The Story Of Calamity Jane: The Wild West Pioneer Woman Who Has Fascinated Popular Media For Decades
You may have heard the unbelievable tales of “Calamity Jane”– the 1800s American frontierswoman who could sharpshoot, horseback ride, and throw back drinks with the other Wild West cowboys.
And even though some Calamity Jane stories are a bit tall and hyperbolical, the woman herself was still a force to be reckoned with.
Moreover, she pushed back against the hyper-masculine stereotypes of her time.
Calamity Jane’s Early Life
She was born Martha Jane Canary in 1856 on the border of Iowa near Princeton, Missouri, about nine years before the onset of the Civil War.
Robert Canary, her father, was a farmer; meanwhile, her mother Charlotte was known to be a lady of the night.
And in Calamity’s own book, entitled The Autobiography of Calamity Jane, she described being the oldest of five siblings– consisting of three sisters and two brothers. Much of her childhood was also spent riding horses.
Then, in the 1860s, the Canary family trekked to Montana in search of gold. Tragically, though, Calamity’s parents both passed away during the move.
Charles Dudley Arnold (1844-1927), Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons; pictured above is Calamity Jane
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Her mother died of pneumonia in Blackfoot, Montana, and her father passed away afterward in Salt Lake City.
So, by the ripe age of only fifteen years old, Calamity had to fend for herself.
She eventually settled in Piedmont, Wyoming– which is about seventy-five miles away from Salt Lake City, and worked at a boarding house.
And even though Calamity’s autobiography detailed her teenage years as being filled with numerous dangerous missions during the American Indian Wars, historians believe she likely spent most of her time as a dancer and laundress throughout the Wyoming railroad.
The Start Of “Calamity Jane”
So, how did young Martha Jane come to be known as the most rebellious and hardened woman in the Wild West?
Well, while living in Wyoming, she began to cultivate a personality never before seen among women.
Calamity already knew how to shoot as well as other cowboys. Plus, she refused to dress like the other women of her time and instead opted for more traditionally “male” items– like trousers, coats, and hats. Calamity also chewed tobacco and could stand up against other countrymen in any drinking contests.
And even though these habits quickly pushed her to fame throughout the region, just how exactly Martha Jane came to be dubbed “Calamity Jane” has remained a mystery with a few theories.
The Tales Behind Calamity Jane
The first theory involves Martha Jane rescuing a man during a Native American raid. Apparently, the man was shot while riding a horse, and Martha Jane swooped in to save him. Then, after she pulled him onto her horse, the man allegedly dubbed her a heroine.
“I name you Calamity Jane, the heroine of the plains,” he said.
However, a second theory is a bit less dramatic and claims that the name “Jane” was simply a common nickname given to Wild West women. And, since her life was filled with calamity– or disaster– people began to call her “Calamity Jane.”
No matter how the nickname truly came about, though, it really stuck throughout Martha Jane’s life.
The Pioneer Woman’s Soft Side
And despite the name “Calamity Jane” earning her a hardened reputation as a female outlaw, the famed woman was also known for her altruistic personality.
In 1895, the Black Hills Daily Times of South Dakota even described Calamity as a friend to all.
“She has always been known for her friendliness, generosity, and happy cordial manner. It did not matter to her whether a person was rich or poor, white or black, or what their circumstances were,” the paper began.
“Calamity Jane was just the same to all. Her purse was always open to help a hungry fellow, and she was one of the first to proffer her help in cases of sickness, accidents, or any distress.”
She even reportedly helped care for eight gold miners who contracted smallpox in 1878.
Calamity Jane’s Legacy
In the modern day, Calamity Jane has been revered for her talents and triumphs as “a talented pioneer in a man’s world.”
Her life stories, whether exaggerated or true, have also given way to numerous different popular media portrayals of the icon.
For example, the 1953 film Calamity Jane showed the Wild West woman as a sweet, light-hearted, and slightly mischievous pioneer.
On the other hand, the television series Deadwood which premiered in 2003, depicted Calamity Jane as a heavy drinking, hard-hitting woman that could run with the best Wild West cowboys of her time.
And even though the public may never know which depiction of Martha Jane was more accurate, her legacy as Calamity Jane will continue to live on for decades to come.
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