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ANNIE OAKLEY - “LITTLE SURE SHOT”

© Katie Anne Gustafsson

There are those who would argue that Annie Oakley was not a Western woman because her home was always in the East of the US. However, it was not a location she became famous for, it was her skill as a markswoman. A skill that was not an Eastern skill associated with women, but a skill associated with survival in the West. Amongst her friends was the legendary Indian Chief, Sitting Bull, who was the person who named her "Little Sure Shot" - a nickname that she would later use in promoting her skills. Given her natural skills with a rifle, together with her self-admitted defeat at the conventional woman's role of running a house, I think that Annie Oakley had a spirit born of the Frontier, even if her body was born in the East.

Born Phoebe Ann Moses in 1860s Ohio, Annie Oakley was an American Dream success story. From a financially deprived background, which resulted in her spending a number of years at a county poor farm, she built upon the skills she had learned through necessity - namely to hunt and trap, became an international star, and shot her way into the history books.

Using her rifle, she caught small game for sale to local businesses, and by the age of 15 had earned enough money to pay off the mortgage on the family farm. This enterprise and obvious marksmanship ability brought Annie to the attention of the public, and she was invited to shoot in competition against Frank Butler, a well-known marksman of that time, at a local hotel. Annie raised the entry fee and outshot Butler, who previously had boasted that he could outshoot "anything then living, save Carver and Bogardus". Annie not only won the contest, but also the heart of Frank Butler. They were married the following year.

Frank Butler and Annie starting working as a team, and it was at that time that Annie took the name by which she would become world famous - Annie Oakley. In her personal life however, she remained "Mrs Butler". During this period of working together it was Frank who was the main performer with Annie acting as his assistant. This changed when they joined Buffalo Bill's Wild West Show in the mid 1880s as Frank stopped taking the leading role and became Annie's manager and assistant. They stayed with Buffalo Bill Cody until 1901, touring not only America, but also Europe, where Annie was a popular featured performer.

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