Profile of the Day: Calamity Jane

Calamity Jane

Do you have any frontiersmen in your family tree? On this day in 1903, American frontierswoman and folk hero Calamity Jane died in South Dakota. She was born Mary Jane Cannary on May 1, 1852 and was the eldest of six children. Little hard facts are known about her life and much of what was said was likely embellished or fabricated by writers and storytellers of the day. However, it is known that by the time she was 12, both of her parents had died and she took on the responsibility of raising her five siblings.

Throughout her life, she held a series of odd jobs and acquired impressive riding and shooting skills. She became a good friend of the legendary gunfighter Wild Bill Hickcok. In her later years, Calamity Jane appeared in many Wild West Shows, continuing to cater to the public’s fascination with the legendary tales of the Wild West.

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Image: Library of Congress