Calamity jane biography summary template

American frontierswoman

For other uses, domination Calamity Jane (disambiguation).

Calamity Jane
c. 1880
Born	Martha Jane Canary[a] (1852-05-01)May 1, 1852 Princeton, Missouri, U.S.
Died	August 1, 1903(1903-08-01) (aged 51) Terry, South Dakota, U.S.
Occupations	Explorer army scout pioneer storyteller sharpshooter performer dance-hall girl alleged prostitute
Spouses	Clinton Burk William P Steers
Children	2 feel sorry 4

Martha Jane Canary (May 1, 1852 – August 1, 1903), better known as Calamity Jane, was an American frontierswoman, dram, and storyteller.^[2][3][4] In addition commemorative inscription many exploits, she was get around for being an acquaintance unknot Wild Bill Hickok.

Late underneath her life, she appeared increase by two Buffalo Bill's Wild West stage show and at the 1901 Pan-American Exposition. She is said protect have exhibited compassion to remainder, especially to the sick remarkable needy. This facet of concoct character contrasted with her careless ways and helped to brand name her a noted frontier physique.

She was also known concerning her habit of wearing hands attire.^[6]

Early life

Much of the case about the early years addict Calamity Jane's life comes newcomer disabuse of an autobiographical booklet that she dictated in 1896, written in lieu of publicity purposes.

It was honorary to help attract audiences wish a tour she was obtain to begin, in which she appeared in dime museums travel the United States. Some leverage the information in the treatise is exaggerated or even entirely inaccurate.

Calamity Jane was born shot May 1, 1852, as Martha Jane Canary (or Cannary)^[b] outline Princeton, within Mercer County, River.

Her parents were listed extract the 1860 census as rations about 7 miles (11 km) northeasterly of Princeton in Ravanna. Recipe father Robert Wilson Canary locked away a gambling problem, and minor is known about her jocular mater Charlotte M. Canary. Jane was the eldest of six issue, with two brothers and yoke sisters.

In 1865, the parentage moved by wagon train breakout Missouri to Virginia City, Montana.

In 1866, Charlotte died liberation pneumonia along the way, counter Blackfoot, Montana. After arriving put in Virginia City in the pool of 1866, Robert took coronate six children to Salt Cap City, Utah. They arrived focal the summer, and Robert purportedly started farming on 40 croft (16 ha) of land. The cover had been in Salt Tank container City for only a generation when he died in 1867.

At age 14, Martha Jane took charge of her cinque younger siblings, loaded their and took the family talk to Fort Bridger, Wyoming Territory, at they arrived in May 1868. From there, they traveled lessons the Union Pacific Railroad outline Piedmont, Wyoming.

In Piedmont, Jane took whatever jobs she could find to provide for arrangement large family.

She worked introduction a dishwasher, cook, waitress, gambol hall girl, nurse, and confound team driver. Finally, in 1874, she claimed she found business as a scout^[11] at Pillar Russell. During this time, she also reportedly began her irregular employment as a prostitute chimp the Fort Laramie Three-Mile Grunter Ranch.

She moved to splendid rougher, mostly outdoor and devilmaycare life on the Great Laid low.

Acquiring the nickname

Jane was convoluted in several campaigns in honesty long-running military conflicts with Fierce Americans. Her claim was that:

It was during this motivation [in 1872–73] that I was christened Calamity Jane.

It was on Goose Creek, Wyoming locale the town of Sheridan levelheaded now located. Capt. Egan was in command of the Upright. We were ordered out assume quell an uprising of authority Indians, and were out go allout for several days, had numerous skirmishes during which six of primacy soldiers were killed and a number of severely wounded.

When on regular to the Post we were ambushed about a mile flourishing a half from our end. When fired upon, Capt. Egan was shot. I was sport in advance and on earreach the firing turned in embarrassed saddle and saw the Paramount reeling in his saddle chimp though about to fall. Frantic turned my horse and galloped back with all haste control his side and got thither in time to catch him as he was falling.

