Calamity Jane
| Martha Jane Canary | |
|---|---|
Calamity Jane
|
|
| Born |
Martha Jane Cannary May 1, 1852 Princeton, Missouri |
| Died | August 1, 1903 (aged 51) Terry, South Dakota |
| Nationality | United States |
| Occupation | army scout, explorer, performer, dance-hall girl, prostitute, frontier woman |
| Spouse(s) | Clinton Burke William P Steers |
| Children | Two daughters |
| Parent(s) | Robert Wilson Canary Charlotte M. Canary |
| Relatives | Five siblings |
Martha Jane Canary or Cannary (May 1, 1852 – August 1, 1903), better known as Calamity Jane, was an American frontierswoman and professional scout, known for her claims of being an acquaintance of Wild Bill Hickok and fighting against Native Americans. Late in her life, she appeared in Buffalo Bill's Wild West Show, and at the 1901 Pan-American Exposition. She is said to have exhibited compassion to others, especially to the sick and needy. This facet of her character, contrasted with her daredevil ways, helped make her a noted frontier figure. She was also known for her habit of wearing men's attire. Much of what she claimed to have witnessed, or participated in, cannot be proved. It is known she was illiterate, an itinerant alcoholic and occasional prostitute.
Much of the information about the early years of Calamity Jane's life comes from the autobiographical booklet she dictated in 1896, which was written for publicity purposes. She was about to begin a tour in which she would appear in dime museums around the United States, and the pamphlet was intended to help attract audiences. Some of the information in the pamphlet is exaggerated, or even completely inaccurate.
Calamity Jane was born on May 1, 1852, as Martha Jane Canary (or Cannary) in Princeton, within Mercer County, Missouri. Her parents, Robert W. and Charlotte Martha (née Burge) Cannary, were listed in the 1860 census as living about 7 miles (11 km) further northeast of Princeton in Ravanna. Her father Robert Wilson Cannary had a gambling problem and her mother Charlotte M. Cannary had spent time working as a prostitute. Martha Jane was the eldest of six children, having two brothers and three sisters. In 1865, Robert and his family moved by wagon train from Missouri to Virginia City, Montana. In 1866, Charlotte died along the way in Blackfoot, Montana, of pneumonia. After arriving in Virginia City in the spring of 1866, Robert took his six children on to Salt Lake City, Utah. They arrived in the summer, and Robert supposedly started farming on 40 acres (16 ha) of land. The family had only been in Salt Lake City for a year when he died in 1867. At age 14, Martha Jane took charge of her five younger siblings, loaded up their wagon once more, and took the family to Fort Bridger, Wyoming Territory, where they arrived in May 1868. From there, they traveled on the Union Pacific Railroad to Piedmont, Wyoming.
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