I was wondering if you know anything about Lulu Bell Parr who was comparable to Annie Oakly?
R.C. Bowman
Chambersburg, Pennsylvania
Lulu Bell Parr was one of the prettiest bronc riding rodeo riders of her time and a top contestant in the days when women rode the roughstock just like the men. Born in 1876 in Fort Wayne, Indiana, she was a full fledged member of a Wild West show by 1900. Between 1910 and 1920 she headlined with the Miller Brothers’ famous 101 Wild West Shows which included Tom Mix. She was famous for her fancy performing attire that helped her receive lots of publicity and high performance fees.
Lulu Bell didn’t become a movie star like many other Wild West performers, and as time went by she performed in small towns with lower level shows until she finally retired. She then moved to Ohio, where she died of a stroke in 1955.