Greetings ~
We read about all the outlaws, lawmen, cowboys and Indian fighters from the old west and they are most always men. However, several of the most famous players in the American west were women. Belle Starr, Poker Alice, Annie Oakley, etc. But one stands out above all the others, Calamity Jane.
Martha Jane Cannary was a character that wore many hats and most of them were men's hats. She was not thought of too highly by the female population at the time. But most of the men loved her, even admired her. But if they had known her better, their feelings may not have been too keen.
Martha was a hard drinking, straight shooting, hard riding gal from a young age. She chewed tobacco, smoked cigars and could cuss better than most of them. And she didn't attempt to hide any of it. Martha really did want to fit into society and tried several times. But it simply wasn't to be. She was much too relaxed to just be herself. In Martha's later years of life, most folks thought she was an old woman. She looked it and had a hard time walking. But that was due to a hard life in the saddle and an alcohol problem. When she died, Martha was only 51 years old.
She had been rumored to be a lover of Wild Bill Hickok. But actual history tells us that she wasn't. She and Wild Bill knew each other and had a level of respect for one another. However, Bill was married and he didn't care for Martha's ways. There's plenty of evidence to show that Martha had a long love interest in Bill and most of the "love" stories we know today came from Martha, herself, after Bill died. Her last request in life was, "Bury me next to Wild Bill." And they did.
Calamity Jane today is a household name. It has been for generations. Movies, TV shows, books, etc. have covered her life. And most falsely. In fact, Martha Jane Cannary lived a sad lifetime. Married several times, four children with two dying in infancy. A severe alcohol problem from her teenage years and poverty for her entire life. It all added up to misery. Martha just wanted to be accepted and she was...by the male population. But females were another situation all together.
From the late 1930s to modern day, we have had a love for the old west and the famous ones who lived it. But in 1900, citizens of Deadwood and other old west locations were trying to fit into the new world. The old ways had to go. For many of the western figures who had lived the way that they did all those years, this was a hard adjustment to make...with a few, it was impossible. And Society didn't give them a chance to just live out their few remaining years in peace. This was the tragedy of Martha Jane Cannary alias, Calamity Jane.
