Shoot 'em up cowgirl.

Annie Oakley

I’m a a sucker for westerns, I really do dream of going to a tiny ghost town while on horse back and carrying some awesome ivory plated six shooter at my hip. Yea I know, I know, maybe it’s all the westerns I’ve seen on TCM and the fact that high noon is one of my top 5 favorite movies. But whenever I hear about Annie Oakley super awesome sharp shooter I think, maybe just maybe I could be that bad ass.

But besides her being a sharp shot I don’t know much about her.

Annie Oakley was born in Ohio in 1860 as Phoebe Ann Moses. She’s was one of 8 siblings. Her father passed away from pneumonia.  She began her shooting skills when she was only 9 years old. In order to help her mother pay for the farm where they lived Annie would shoot and trap wild game and then sell them in town for money, she paid for the entire farms mortgage from her shooting skills by the time she was 15.

In 1881 since she was so well known in the area for her shooting skills when marksman Francis E. Butler came to town he challenged people in her town to a shooting completion, Annie was the last to shoot against him. And she totally won, BAM in yo’ face. So she won $100 and a lil more, cause then Mr. Francis Butler started courtin’ her and they got married in 1882.

From there they both joined buffalo bills wild west show. Where she created a name for herself and was awarded the nickname  “little sure shot”

Here’s a clip that Thomas Edison (yea thomas edison!) took of Annie while she was at Buffalo Bills show.

Later in her life she was known for being a strong women’s rights advocated. But here’s where my girl crush with Annie grows, She said:“I would like to see every woman know how to handle [firearms] as naturally as they know how to handle babies.” She was adamant about women learning how to use firearms for sport and protection. Awesome.

She suffered a severe injury from a train wreck where her spine was damaged and so she left the show, but after her recovery she continued shooting. Annie and Butler stayed married until her death in 1926, when Annie died from anemia. He died 18 days later….This sounds like one of those sad lifetime movies where they die from a broken heart. Super sweet. L They never had any children. She continued to shoot right up until her death, her last record was set in 1922 at 60 years old, she shot 100 consecutive clay targets in a row.

And there you have it. An awesome love story and a girl who loved to shoot.

need to know more? : Annie Oakley