Annie Oakley shoots her way into history

THE AMERICAN WEST: CHARACTERS WELCOME.

Like a popular TV network, the American West might be indeed be subtitled, “Characters welcome”—especially with remarkable women like Annie Oakley.

Annie was born Phoebe Ann Moses—Annie to her family—on August 13, 1860, in Darke County, Ohio. After the death of her father and stepfather, the 9-year-old Annie lived with the superintendent’s family at the Darke County Infirmary, which housed the elderly, the orphaned, and the mentally ill. In exchange for helping with the children, Oakley received an education and learned the skill of sewing, which she would later use to make her own costumes.

As a young teen, she returned to her family after her mother had married a third time. To help with family finances, Annie used her father’s old Kentucky rifle to hunt small game for the local grocery store for resale to hotels and restaurants. Her hunting enterprise was so successful that she was able to pay the $200 mortgage on her mother’s house with the money she’d earned…and she was just 15 years old!

One of her “customers”—who was impressed with her shooting—invited her to participate in a contest against well-known marksman, Frank E. Butler. Annie won the match with 25 shots from 25 attempts; Frank missed one, but that didn’t stop him from being completely enamored of his opponent. Eventually, the two shooters married on August 23, 1876. The Butlers traveled with their shooting performances, eventually joining Buffalo Bill’s Wild West in 1885.

Annie became a star attraction, and Frank was content to be her manager and assistant. The two prospered with the Wild West and remained with the show for 16 years—including two trips to Europe that secured her position as a seasoned performer and star of the Wild West. Becoming weary of all the travel, though, the Butlers left Buffalo Bill in 1901. They continued to perform, however, finally retiring from shooting exhibitions in 1913.

When America entered World War I, Annie unsuccessfully offered to raise a regiment of woman volunteers to fight in the war and volunteered to teach marksmanship to the troops. She championed the National War Council of the Young Men’s Christian Association, War Camp Community Service, and the Red Cross.

In 1926, after 50 happy years of marriage, the Butlers passed away within three weeks of each other: Annie died on November 3, and Frank died November 21. Both died of natural causes after a long and adventuresome life.