August 4, 1871 – February 3, 1930
“the Champion California huntress”
- Began shooting at the age of 7
- She was competing by the age of 10
- 1886 – Joined Buffalo Bill’s Wild West Show
- 1907 – moved permanently to Oklahoma
- 13 years as a record-setting sharpshooter and performer
- 1920 – She retired
- was married at least five times throughout her life
- 1999 – monumental headstone created by 101 Ranch Old Timers Association
About Lillian Smith
Lillian Frances Smith was one of the most talented trick shooters of the Wild West show era. Born in Coleville, California in 1871, she began shooting at age 7 and was competing by age 10. In 1886, still a teenager, she joined Buffalo Bill’s Wild West, billed as “the California Girl,” and quickly became one of its featured rifle shots. Her arrival created a well-known rivalry with Annie Oakley; the two were never on friendly terms, and Smith left the show in 1889 as Oakley returned.
In 1907 Smith settled permanently in Oklahoma and joined the Miller Brothers 101 Ranch Wild West Show, performing as “Princess Wenona,” a fictional Sioux princess persona. She retired around 1920 and died in Ponca City, Oklahoma in 1930. Her grave sat unmarked until 1999, when the 101 Ranch Old Timers Association placed a monumental headstone; that stone gives a birthdate of February 3, 1871, which historians consider likely incorrect. Her career is a reminder that skilled women marksmen helped make shooting one of the most popular public entertainments of the 19th century.
Key Facts
- August 4, 1871: Born in Coleville, California
- 1886: Joins Buffalo Bill’s Wild West
- 1889: Leaves Buffalo Bill’s show as Annie Oakley returns
- 1907: Moves to Oklahoma and joins the 101 Ranch Wild West Show as “Princess Wenona”
- February 3, 1930: Dies in Ponca City, Oklahoma
- 1999: Headstone placed by the 101 Ranch Old Timers Association
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Sources
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