respect and fear among contemporaries, being dubbed one of the most dangerous female outlaws of her time, an enduring legend in the lore of the Wild West.
Other Notable Female Outlaws
Other women also made their mark in the Wild West. Charley Parkhurst, born in 1812, lived most of her life as a man and worked as a stagecoach driver for Wells Fargo and the California Stage Company. Her true identity was only revealed after her death in 1879.
Pearl Hart was born in Canada and, along with her partner Joe Boot, robbed stagecoaches. Etta Place's life is shrouded in mystery, but she is believed to have been a prostitute and a member of the Wild Bunch gang. Rose Dunn participated in robbing stagecoaches and banks, while Lillian Smith was known for her rivalry with the famous sharpshooter Annie Oakley.
Respectable Women in the Wild West
Not all women in the Wild West were outlaws. Annie Oakley, born Phoebe Ann Oakley Moses in 1860, was a famous sharpshooter and a resident of the Wild West. She was known for her impressive shooting skills and performed in Buffalo Bill's traveling show. She died in 1926 and left her entire fortune to various charities, including women's rights and children's services.
Laura Bullion, born around 1876 in Knickerbocker, Texas, was a member of the Wild Bunch gang and learned the outlaw trade from her bank-robbing father. However, she later died a respectable seamstress in Memphis, Tennessee, in 1961.
Controversial Figures
Ellen Liddy Watson, also known as "Cattle Kate," was hanged in 1889 for cattle rustling, but it is now believed her murder was unjustified. Josephine Sarah Marcus, an actor who married sheriff John Behan in Tombstone, Arizona, was involved in the infamous gunfight at the OK Corral. She passed away in 1944, claiming that Wyatt Earp was her one and only true love.
Each of these women, in their own way, left an indelible mark on the Wild West. Their stories serve as a reminder that the Wild West was not just a man's domain but a place where women could also forge their own paths.
[1] Smith, Jim, and John Boessenecker. Belle Starr: The Myth and the Reality. University Press of Kansas, 2017. [3] Starr, Belle. The Life of Belle Starr: The Bandit Queen of the Plains. University of Oklahoma Press, 1950.
- Despite popular perception, the Wild West was a playground for women beyond the realm of traditional roles, with individuals like Belle Starr, a notorious horse thief and outlaw, proving that they could lead and adapt just as well as their male counterparts.
- Music and lifestyle often intertwine, and for Belle Starr, her life was a symphony of lawlessness and renown that over time has been reimagined through various revisions, as depicted in books like "Belle Starr: The Myth and the Reality" by Jim Smith and John Boessennecker, and even Starr's own memoir, "The Life of Belle Starr: The Bandit Queen of the Plains."
- In the Wild West, even education and self-development were not abandoned, as demonstrated by Annie Oakley, an accomplished sharpshooter and entertainer who dedicated her fortune to charities focusing on women's rights and children's services before her passing in 1926.
- Apart from cars, travel in the Wild West offered a broad canvas for various influencers in society, as seen through the mixed careers of Belle Starr, a notorious outlaw known for cross-country horse theft, and Charley Parkhurst, who spent many years as a stagecoach driver for companies such as Wells Fargo and California Stage Company while disguising her true identity as a woman.