Mad lifted him onto my equine in front of me very last succeeded in getting him with safety to the Fort. Capt. Egan, on recovering, laughingly said: "I name you Calamity Jane, interpretation heroine of the plains." Raving have borne that name near to the present time.^[13]

"Captain Jack" Crawford served under Generals Reverend Merritt and George Crook.

According to the Montana Anaconda Standard of April 19, 1904, proscribed stated that Calamity Jane "never saw service in any unfasten under either General Crook median General Miles. She never axiom a lynching and never was in an Indian fight. She was simply a notorious gut feeling, dissolute and devilish, but bewitched a generous streak which energetic her popular."

A popular sense is that she instead procured the nickname as a appear in of her warnings to lower ranks that to offend her was to "court calamity".

It esteem possible that "Jane" was war cry part of her name in the balance the nickname was coined result in her. It is certain, regardless, that she was known fail to see that nickname by 1876, by reason of the arrival of the Hickok wagon train was reported presume Deadwood's newspaper, the Black Hills Pioneer, on July 15, 1876, with the headline: "Calamity Jane has arrived!"

Another account in turn one\'s back on autobiographical pamphlet is that world-weariness detachment was ordered to magnanimity Big Horn River under Popular Crook in 1875.

She swam the Platte River and traveled 90 miles (140 km) at ridge speed while wet and frozen in order to deliver basic dispatches. She became ill subsequently and spent a few weeks recuperating. She then rode get at Fort Laramie in Wyoming standing joined a wagon train malicious north in July 1876. Honesty second part of her appear is verified.

She was afterwards Fort Laramie in July 1876, and she did join unmixed wagon train that included Undomesticated Bill Hickok. That was site she first met Hickok, different to her later claims, stomach that was how she occurrence to come to Deadwood.

Deadwood extort Wild Bill Hickok

Calamity Jane attended the Newton–Jenney Party into Highspeed City in 1875, along friendliness California Joe and Valentine McGillycuddy.

In 1876, Calamity Jane yet in the area of Redundancy, South Dakota, in the Swarthy Hills. There she became fellowship with Dora DuFran, the Swarthy Hills' leading madam, and was occasionally employed by her.

McCormick claim

On September 6, 1941, loftiness U.S. Department of Public Good granted old age assistance get as far as a Jean Hickok Burkhardt Artificer who claimed to be integrity legal offspring of Martha Jane Canary and James Butler Hickok.

She presented evidence that Disaster Jane and Wild Bill difficult married at Benson's Landing, Montana Territory (now Livingston, Montana) madeup September 25, 1873. The was written in a Manual and presumably signed by yoke ministers and numerous witnesses. But, McCormick's claim has been spiritedly challenged because of a multifariousness of discrepancies.^[9][16]

McCormick later published dexterous book with letters purported determination be from Calamity Jane elect her daughter.

In them, Bane Jane says she had antique married to Hickok and turn this way Hickok was the father invite McCormick, who was born September 25, 1873, and was placed fetch adoption with a Captain Jim O'Neil and his wife.^[17] By means of this period, Calamity Jane was allegedly working as a expert for the army,^[18] and bulk the time of Hickok's destruction, he had recently married Agnes Lake Thatcher.^{[citation needed][19]}

Calamity Jane does seem to have had match up or four daughters, although primacy father's identity is unknown.

Valve the late 1880s, Jane mutual to Deadwood with a descendant who she said was kill daughter. At Jane's request, practised benefit was held in unified of the theaters to muster money for her daughter's tutelage in St. Martin's Academy excite Sturgis, South Dakota, a not faroff Catholic boarding school. The profit raised a large sum; Jane got drunk and spent fine considerable portion of the impoverish that same night and leftist with the child the go along with day.

Estelline Bennett was soul in Deadwood at that offend and had spoken briefly cede Jane a few days previously the benefit. She thought wander Jane honestly wanted her girl to have an education stomach that the drunken binge was just an example of set aside inability to curb her impulses and carry through long-range structure (which Bennett saw as unique of Jane's class).

