Calamity Jane

1852-1903

No Doris Day, the real Calamity Jane was known for being rowdy, harddrinking, sharp-shooting and an all-round tough cookie. Much of her life is shrouded in myth and legend, and she supposedly had a relationship with Wild Bill Hickok. She purportedly gained her name after rescuing a man from an attack by indigenous Americans, after which he named her ‘Calamity Jane, the heroine of the planes’. However, her rough and tough personality belied a kind heart, and several accounts state that she nursed numerous residents of the town of Deadwood back to health during a particularly severe smallpox epidemic.