The Active Historian

Lulu Bell Parr was a Wild West show performer who excelled in bronc riding, trick riding, buffalo riding, and sharp shooting. She performed for over fifty years across the United States, England, and South America.

Lulu was born in Fort Wayne, Indiana on November 14, 1876. She was raised on her aunt and uncle’s farm after her parents passed away. She began traveling with various circuses, wild wests, and vaudeville circuits in 1903 and continued to do so for the next fifty years.

In 1907, she was performing with Pawnee Bill’s Wild West show for the season. At a stop in Minneapolis, Minnesota, Lulu Parr was able to showcase another one of her talents. She played an organ during an open air service held by Rev. William Wilkinson at the show’s grounds. They all sang hymns together.

In 1908, Lulu decided to ride her pony from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania to Steubenville, Ohio. This journey was around 600 miles in distance.

By 1909, she was traveling and performing with Buffalo Bill’s Wild West show. By 1910, she was riding with the 101 Wild West Show for the 101 Ranch out of Bliss, Oklahoma. She was still performing with them in 1912.

In 1911, she was performing with the Billie Burke Wild West Show.

“The bronchos I have ridden with the shows are really wild. Those in the shows are worse than those just off a range for, as the riders are always helped off at the end of the act, the bronchos think they have conquered. Their spirits are un-broken.

They’re aim to get the rider to the ground and then crush her under foot. That’s the excitement of breaking them.

Oh, yes, I’ve had a few accidents. Once it was concussion of the brain from the whim of a wild horse. Last spring in Madison Square Garden in New York, when I was with the Barnum & Bailey Show, I had some ribs broken and received other injuries that laid me up for two months, but as soon as I was all right again, I joined the show at Toledo and was with it until Oct. 27, when it closed for the season at Nashville, Tenn.

I’ve timed [sic] some of the fiercest bronchos going,’ said I, but I draw the line on trying to tame a man. I’m not going to take any chances with a husband until I’ve saved enough money to be independent.’

Really, though, riding wild horses is tame sport – when you know how to do it. Lots easier than air planing and as for autoing, I believe I don’t take near the chances that some of the reckless drivers of autos do.”

“Tames Broncho But Draws Line On Man.” Ironwood Daily Globe (Ironwood, Michigan), January 11, 1921.

By 1913, Lulu Parr owned a large ranch in Nebraska. She resided there during the winter months overseeing the range. She also owned and drove an automobile around her section. Additionally, she served as the school commissioner in her district. When she wasn’t traveling with shows, The York Dispatch said she voted in elections. She believed in the suffrage cause.

In 1913, Lulu was named the ladies bucking broncho champion at Cheyenne. Former United States President Theodore Roosevelt was in attendance and he pinned her medal on her. (Ironwood Daily Globe 1921)

In 1916 , Pawnee Bill’s Wild West Show was performing in Kennywood Park in Pennsylvania. Lulu Bell Parr appeared with this show giving a “daring exhibition of riding a bucking broncho.”

In 1921, she was performing with C.A. Wortham’s show. The show traveled in forty-five double length circus cars from town to town. Forty seven people were traveling with the show performing various acts. Lulu gave riding exhibitions.

In 1925, she signed a contract with the Robbins Bros. Big 4-Ring Circus for the season. Her contract stated that she had to ride two bucking horses per day – once at the matinee and once at the evening show.

In 1926, she was featured in the Robbins Bros. Big Show in Iowa. This show had elephants, lions, polar bears, tigers, camels, and more in their menagerie. Over 500 people were involved with the show. The circus owned a train to haul their crew across the United States.

In 1928, Lulu Bell Parr was traveling with the Robbins Bros. Circus. During their stop in Sioux Falls, Lulu worked through the main performance and was also featured in the Wild West show. The Argus-Leader wrote, Lulu “is one of the hardest working members of the show, always on hand to take part in whatever is necessary.”

Lulu retired in 1929 as Wild West shows were waning in popularity. She moved to Ohio to be closer to her brother and sister-in-law. Still loving to entertain audiences, she would perform daring feats and tricks for the local children who were awed by her talents.

In 1955, Lulu Bell Parr fell and then suffered a stroke a couple of days later. She shared a home with her paralyzed sister-in-law, Emma Parr in Dayton, Ohio. Emma had been unable to help Lulu for two days, but stayed by her side the entire time.

A neighbor had called the police and the women were taken to the hospital by sheriff’s deputies. Upon entering the home, the police found trunks filled with newspaper clippings from her Wild West show days, two .45 caliber Colt pistols, a fancy cowgirl belt, and her sombreros.

Sadly, Lulu Bell Parr passed away at the age of 78 on January 17, 1955. She was laid to rest in the Medway Cemetery in Medway, Ohio.

National Cowgirl Museum and Hall of Fame

In 2005, Lulu Bell Parr was inducted into the National Cowgirl Museum and Hall of Fame in Fort Worth, Texas. You can see the following photos and items belonging to Lulu Bell Parr on exhibition in their museum.

Lulu made many of her own outfits and was known for her flamboyant style. You can see some of her outfits on exhibition below.

Pawnee Bill Ranch and Museum

You can see a handful of photos of Lulu Bell Parr on exhibition at the Pawnee Bill Ranch and Museum in Pawnee, Oklahoma. The blog cover photo for this post is on display at this museum and I attached it below so you don’t have to scroll back to the top!

Concluding Thoughts

Lulu Bell Parr’s story is one of hard work and determination. I hope you learned something new today and will join me next time as we continue ‘breaking trail’ to discover new stories from the American West.

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Sources

Secondary Sources

“Lulu Bell Parr” label at the Pawnee Bill Ranch and Museum.