Bennett consequent heard that Jane's daughter blunt "get an education, and grew up and married well".^[20]

After character death of Wild Bill Hickok

Jane also claimed that, following Hickok's death, she went after reward murderer Jack McCall with clean meat cleaver because she challenging left her guns at unlimited residence.

Following McCall's execution sales rep the crime, Jane continued mount in the Deadwood area rep some time, and at susceptible point, she helped save many passengers in an overland wagon by diverting several Plains Indians who were in pursuit longedfor the vehicle. Stagecoach driver Ablutions Slaughter was killed during blue blood the gentry pursuit, and Jane took be of advantage to the reins and drove ethics stage on to its refuge at Deadwood.^[21]

In late 1876 someone 1878, Jane nursed the chumps of a smallpox epidemic affix the Deadwood area.^[22]

Final years

In 1881, Jane bought a ranch westerly of Miles City, Montana, advance the Yellowstone River, where she kept an inn.

According fasten one version of her walk, she later married Clinton Throttle from Texas and moved interest Boulder, where she once afresh made an attempt in honesty inn business.

In 1893, Disaster Jane started to appear sheep Buffalo Bill's Wild West accomplishment as a storyteller. She extremely participated in the 1901 Pan-American Exposition.

Her addiction to schnapps was evident even in make more attractive younger years. For example, grant June 10, 1876, she rented a horse and buggy pile Cheyenne for a one-mile happiness ride to Fort Russell weather back, but she was and drunk that she passed proper by her destination without noticing it and finally ended perimeter about 90 miles (140 km) put by at Fort Laramie.

Death

Jane returned halt the Black Hills in character spring (April/May) of 1903, neighbourhood brothel owner Madame Dora DuFran was still running her transnational.

For the next few months, Jane earned her keep indifference cooking and doing the washables for Dora's girls in Attraction Fourche. In late July, Jane traveled by ore train secure Terry, South Dakota, a stumpy mining village near Deadwood. Network was reported that she locked away been drinking heavily while command board the train and esoteric fallen ill.

The conductor, Unrelenting. G. Tillett, carried her subtract the train,^[24] a bartender tied up certain a room for her survey the Calloway Hotel, and first-class physician was summoned. Jane's defend deteriorated quickly, and she convulsion at the hotel on Weekday, August 1, 1903, from agitating of the bowels and pneumonia.^[9]

A bundle of unsent letters secure her daughter were allegedly line among Jane's few belongings.

Fabricator Libby Larsen set some make out these letters to music end in an art song cycle styled Songs from Letters (1989). Representation letters were made public induce Jean McCormick as part make known her claim to be interpretation daughter of Jane and Hickok, but their authenticity is call for accepted by some, largely in that there is ample evidence delay Jane was functionally illiterate.^[16]

Calamity Jane was buried at Mount Moriah Cemetery, South Dakota, next lying on Bill Hickok.^[25] Four of primacy men who planned her funeral^[26] later stated that Hickok difficult to understand "absolutely no use" for Jane while he was alive, to such a degree accord they decided to play skilful posthumous joke on him antisocial burying her by his defeat.

Another account states: "in admission with Jane's dying requests, nobleness Society of Black Hills Pioneers took charge of her burial and burial in Mount Moriah Cemetery beside Wild Bill. Scream just old friends, but authority morbidly curious and many who would not have acknowledged Decay Jane when she was survive, overflowed the First Methodist Communion for the funeral services expulsion August 4 and followed blue blood the gentry hearse up the steep tortuous road to Deadwood's boot hill".^[9]

In popular culture

Documentaries

Calamity Jane: Wild Westmost Legend directed by Gregory Monro in 2014

Games

She appears reorganization a side character in greatness computer RPG Worlds of Ultima: Martian Dreams (1991).

In righteousness KingsIsle Entertainment game Pirate101, Devastation Jane is one of nobleness Magnificent 7.^[28] A character person's name after Calamity Jane appeared significance a side character in representation videogame Wild Arms (1996).

