The American frontier in the late 19th century was a cruel and unforgiving place. A new breed of women appeared, the cowgirls like Calamity Jane, Annie Oakley, Belle Starr.
Valiant settlers made their way westward, establishing new lives on the prairies and meadows.
These daring women in the saddle challenged gender stereotypes by learning skills that were traditionally thought to be exclusive for men, such as riding horses and herding cattle.
They are well-known people whose bravery, skill, and pioneer spirit left a lasting effect on the history of the Old West. But do you know who they were actually and what made them so famous?
In this article, we will take a closer look at 15 of the most famous cowgirls who left their mark on the Wild West.
1. Pearl Hart (1871 to 1955)
Canadian-born Pearl Hart rose to fame after participating in Arizona’s most recent stagecoach heist.
In 1899, she and her accomplice Joe Boot managed to pilfer $431 from a Globe to Florence stagecoach.
Hart became a fascinating and contentious character in the Wild West because of her behaviour, which went against the expectations placed on women at the period and on gender norms.
Her narrative, which highlights the complexity of those who lived on the periphery of society at this time in American history, never ceases to amaze and uplift.
2. Laura Bullion (1876 to 1961)
One of the only female members of the Wild Bunch gang in history was Laura Bullion. Her participation in many crimes, including the notorious “Wilcox Train Robbery,” earned her renown.
She was heavily involved in the gang’s illegal operations, yet her tale is frequently overshadowed by those of her male colleagues.
Pop culture has continued to examine and depict Bullion’s life and legacy, emphasizing the range of experiences that might be had in the Wild West.
3. Kitty Wilkes (1870 to 1943)
Kitty Wilkes was a prominent figure in the early years of rodeo and one of the few female trick riders.
She wowed audiences with her daring stunts, including standing on her horse’s back while it galloped around the arena.
Wilkes paved the way for future generations of female performers in rodeo, and her legacy continues to inspire young women to push boundaries and follow their passions.
4. Annie Oakley (1860 to 1926)
Annie Oakley, also known as “Little Sure Shot,” was a sharpshooter and exhibition shooter who gained fame for her incredible marksmanship skills.
She travelled with Buffalo Bill’s Wild West show, showcasing her talents and becoming one of the most famous women in the world at the time.
Her legacy inspires female shooters and athletes, and she remains an iconic figure of the American frontier.
5. Belle Starr (1848 to 1889)
Belle Starr, also known as the “Bandit Queen,” was a notorious female outlaw who ran with some of the most famous gangs in the Wild West.
Her bold and flashy style made her stand out among other outlaws, and she was not afraid to use her charm and wit to get what she wanted.
Her mysterious death only added to her legend, and she continues to be a popular subject in books and films.
6. Calamity Jane (1852 to 1903)
Calamity Jane, born Martha Jane Canary, was a frontierswoman and occasional scout for the U.S. Army.
Her adventurous spirit and unconventional lifestyle made her a legend in the Wild West.
She was known for her sharpshooting skills, rough language, and hard-drinking tendencies.
Despite her tough exterior, she gained fame for her kindness towards others, especially during sickness and disaster.
Her life has been immortalized in books, films, and even TV series, solidifying her status as one of the most famous women of the Wild West.
7. Lottie Deno (1844 – 1923)
Lottie Deno was born in Carlotta J. Thompkins, Wisconsin. She came to the West as a young woman and worked as a dancer and prostitute.
In the 1870s, she ran a sophisticated brothel in Fort Gryphon, Texas, catering to cowboys, buffalo hunters, and soldiers.
Renowned for her charisma, wit, and business sense, she accumulated wealth and lived lavishly. After relocating her company to Jacksboro in 1879, she evaded the law until her arrest in 1889.
When she retired to East Texas, she made smart investments and became a wealthy rancher. Deno gained notoriety for portraying the “respectable madame” of the Wild West.
8. Rose Dunn (1879 – 1955)
Rose Dunn was raised on a ranch in Arizona Territory and developed riding and shooting skills at a young age.
Performing risky acts like shooting targets while perched on a charging horse, she wowed audiences with her Buffalo Bill’s Wild West show performances starting in the 1890s.
Dunn earned the nickname “Lady Sure Shot” for her exceptional shooting skills.
She left her days in the Wild West behind to raise her children on a ranch in Oklahoma, where she performed rodeo routines well into her sixties.
She was the embodiment of the fearless, talented American West cowgirl.
9. Eleanor Dumont (1829 – 1879)
Dutch-born Eleanor Dumont made her way to the gold fields of California in 1854, where she immediately made a name for herself as a card dealer and casino operator.
She acquired the nickname “Madame Moustache” for her keen sense of humour and enterprising abilities after cultivating a thin moustache to stave against pestering.
