Calamity Jane – Rowdy Woman of the West
The American West, a land of vast landscapes and boundless opportunity, also birthed figures as captivating and complex as the terrain itself. Among these iconic individuals stands Calamity Jane, a name synonymous with the rugged independence and untamed spirit of the frontier. More than just a character from dime novels and Wild West shows, she was a real woman who carved a unique path for herself in a male-dominated world. Her life, shrouded in both fact and legend, continues to fascinate and inspire.
Martha Jane Cannary, the woman who would become Calamity Jane, was born on May 1, 1852, in Princeton, Missouri. From a young age, she displayed a fondness for the outdoors, a characteristic that would define her life. As she matured, she embraced a persona that defied societal expectations for women of the time. She adopted masculine attire, became proficient with firearms, and cultivated a reputation for heavy drinking and storytelling, often embellishing her experiences for the entertainment of her audience.
The Cannary family’s westward migration in 1865 marked a turning point in young Martha’s life. Traveling by wagon train from Missouri to Virginia City, Montana, the teenage girl spent much of her time hunting alongside the men, honing her skills as a markswoman and developing a fearless approach to horsemanship. By the time the family arrived in Virginia City, she was already recognized for her exceptional abilities in these areas, traits that would serve her well in the years to come.
Tragedy struck the Cannary family shortly after their arrival in Montana with the death of Jane’s mother in 1866. The family continued their journey westward, relocating to Salt Lake City, Utah, that same summer. Further misfortune befell them with the death of Mr. Cannary later that year, leaving Jane, at a young age, responsible for the care of her five younger siblings.
Facing immense responsibility, Jane led her siblings back east to Wyoming, arriving at Fort Bridger on May 1, 1868. To support her family, she took on a variety of jobs, demonstrating her resourcefulness and adaptability. Her roles included cook, nurse, dance-hall girl, dishwasher, waitress, and ox-team driver. Some accounts even suggest she worked as a prostitute, highlighting the desperate measures she took to provide for her siblings in a harsh and unforgiving environment. These early experiences undoubtedly shaped her into the resilient and independent woman known as Calamity Jane.
In 1870, Jane’s path took a significant turn when she joined General George Armstrong Custer as a scout at Fort Russell, Wyoming. It was during this time that she began to routinely dress in men’s clothing, a practice that further solidified her unconventional image. As part of the campaign to relocate Native Americans onto reservations, she traveled south to Arizona. According to her own accounts, Calamity Jane considered herself to be one of the most daring riders and skilled shots in the West during this period.
Two years later, in 1872, she returned to Fort Sanders, Wyoming, where she participated in the Muscle Shell Indian outbreak. This campaign, which involved Generals George Custer, Nelson Miles, and George Crook, lasted until the fall of 1873. It was during this period that the moniker "Calamity Jane" is said to have originated.
The most widely circulated story about how Calamity Jane acquired her famous name involves an incident at Goose Creek, Wyoming, near the present-day location of Sheridan. According to her version of events, Captain Egan, the commanding officer of the post, ordered troops to quell an Indian uprising. After several days, the soldiers were ambushed by a large group of Native Americans as they returned to camp. Captain Egan was shot and fell from his horse. Jane, riding ahead, heard the gunfire and turned back to see the captain fall. Galloping back, she rescued him and brought him safely back to the fort. Upon recovering, Captain Egan is said to have laughingly declared, "I name you Calamity Jane, the heroine of the plains." While the veracity of this story has been questioned, it remains the most popular explanation for her iconic nickname.
Following her supposed act of heroism, Jane was ordered to Fort Custer, arriving in the spring of 1874. She remained there until the fall of that year when she was transferred to Fort Russell. In the spring of 1875, the troops were sent to the Black Hills to protect settlers and miners from the Sioux Indians, remaining there until winter when they retreated to Fort Laramie.
In the spring of 1876, she was ordered north with General Crook to join Generals Miles, Terry, and Custer at the Big Horn River. During this march, she swam the Platte River near Fort Fetterman to deliver dispatches from General Crook to a local outpost. Contracting a severe illness, she was hospitalized at Fort Fetterman for fourteen days.
Upon her recovery, Jane traveled to Fort Laramie, where she encountered Wild Bill Hickok, who was traveling with Charlie Utter’s wagon train to Deadwood, South Dakota. The two, known for their penchant for exaggeration and heavy drinking, formed an immediate connection. While popular accounts often romanticize their relationship, there is little historical evidence to support such claims. Nevertheless, Jane joined the wagon train, arriving in Deadwood in June of 1876.