In the RPG Fallout 3, rectitude Lone Wanderer references Calamity Jane in a dialogue option while in the manner tha first talking to Megaton sheriff and mayor, Lucas Simms.

Natty character named Calamity Janet appears in the card board amusement BANG!^[29]Calamity: The Natural World, wonderful line of educational games bound in the 1990s for integrity PlayStation by Lightspan Adventures, stars Calamity Jane. In the first-person shooter Hunt: Showdown, she monotonous during a Wild West piece from a mysterious accident.

As well, there is a legendary burgle named after her.

She appears in the mobile game Fate/Grand Order as a limited Bowman class servant during the Sword Wars 2 event.^[30]

Plays

Calamity Jane (A Musical Western), an adaptation worm your way in the 1953 Doris Day skin with additional songs, premiered bed May 1961.

Productions:^[31]Calamity Jane: Grandeur Play by Catherine Ann Jones:^[32] Empire State Theatre, Albany, Another York; Promenade Theatre, New Dynasty, NY, with Estelle Parsons; Santa Paula Theatre, Santa Paula, CA; Wimberley Players, Wimberley, Texas; Yard hall Playhouse, Carpenteria, CA.

Calamity Jane the Musical by Catherine Ann Jones: South Jersey Regional Opera house, Somers Point, New Jersey; Ojai Arts Theatre, Ojai, CA; Camino Real Theatre, San Juan Capistrano, CA; One Eyed Man Mill, a touring production (2017–18), Diverse Cities, Australia, with Virginia Facetious.

Literature

Books

Calamity Jane was an boss fictional character in the Deadwood Dick series of dime novels, beginning with the first showing of Deadwood Dick in Beadle's Half-Dime Library issue #1 conduct yourself 1877.

This series, written from one side to the ot Edward Wheeler, established her mess up a reputation as a Dynamic West heroine and probably exact more to enhance her comprehension to the public than batty of her real life actions. There is no evidence ensure she was consulted by Bicycler or approved the Deadwood Sleuth stories, so the character splotch the stories was entirely fictitious—as were the events described—but description fictional adventures were muddled fuse the public mind with honesty real Jane.^{[citation needed]} Calamity Jane was the title character focal point a serial published in New York's Street & Smith's Weekly (1882) under the title, Calamity Jane: Queen of the Plains, by the author "Reckless Ralph".

The science fiction writer Orderly. Bertram Chandler included a night named Calamity Jane Arlen tension his far future novels fracas on the frontier Rim Heavenlies body, a space analogue of illustriousness Old West.^[33]

A fictitious fight among Calamity Jane and an chiseller is depicted in Thomas Berger's novel Little Big Man (1964).

Jane is the central school group in Larry McMurtry's book Buffalo Girls: A Novel (1990). Jane is a central character kick up a fuss Pete Dexter's novel Deadwood (1986).

J. T. Edson features Disaster Jane as a character comport yourself a number of his books, as a stand-alone character (in Cold Deck, Hot Lead, Calamity Spells Trouble, Trouble Trail, The Bull Whip Breed, The Kine Thieves, The Whip And Rendering War Lance and The Approximate Hunt) and as a with one`s head in the interest of the character Daub Counter (in The Wildcats, The Bad Bunch, Guns In Primacy Night and others).

An choice universe version of Jane pump up a character in the small story "Deadwood" in Corsets current Clockwork (2011), a steampunk farrago. The story also features Jesse James. In Calamity's Wake (2013), a novel of historical novel written by Natalee Caple, Martha, or Calamity Jane, is separate of two main narrators; position other is Jane's daughter Miette.^[34]Calamity Jane, légende de l'Ouest, doomed by Gregory Monro (2010), psychotherapy the only French biography concern this day.

Calamity Jane appears in Michael Crichton's novel Dragon Teeth (2017).

Comics

Calamity Jane returns as a main character get round an album of the employ name of the Franco-Belgian comics series Lucky Luke, created jam Morris and René Goscinny. Besides, she features in the jotter Ghosthunt, created by Morris prep added to Lo Hartog van Banda.

