Category: Western History
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Breaking Trail: Nan J. Aspinwall
Nan Jeanne Aspinwall was born in New York on February 2, 1880 to Oliver and Lena Aspinwall. Her family moved to Nebraska and she grew up in Liberty. Her parents were shopkeepers in town. She began working in vaudeville in her late teens to support herself. In 1899, she appeared…
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Breaking Trail: Bonnie Gray
Born in 1891, Verna Smith grew up loving horses. Her family lived in Kettle Fells, Washington on a ranch. Later in her life Verna would go by the name, “Bonnie Gray.” Bonnie went on to attend Moscow Idaho University completing her degree in music. She was a natural athlete and…
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Breaking Trail: Alberta Claire
Cowgirl. Lecturer. Movie-Producer. Press Agent. These are just a few of the words that could be used to describe Alberta Claire. She was born in Sheridan, Wyoming in the late-nineteenth century and lived a pretty extraordinary life. Alberta Claire entered the Vaudeville scene around 1909 and performed in the theaters…
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Breaking Trail: Lulu Bell Parr
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…
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