Martha Jane Canary, or Cannary, was born in Missouri in 1852, and died in Terry, SD in 1903. Her parents moved the family west on wagon trains, first arriving in Virginia City, MT. When both of her parents died, Martha took charge of her five younger siblings, moving around to Utah and Wyoming, working various jobs. In her autobiographical promotional pamphlet, Life and Adventures of Calamity Jane, she claims she became a scout for the US Army and joined the military campaigns against Native Americans. She was noted for wearing men’s clothing and buckskins and used her “look” to promote her character in traveling shows. There are differing stories about how she earned her nickname, as well as many unproven claims about her escapades, including her romantic involvement with Wild Bill Hickok. She did travel with his Wild West Show and was buried next to him near Deadwood, SD. More stories claim that she was sometimes a prostitute, and had two to four children. Calamity Jane did purportedly marry a man named Clinton Burke later in her life and bought a ranch near Miles City, MT where she ran an inn.