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Women of the Wild West

September 30, 2003 12:47 AM posted by lauren : track it (0)

The crowd is whistling and shouting. You're sitting astride a wild mustang, straps in hand, hat perched on your head. They open the gates, and off you go! You're a cowgirl in the old west.

There was a time when cowboys and cowgirls did rodeos side by side, Annie Oakley's, and Buffalo Bill Cody's doing tricks, roping, barrel racing, and bronc riding together.

In the 1800's women rode cattle drives with men as well. We all hear of Jesse James, Wyatt Earp, Daniel Boone, but what of the women of the wild west? Such as Charlie Parkhurst, a man who was a woman. Charlie spent most of her life driving stagecoaches, defending her passengers, and baggage with gun in hand. When rheumatism crippled her she spent the rest of her days raising cattle, and then chickens.
And 52 years before the 19th ammendment Charlie was the first woman to cast a vote.

Margeret Borland, who after being widowed three times, losing several children and grandchildren to yellow fever, took charge of her husband's estate. She owned 10,000 cattle, and is thought to be the only woman to have ever led a cattle drive in that time.

Pearl Hart, the first known woman stage coach bandit. After being apprehended she was quoted as saying she "would never consent to be tried under a law she or her sex had no voice in making, or to which a woman had no power under the law to give her consent." 1

Or the most notable, Annie Oakley, who's incredible markmanship has yet to be matched. Even after the accident that nearly paralyzed her, her aim was impecable. "At 90 feet Annie could shoot a dime tossed in midair. In one day with a .22 rifle she shot 4,472 of 5,000 glass balls tossed in midair. With the thin edge of a playing card facing her at 90 feet, Annie could hit the card and puncture it with with five or six more shots as it settled to the ground."2 Immortalized in the musical "Annie get your gun" she has lived on as a heroine of the old west.

These women and many others had the courage to be pioneers of the harsh wilderness. Taking charge of the homestead, riding on cattle drives, carrying on when their husbands died of disease, or were killed in a time when it wasn't believed a woman was capable of much more than bearing children, and keeping house. Heroines in the truest sense.

Sources:
1: http://www.outlawscribe.com/Pearl_Bywater.html
2: http://www.lkwdpl.org/wihohio/oakl-ann.htm
http://www.over-land.com/westpers2.html

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On my bulletin board I have a rotating "random thing of the day" for my roomates. Today's was a comic strip, "Agnes" by Tony Cochran, from July fifth of 2002. The dialogue went:

"This century is rife with opportunity for the female gender. I have picked someone whose life will serve as the template for my own."

"Oh yeah? Who?"

"Annie Oakley...Queen of the pony-mounted trick shot."

"Really."

"Yes. Now if you will excuse me, I have much fringe to sew on many things."

No analysis here. Just an account of a comic strip.

Posted by: sprhrgrl on September 30, 2003 01:38 AM |

When not prevented by the laws of men, women can do anything that needs to be done. I've known too many strong women in my life to buy the b.s. the boys try to shovel. My mother could always outwork any man she knew, and she has been gravely ill for most of her life.

We are strong. The problem is that you can't score a touchdown if they won't let you on the field. I hope this is changing. I have a young cousin who just started the 6th grade. She's the only girl in her baseball league. The boys cheer for her, and she made the all-stars by unanimous decision of the male coaches. I look at that beautiful little girl, who is so strong and healthy, and I have hope.

We need more images of strong women, and we need to concentrate on getting them into the popular culture as often as we can. We need to raise our expectations of our selves and of this culture, this government. We are 52% of the population. 70% of us live in poverty. We may not have money - yet - but we have numbers and we have to learn to use them.

The advantage my little cousin has is that she has never believed that being female means she is less. She's confident in her abilities and comfortable with herself. I wish this grace for us all.

Posted by: Morgaine Swann on September 30, 2003 02:29 AM |