Annie Oakley was born Phoebe Ann Moss on August 13, 1860, in Darke County, Ohio. Her father passed away when she was six years old, and her mother was left with six children to support. To lighten the load off her mother, Annie moved in with the family of Superintendent Edington. She stayed at the county infirmary, which housed a number of individuals unable to care for themselves, including children and elderly folks. In exchange for education and a place to stay, Annie would help take care of the orphaned children. This is where Annie’s lifelong compassion for children comes from. When she returned to her family at thirteen years old, Annie’s mother had remarried. However, their finances were still poor, so Annie started using the old rifle her father had left them to hunt game and help feed her family. Annie started to become extremely successful at shooting, more than she thought would be. What started out to just help feed her family and help pay the mortgage eventually turned into a sport. She became known for her notable shooting skills and was invited to shoot against well-known marksmen when she was just fifteen years old. She became a performer of Buffalo Bill’s Wild West show, making her an international star as she grew in fame to perform for important figures and royalty.
“Aim at a high mark and you’ll hit it. No, not the first time, nor the second time. Maybe not the third. But keep on aiming and keep on shooting for only practice will make you perfect.”
—Annie Oakley
This excerpt is from The Book of Awesome Girls by Becca Anderson, which is available now through Amazon and Mango Media.
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