In 1859, she moved to Nevada’s Comstock Lode, where her gambling venues catered to wealthy miners.
Even though it was against the law to gamble, Dumont found methods to circumvent the restrictions and accumulated a fortune before being conned out of it all.
She endured poverty in her latter years, symbolizing the hardships and perseverance of women pioneers.
10. Mary Fields (1832 – 1914)
Born into slavery in Tennessee, Mary Fields was freed after the Civil War and moved to the Montana Territory in 1885, when she was 53 years old. She became well-known as a star route postal carrier after eight years of horse riding over challenging, steep terrain and between cities in a stagecoach.
Fields was beloved for her resilience in the face of blizzards, her skill as a marksman that kept off robbers and wolves, and her unwavering reliability. In her later years, she worked as a handyman for a Ursuline nun, becoming one of the most well-known and powerful African American women in the Wild West.
11. Lillian Smith (1871 – 1966)
When she was a little girl, Lillian Smith moved west in search of adventure from her poor beginnings in Georgia.
She joined Buffalo Bill’s Wild West show, gaining notoriety for daring stunts like being hauled behind charging horses and tethered to wolves.
Smith toured with the show and met her future husband, horse wrangler Aubrey Smith.
The two performed together before moving to a ranch in California in the 1920s, where they raised horses and educated aspiring cowgirls.
Smith embodied the boldness and charm of the greatest Wild West entertainers.
12. Katherine Haroney (1869 – 1931)
In the late 1800s, Katherine Haroney, well known by her moniker “Cattle Kate,” was a well-known rancher on the frontier of Wyoming who was accused of rustling cattle.
She moved to Wyoming as a young woman, immersing herself in the sometimes violent and dangerous world of ranching.
She was born in 1869. Few details are known, although it is believed that Haroney engaged in illegal “rustling” in which he stole cattle from wealthy ranchers.
She was put to death by local ranchers in 1889 after a trial in an issue that is still up for debate.
Even though historians are still debating whether or not Haroney was a true cowgirl, her sad life and death made her an anti-heroine figure among the early cowgirls who dared to defy society’s expectations in the American West.
13. Sarah Bowman (1876 – 1966)
During the late 19th century, Sarah Bowman was a renowned sharpshooter and performer in the Wild West exhibitions that toured America.
Born in Kansas in 1876, Bowman picked up shooting at an early age and became well-known for her proficiency with a rifle and pistol by the time she was a teenager.
She debuted in the renowned Buffalo Bill’s Wild West show in 1893 and rode horses for years while touring, entertaining audiences with her impressive marksmanship acts.
Bowman was not only a skilled shooter but also a superb horsewoman.
She wed performer James St. Clair Fowler and launched her own travelling museum following her career in theatre. She was one of the biggest stars of her day and lived to reach ninety.
She also left a groundbreaking legacy.
14. Sally Skull (1818 – 1866)
Sally Skull, whose real name was Sally Scull or Skull, was born in Arkansas or Texas sometime in 1896 and was one of the most daring cowgirl outlaws of the Old West.
When she was a young woman, she joined the Ollie Shuler gang and participated in rail robberies across the Southwest.
Sally became well-known for being an expert marksman and skilled burglar who dressed nicely and carried a handgun with a pearl grip.
About 1916, she took part in a bold rail theft in New Mexico when the crew stole close to $60,000.
Skull eventually abandoned her life of crime, but not before evading detection. She was among the last to live, having survived at least into the 1930s, however, her final fate is still unclear.
15. Etta Place ( 1878 – Disappeared 1909)
The notorious Etta Place was the partner and lover of the notorious bandit Harry Alonzo Longabaugh, sometimes referred to as the Sundance Kid.
Place’s exact birthdate is unknown, although it is thought to be about 1878, maybe in Texas.
Around 1900, she got to know Longabaugh and his sidekick Robert Parker (Butch Cassidy), and she quickly accompanied them on their criminal adventures. Location was present at the final well-known train robbery by the Wild Bunch in 1901.
Following that, she, Parker, and Longabaugh escaped to South America and took up hiding there. Later on July 31, 1909, Place vanished into thin air and wasn’t seen after that.
The mystery of her sudden disappearance is still unclear. Place’s final fate is unknown, but some believe she returned to the US and lived out her days there under a fake identity.
Among cowgirls of the early 20th century, she became legendary for her daring criminal lifestyle.
In A Nutshell – Most Famous Cowgirls
Women’s potential in the mythical American West was dispelled by cowgirl icons. With their tenacity, talent, and unwavering spirit, they cleared the path for countless generations of women to follow.
Their enduring contributions pay homage to the tenacity of actual pioneers who surmounted challenges and discrimination to achieve success in their fields of passion.
The cowgirls of the Wild West era embodied the fearless, unstoppable spirit of America.
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