Oakley, Annie
Born August 13, 1860
Darke County, Ohio
Died November 3, 1926
Greenville, Ohio
Sharpshooter, entertainer
"The largest share of applause was bestowed on Annie Oakley, a young girl whose proficiency with shotgun and rifle seems almost miraculous."
London (Ontario) Free Press. September 2, 1885.
Annie Oakley was one of the best sharpshooters of her time. In fact, her ability with guns seemed magical to many fans. A small woman—five feet tall, one hundred pounds—she could handle several heavy rifles at one time to shoot down flying glass balls. From thirty feet, her bullet could split a playing card—held with the thin side facing her—in two. She could shoot a moving target behind her back while looking at the reflection in a knife blade. Speeding around an arena on horseback or on a bicycle, Oakley could hit targets. She performed her feats in stage shows around the world, but her real fame came from her performances in Buffalo Bill's Wild West Show. As a part of the notorious Wild West Show, she became renowned as a western hero even though she had never lived in the West.
Difficult Early Years
Born Phoebe Anne Moses (her last name has also been recorded as Mosey, Mauzy, or Mozee) in rural Ohio in 1860, Oakley lived in poverty and suffered much hardship early in life.