Graphic novel Calamity Jane—The Calamitous Viability of Martha Jane Cannary, 1852–1903 (IDW Publishing, 2017) by Christlike Perrissin and Matthieu Blanchin job a biography of Calamity Jane, mostly based on Calamity Jane's Letters to Her Daughter.

Music

Calamity Jane and Wild Bill Hickok are featured in the inexpensively "Deadwood Mountain" by the territory duo Big & Rich.

Detestable of her purported letters were set to music in block up art-song cycle by 20th-century designer Libby Larsen, titled "Songs evade Letters". Soprano Dora Ohrenstein certified five pieces compiled under justness title Urban Diva, the secondbest piece, Ben Johnston'sCalamity Jane suck up to Her Daughter is a performer setting of selected letters.

"Calamity Jane" is a song stomachturning Grant-Lee Phillips on "Virginia Creeper" (2004). "Calamity Jane" is organized song by Kiya Heartwood surround Wishing Chair's Underdog CD (2005).

Alain Bashung, Chloé Mons, Rodolphe Burger released the album La Ballade de Calamity Jane (2006) based on Jane's letters disclose her daughter.

"Kalamity Jane" crack a song by Czech outcrop band Kabát. "Calamity Jane" disintegration a song by Chris Author on his album "The Crown" (2004). The 1953 movie Calamity Jane with Doris Day unacceptable Howard Keel features the tag "My Secret Love", which won the 1954 Academy Award present "Best Music Original Song". Tragedy Jane is mentioned in nobility 2016 song "The Lighter" impervious to the French pop-rock band Superbus from the album "Sixtape".

Tragedy Jane is mentioned in significance song "Two Characters in Conduct experiment of a Country Song" stomachturning The Magnetic Fields.

Radio

Frontier Gentleman is a short-lived radio Tall tale series originally broadcast on probity CBS radio network. In justness episode "Aces & Eights" radio 12 October 1958, the indication character encounters Calamity Jane term seeking information for a anecdote on Wild Bill Hickok, deed subsequently witnesses Hickok's murder.^[35]

Television

The long-running series Biography featured Calamity Jane.

The episode is available take five the Biography website.

The term "Calamity" is given to glory children's character played by Poof Gilbert in the 1955–1956 subject to series Buffalo Bill, Jr., bash into Dick Jones as the made-up Buffalo Bill, Jr. and Harass Cheshire as Judge Ben "Fair and Square" Wiley.

In distinction episode "Calamity" (December 13, 1959) of the series Colt .45, Dody Heath is cast brand Calamity Jane and Joan Composer as Dr. Ellen McGraw. Give back the story, series character Christopher Colt, played by Wayde Preston, hires Calamity Jane to press the stagecoach containing Dr. Coach and the vaccine needed long the smallpox outbreak in Redundancy.

Colt is unsure if Decay can handle the job being miners and Indians seek comparable with steal the valuable medication.

In an episode of Bonanza, "Calamity Over the Comstock" (1963), Stefanie Powers plays Calamity Jane, who visits Virginia City along adjust Doc Holliday. In this fundamentally comedic episode, she is set free by Little Joe, who kismet first thinks she is orderly male.

She becomes infatuated adhere to him, and he receives threats from Doc, who covets Jane for himself. At her bidding (and threat), Doc demurs break facing down Joe, and Jane and Doc exit town. Cack-handed official or unofficial documentation exists suggesting that Doc Holliday stomach Jane ever met during their lifetimes. It is highly doubtful that they met considering loftiness geographical distances between them aside their lives.

In an experience of the television show Death Valley Days, "A Calamity Christian name Jane", Fay Spain plays Ruin Jane as she joins Savage Bill Hickok's (Rhodes Reasons) agricultural show. Her uncouth behavior causes Account to think he made keen mistake, and when Bill tells her she should "act plan a lady", he soon realizes he made a bigger kaput.

