In spite of the many stories, it is generally accepted that Calamity Jane was born on May 1, 1852, near Princeton, Missouri, to a farmer named Robert Cannary (or Canary) and his wife, Charlotte. The original Cannary farm was purchased by Cannary’s grandfather in 1855. Four years later, Robert Cannary added 108 acres to the family’s plot—at a cost of $500. He worked the farm with his father until the older man died in 1859. Thornton Cannary, Robert’s brother, lived on the opposite side of Mercer County and established himself as one of the state’s largest landowners. The oldest of five children, Martha Jane—who was later known as “Calamity Jane”—soon earned a reputation as a wild and high-spirited child.
According to Calamity Jane’s autobiography—if portions of it can be believed—Martha Jane Cannary traveled with her family on the Overland Route to the gold-rush town of Virginia City, Montana, in 1865. During the five-month journey that covered approximately two thousand miles, Cannary learned to drive teams of oxen. She became an expert at using a bullwhacker—a thirty-foot whip that teamsters used to drive animals. According to her autobiography, she spent much of her time with men.
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