In celebration of my upcoming release, Black Hills
Desperado, where my heroine is a bank robber,
I’m going to talk about infamous and famous females of the Old West.
1. The Rose of
Cimarron: Rose Dunn, a Wild West Bonnie Parker had a thing for bad boys and
adrenaline rushes. Not only did she date an outlaw, she was one, joining a gang,
robbing coaches and banks. She died in the 1950s, in her 80’s, long lived for a
woman who worked on the wrong side of a gun.
2. Cattle Kate:
In battles over open range with the Wyoming Cattlemen’s society, Ellen Liddy
Watson and her lover, James Averell, met their fates together at the ends of a
lynch mob’s ropes. Accused of cattle-rustling, Kate became the first woman to
be hung in Wyoming’s history. She was never violent or charged with a crime,
but inevitably made her place in history books as an outlaw.
3. Lillian Smith:
Annie Oakley’s rival would do anything to steal the show. Cold, ruthless,
Lillian pulled no punches and shot better than most men could walk. A Wild West
diva of epic proportions, Lillian dressed in a non-conservative manner, cursed
with the best of them and began her career as a sideshow trick-shooter at the
age of fifteen. She never did replace Annie, but she sure gave her a run for
her money.
4. Pearl de Vere:
The Soiled Dove of Cripple Creek was a business woman foremost, driving hard
bargains and running one of the most infamous brothels in the Wild West. A
red-headed knockout, Pearl was most famous for being the first madam to have
high-dollar call girls. No pictures exist of her, but legend has it she was one
of the most beautiful women in the West.
5. Pearl Hart:
Canadian born, Pearl migrated to the United States with her new gambler husband
at the tender age of 17. However there was nothing tender about her. When her
husband ran off and joined the Spanish-American war, Pearl met Joe Boot and
began her life of crime, robbing stage coaches. She is best known for her
quote, when awaiting trial for her crimes, "I
shall not consent to be tried under a law in which my sex had no voice in
making." She eventually was released and vanished. What became of her
remains a mystery to this day.
6.Etta Place:
School teacher turned bad girl, Etta is best known as Butch Cassidy’s
girlfriend. Not only did she ride along with his gang, she helped him to rob
banks. She was not with the Cassidy gang when they were killed in South
America, and not much is known about what happened to her after that. She
simply disappeared.
7. Josephine Sarah
Marcus: The other woman. Josephine stole Wyatt Earp’s heart and ultimately
destroyed his and her own marriage to Sheriff John Behan. It was rumored this
beauty triggered the infamous OK Corral gun fight. Josephine claimed to her
dying breath, Wyatt was her one and only true love.
8. Calamity Jane:
Martha Jane Canary, better known as the heroine Calamity Jane, saved six
passengers on a stagecoach and a captain in South Dakota, where she received
her nick-name. This whiskey drinking darling had no problem holding her own
with the men in Wild Bill’s Wild West Show. She died in 1903 and asked to be
buried next to Wild Bill. It was rumored, even though she was married to
another man, Bill Cody was the only man she’d ever loved.
9. Charley Parkhurst:
Famous lesbian? Nobody really knows. This young lady lived her entire adult
life as a man, driving a stage coach in the Wild West. In fact, her true sex
wasn’t known until her death, much to the surprise of all her friends. It is
rumored, she is the first American woman to cast a ballot as a registered voter
in an election. This woman defied social standards of the day and lived her
life as she wanted.
10. Belle Starr:
Myra Maybelle Shirley Reed, hid by Frank and Jessie James as a child, this true
blue female outlaw ran with a gang, robbed banks and counterfeited currency.
She ultimately met her end on the wrong side of a gun. It isn’t clear to this
day, if her death was an accident or murder.
11. Annie Oakley:
Perhaps the most memorable woman of The Wild West, Phoebe Ann Oakley Moses wasn’t
an outlaw or a bad girl by any standard, but boy could she shoot. Annie’s name
is synonymous with the Wild West. Annie Oakley could shoot better than almost any
man who picked up a rifle. Not only an American legend, Annie was modest in
dress and faithful to a fault. This crack shot lived her life by her rules and
a place in Wild West history. She died penniless in 1926. It was discovered
shortly thereafter, her entire fortune had been given to charities to support
women’s rights and help needy children.
So, if you’d like to read about a modern day bad girl, pick
up your copy of the Black Hills Wolves story, Black Hills Desperado. It’s
available for preorder now and releases on January 23rd.
D. L. Jackson is an
award-winning author of urban fantasy, science fiction, military romance and
erotic romance. She loves to incorporate crazy plot twists, comedy and the
unexpected into her worlds. As a U.S. Army veteran, she naturally adores men in
uniform and feels the world could always use more. She does her part by
incorporating as many sexy soldiers in her novels as she can. When she isn't
writing or running the roads, you can often find her online chatting with her
peers and readers. Grab a cup of iced coffee, pull up your virtual chair and say
hi. She loves emails and blog visits from her readers. www.authordljackson.com
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