During that month, she reportedly worked as a Pony Express rider, carrying U.S. mail between Deadwood and Custer, a 50-mile route over treacherous terrain. She remained in the Deadwood area throughout the summer, visiting various mining camps.
On August 2, 1876, Wild Bill Hickok was murdered in Nuttall & Mann’s Saloon in Deadwood, shot in the back of the head by Jack McCall. Hickok was holding a pair of eights and a pair of aces at the time of his death, a hand that would forever be known as a "dead man’s hand."
Hickok’s funeral was held the following day, drawing the entire community of Deadwood, from prospectors to prostitutes. A jury was selected to try Jack McCall, who claimed to have killed Hickok in revenge for the murder of his brother in Abilene, Kansas. McCall was acquitted in a verdict that sparked outrage and disbelief.
McCall fled to Wyoming but was later arrested in Laramie on August 29, 1876, and charged with Hickok’s murder. He was taken to Yankton, South Dakota, for trial, found guilty, and hanged in the spring of 1877.
Calamity Jane remained in Deadwood, prospecting in the surrounding mining camps. When a smallpox epidemic struck the town, she selflessly nursed many people back to health, receiving little more than gratitude in return. Even Doc Babcock, a local physician, acknowledged her compassionate side, noting that while she might swear at the children she tended to, it was a "tender kind of cussin’."
Despite her acts of kindness, Jane remained known for her boisterous behavior. During a performance at the East Lynne Opera House, she famously disrupted the show by spitting tobacco juice on the star, prompting her gunslinging friend, Arkansas Tom, to shoot out the lamps. The crowd, rather than being offended, cheered Jane’s antics.
In the spring of 1877, while riding toward Crook City, she encountered a stagecoach being pursued by Native Americans. The driver had been shot with an arrow, so Jane took the reins and drove the coach, carrying six passengers and the wounded driver, safely to Deadwood.
Calamity Jane left Deadwood in the fall of 1877 and traveled to Bear Butte Creek with the 7th Cavalry, where they established Fort Meade near Sturgis. In 1878, she left the command and spent the year prospecting near Rapid City, with little success. By early 1879, she was in Fort Pierre, driving mule trains to Fort Pierre and Sturgis.
By the late 1870s, Calamity Jane had captured the imagination of magazine writers who chronicled the colorful early days of Deadwood. One dime novel even dubbed her "The White Devil of the Yellowstone."
In 1882, she was in Miles City, where she bought a ranch on the Yellowstone River, raising livestock and operating a wayside inn.
Restless as ever, she went to California in 1883, but left for Texas in 1884. While in El Paso, she married Clinton Burk, a native Texan, in August 1885. On October 28, 1887, she gave birth to a baby girl.
The Burk family left Texas in 1889 and relocated to Boulder, Colorado, where they ran a hotel until 1893. For the next three years, they traveled through Wyoming, Montana, Idaho, Washington, Oregon, and South Dakota. During this time, Jane attempted to sell her life story to anyone who would listen.
Capitalizing on her equestrian skills and marksmanship, she joined Buffalo Bill’s Wild West Show in 1895, performing sharpshooting feats on horseback. She toured Minneapolis, Chicago, St. Louis, and Kansas City, bringing her version of the Wild West to the stage. However, her penchant for drinking often led to her being fired.
In 1900, she was found by a newspaper editor in a brothel and nursed back to health. In 1901, she was hired by the Pan American Exposition in Buffalo, New York. Once again, her drinking habits led to her dismissal after she shot out bar glasses and disrupted the peace.
In the summer of 1903, Calamity Jane returned to the Black Hills for the last time. Suffering from severe alcoholism and carrying her few possessions in an old suitcase, she found refuge at Madam Dora DuFran’s brothel in Belle Fourche. She earned her keep by cooking and doing laundry for the brothel girls.
By August, she was dying in a small room in the Calloway Hotel in Terry, near Deadwood, South Dakota. Her final request was to be buried next to Wild Bill Hickok on Mt. Moriah, overlooking the town of Deadwood.
Her wish was granted. Her funeral was the largest ever held in Deadwood for a woman. Her coffin was closed by a man whom she had nursed back to health during the smallpox epidemic.