Books

Chris Enss, “Along Came a Cowgirl: Daring and Iconic Women of Rodeos and Wild West Shows.”

Websites

“Lulu Bell Parr.” National Cowgirl Museum and Hall of Fame.

“Lulu Bell Parr.” Find A Grave.

Chris Enss. “Wild Women Of The West: Lulu Bell Parr.”

Primary Sources

Newspapers

“Pawnee Bill’s Great Exhibition.” Pittston Gazette (Pittston, Pennsylvania), July 24, 1906.

“Circus Is In Town.” Star Tribune (Minneapolis, Minnesota), June 17, 1907.

“Broncho Buster.” Chippewa Herald-Telegram (Chippewa Falls, Wisconsin), July 20, 1907.

“Woman To Ride Pony To Western Home.” The Philadelphia Inquirer (Philadelphia, Pennsylvania), November 16, 1908.

“A Long Journey of a Fair Equestrienne.” The Evening Review (East Liverpool, Ohio), December 3, 1908.

“Miss Lulu Parr.” Kearney Hub (Kearney, Nebraska), August 31, 1909.

“Greet Fun to Ride a Bucker, Says Lulu B. Parr, Cowgirl.” The Brooklyn Citizen (Brooklyn, New York), May 21, 1910.

“A Real Wild West.” The Lincoln Star (Lincoln, Nebraska), September 22, 1910.

“B.F. Keith’s Vaudeville.” The Boston Globe (Boston, Massachusetts), January 24, 1911.

“B.F. Keith’s Theatre.” The Boston Globe (Boston, Massachusetts), January 29, 1911.

“Cow Girl To Dance Favor Venice Fund.” Los Angeles Evening Express (Los Angeles, California), February 9, 1912.

“Wild West Show to Open This Afternoon.” San Francisco Chronicle (San Francisco, California), April 17, 1912.

“Amusements: Daring Girl Rider With Ranch Show.” The Butte Daily Post (Butte, Montana), May 8, 1912.

“Lulu Parr As Cowgirl.” Great Falls Tribune (Great Falls, Montana), May 15, 1912.

“101 Ranch Wild West Will Arrive in Grand Forks Early Tomorrow Morning.” Grand Forks Herald (Grand Forks, North Dakota), July 13, 1912.

“101 Ranch Parade Great Treat For Kids.” The Omaha Daily News (Omaha, Nebraska), July 27, 1912.

“Lulu Parr Belle Of The Cowgirls.” The Shawnee Daily News-Herald (Shawnee, Oklahoma), September 24, 1912.

“Miss Lulu Parr.” Danville Register and Bee (Danville, Virginia), May 11, 1913.

“Hanover Girl Wild West Rider.” The York Dispatch (York, Pennsylvania), May 17, 1913.

“Wild West and Far East Will Be Seen Here Today.” Birmingham Post-Herald (Birmingham, Alabama), June 11, 1913.

“Sensational ‘Auto-Polo’ Games To Be Seen Here With Buffalo Bill.” The Salt Lake Herald-Republican (Salt Lake City, Utah), July 13, 1913.

“Miss Lulu Parr.” Norwich Bulletin (Norwich, Connecticut), June 4, 1914.

“Marvelous Spectacle Is Offered By Great Circus.” The Butte Daily Post (Butte, Montana), August 8, 1914.

“Woman Is Broncho Buster.” The Pittsburgh Post (Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania), July 16, 1916.

“Wild West Show Continues.” The Pittsburgh Post (Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania), August 1, 1916.

“Lulu Parr, Cowgirl With Willard-Buffalo Bill Show.” Harrisburg Telegraph (Harrisburg, Pennsylvania), July 23, 1917.

“Tames Bronchos But Draws Line On Man.” Ironwood Daily Globe (Ironwood, Michigan), January 11, 1921.

“Lulu Bell Parr, Star In Wortham’s Wild West Show.” The Rock Island Argus (Rock Island, Illinois), May 31, 1921.

“C.A. Wortham Shows Attractive Feature.” The State (Columbia, South Carolina), October 23, 1921.

“Buffalo Bill’s Partner Has Show With Carnival.” The Wichita Beacon (Wichita, Kansas), May 5, 1922.

“‘Let Er Rear’ Monday.” Los Angeles Evening Post-Record (Los Angeles, California), September 4, 1922.

“Lulu Parr Is Coming Here.” The Scobey Sentinel (Scobey, Montana), May 29, 1925.

“Lulu Parr Has Fortune in Wild West Garb for Riding.” The Macon News (Macon, Georgia), October 22, 1925.

“Star Rider With Circus.” Iowa City Press–Citizen (Iowa City, Iowa), May 13, 1926.

“Will be Feature in Circus.” San Angelo Evening Standard (San Angelo, Texas), October 4, 1926.

“Johnny Wins And Goes To Circus.” Evansville Press (Evansville, Indiana), June 20, 1927.

“First Circus of the Season Pleases Two Large Audiences Here Thursday.” Argus-Leader (Sioux Falls, South Dakota), June 1, 1928.

“Twenty-Five Years Ago.” The People’s Banner (David City, Nebraska), July 20, 1950.

“One-Time Toast Of Buffalo Bill Show Dies In Shack.” Lancaster Eagle-Gazette (Lancaster, Ohio), January 18, 1955.

“Champ Marksman, Trick Rider Dies.” The Daily Times (New Philadelphia, Ohio), January 21, 1955.

*All newspaper clippings in this blog post were pulled from newspapers.com. I am not affiliated with this website. I just wanted to let you know where I found my digitized sources.

*Blog Cover Photo: Photograph on display at Pawnee Bill’s Ranch and Museum in Pawnee, Oklahoma.