We’ve all heard of her, but what do we really know about Annie Oakley? Sure, she was a good shot. But is there more to the story?
Here are five quick facts about her life and accomplishments.
1. Her real name was Phoebe Ann Moses.
Born on August 13, 1860, in Darke County, Ohio, she was the fifth of seven children. Her sisters called her Annie. She decided on the name Oakley as her professional name from the name of an Ohio town that was located near her home.
2. She made her first shot at the ripe age of eight years old.
In fact, she was so proud of that shot, she was quoted as saying, “I was eight years old when I made my first shot and I still consider it one of the best shots I ever made.” She used her father’s muzzleloader resting on a porch rail to perform a headshot on a squirrel that was sitting on a fence post. Headshots wouldn’t destroy the valuable meat of the animals. Annie’s shooting ability helped feed the family. It also helped them financially because they sold a lot of the meat to a local grocery store. That helped to pay off the family’s home mortgage. Surprisingly, though, when Annie’s mother first learned that she had taken down the gun and shot it, she was forbidden to touch the gun again for eight months. Evidently, her mother relented eventually.
3. She met her future husband under very interesting circumstances.
A local hotelkeeper hired a professional traveling sharpshooter named Frank Butler to challenge Oakley to a shooting match when she was 15. He hit 24 of 25 targets, and she hit all 25, beating him. The two hit it off, and they were married the following year. Their marriage endured for half a century, and in 1926, they died within three weeks of each other.
4. Annie was a famous sharpshooter.
In March of 1885, she became a member of William “Buffalo Bill” Cody’s Wild West Show.
In 1887, Annie competed in the Wimbledon shooting competition. Those were the days before Wimbledon became famous for the annual tennis tournament. Among those in the audience was the Prince of Wales, future King Edward VII. By all accounts, she did very well in the competition.
5. She was a wartime volunteer.
In 1898, Oakley wrote to President William McKinley addressing concerns about a possible impending outbreak of war (the Spanish-American War). Part of her correspondence said, “…I am ready to place a company of 50 lady sharpshooters at your disposal. Every one of them will be an American and as they will furnish their own arms and ammunition will be little if any expense to the government.” Her offer was ignored. She made a similar offer during WWI, but it too was ignored. So she volunteered with military charities.
Annie died in 1926 at the age of 66. Her husband, Frank, died 18 days later.
