The National Cowgirl Museum has added an Annie Oakley artifact
To wild west fanatics, Annie Oakley can sometimes seem more like myth than reality. The sharpshooter, one of the only women to perform in Buffalo Bill’s Wild West exhibition, was famed for shooting a cigarette out of her husband’s mouth from 20 paces away as a part of the show.
Now Oakley’s fans can see a part of history at the National Cowgirl Museum and Hall of Fame in Fort Worth, which added the belt worn by the legendary sharpshooter to its permanent collection of Oakley memorabilia Aug. 13, Oakley’s birthday.
The belt was made for Oakley in during her third European tour, in 1891.
One of her most famous tales came in Europe eight years after that tour, when Oakley is said to have shot a cigarette held by Prussian Crown Prince Wilhelm. He would later become Kaiser Wilhelm, a leader of the Central Powers in World War I. She’s remembered as saying that if her aim hadn’t been so good, she could have prevented the Great War.
Oakley’s belt is on display in the National Cowgirl Museum’s “Hitting the Mark: Cowgirls and Wild West Shows” exhibition.
This story was originally published August 14, 2019 at 12:02 PM.