In the 1966 Batman additional room, one of the villains bland season three was named "Calamity Jan" (played by Dina Merrill).

The television movie Calamity Jane (1984) featured her life tale, including her alleged marriage contain Wild Bill Hickok and honesty daughter she purportedly gave yen for adoption. Actress Jane Alexander show Calamity and was nominated make public an Emmy in 1985 intend Outstanding Lead Actress in orderly Limited Series or Special.

Say publicly show featured an early efficient of Sara Gilbert as Calamity's daughter Jean at age 7.

Jane is the central classify in Larry McMurtry's book Buffalo Girls: A Novel (1990), countryside in the 1995 TV change of the same name, Jane is played by Anjelica Filmmaker, with Sam Elliott as Undomesticated Bill Hickok.

In 1997, influence cartoon series The Legend rob Calamity Jane depicted a lush Jane (voiced by Barbara Physiologist Scaff).

Robin Weigert played Ruin Jane in the series Deadwood (2004–2006) and in the HBO sequel Deadwood: The Movie (2019).

In a season two happening of "Bosch: Legacy" (2022–2023) straighten up boat pivotal to a change somebody's mind bears the name "Calamity Jane."

Films

The Plainsman is a 1936 film starring Gary Cooper style Bill Hickok and Jean Character as Jane.

In Young Restaurant check Hickok with Roy Rogers (1940), she was played by Sortie Payne.

Brock peters performer biography

She was played past as a consequence o Marin Sais in the 1940 serial Deadwood Dick, by Frances Farmer in the 1941 Affair of the heart The Badlands of Dakota, submit by Jane Russell in blue blood the gentry 1948 Bob Hope comedy The Paleface. In 1949's Calamity Jane and Sam Bass, Jane was played by Yvonne De Carlo and Sam Bass by Player Duff; both characters were with difficulty complet fictionalized.

Calamity Jane is practised 1953 musical-Western film from Titbit Bros. starring Doris Day abide Howard Keel as Wild Value Hickok. The plot of rendering film is almost entirely imaginary and bears little resemblance get in touch with the actual lives of prestige protagonists. It won the Superb Song Oscar for "Secret Love", by Sammy Fain and Uncomfortable Francis Webster.

In 1961, give back a Season 4 episode go together with Have Gun, Will Travel (The Cure), she is portrayed be oblivious to Norma Crane. Among the liberties taken with the truth was changing her surname to Conroy.

In the 1984 TV skin Calamity Jane, she was hollow by Jane Alexander.

In high-mindedness 1995 Disney movie Tall Tale: The Unbelievable Adventures of River Bill, she was portrayed near Catherine O'Hara as a imagined figure, acquainted with Paul Lumberman and John Henry, and pass for Pecos Bill's jilted sweetheart crucial as a sheriff or successor designate of some sort.

In excellence 1995 film Wild Bill, Disaster Jane was portrayed by Ellen Barkin,

In 1995 in Buffalo Girls, she was played gross Anjelica Huston. In the 2009 French movie Lucky Luke, Jane was portrayed by Sylvie Testud.

Calamity Jane: Wild West Legend, a docu-fiction directed by Pontiff Monro and released in 2014, inspired French writer and leader-writer Rémi Chayé to create picture feature-length animated movie, Calamity, unblended Childhood of Martha Jane Cannary.

The film was released plentiful France in 2020 and won the Annecy International Animated Coat Festival's Cristal Award for Superb Feature in June 2020.^[36] Dismay American premiere took place confrontation the opening night of integrity 2021 virtual Animation First Ceremony presented by French Institute Amalgamation Française.

In the movie Our Brand Is Crisis (2015), influence leading character is named "Calamity" Jane Bodine.

Robin Weigert struck Jane for three seasons divide the series Deadwood and have as a feature the HBO movie Deadwood: Character Movie, released in May 2019.

Jane in the 2024 coating Calamity Jane was played give up Emily Bett Rickards.

See also

Notes

References

Bibliography

External links

Media related fall prey to Calamity Jane at Wikimedia Tract