Dates:
About Calamity Jane:
Calamity Jane was born about 1852 in Missouri, as Martha Jane Cannary. Calamity Jane went to Deadwood, Dakota, during the Gold Rush in the Black Hills. There, after the 1876 murder of Wild Bill Hickok, she claimed that he was the father of her child and that they'd been married. (The child, if it existed, was said to have been born September 25, 1873, and given up for adoption.)
Calamity Jane was noted for her habit of dressing in men's clothing. She nursed victims of a smallpox epidemic in 1878, also dressed as a man. She was something of a local legend because the Sioux Indians left her alone (as well as because of her other eccentricities).
Calamity Jane married Clinton Burke in 1891 after they'd lived together for at least six years.
Later Years of Calamity Jane:
In her later years, Calamity Jane appeared in Wild West shows, including the Buffalo Bill Wild West Show, around the country, featuring her riding and shooting skills. But her chronic drunkenness and fighting caused many problems, and after she was fired in 1901 from a show, she retired to Deadwood, where she died of pneumonia. Calamity Jane was buried next to Wild Bill Hickok.
Calamity Jane - Why Calamity?:
Why "Calamity"? That's what Calamity Jane would threaten to any man who bothered her -- a calamity. Or perhaps it was due to her heroic efforts during the smallpox epidemic. Or maybe it was a description of a very hard and tough life.
