Famous Nurses in History: Calamity Jane

Martha Jane Cannary, better known to the public as Calamity Jane, was a woman with many hats. She was resourceful, intelligent, self-assured, rude, generous, caring, loud, obnoxious and a legend in her own time. A virtual paradox of character, she could entertain men as a dance-hall girl and drive a team of oxen over 500 kms. She was a crossdresser, a miner, a laundress, a sharp shooter, a prostitute, a storyteller, a scout for the army and for a short time, a nurse.

Calamity was a product of her upbringing. She was forced to start working at the age of twelve to support her younger siblings after both her parents died. Her desire for adventure and her free spirit kept her moving and she went on to explore half of North America, working in a variety of professions. Her skills at riflery and scouting made her a valuable commodity on the frontier.

One of the most famous towns that Calamity passed through was Deadwood. Immortalized in the HBO series of the same name, Deadwood was a lawless town that grew up around a gold claim. It was the scene of 'Wild' Bill Hickok's death and for a short period in 1878, the site of a minor small pox epidemic. It was during this outbreak that Calamity found herself entering the world of nursing.

Calamity took it upon herself to care for eight men that came down with the disease. The men were quarantined and Calamity offered her assistance. She used epsom salts and cream of tartar to care for the men. As a result of her work, five of her patients lived.

While her generosity and natural empathy could have easily lead her to a meaningful and rewarding career in healthcare, her preference for liquor, bawdy behaviour and cursing kept her from making nursing a serious career choice. She probably would have never given up her chaps for nursing scrubs.

-If you’re wondering about her name, rumour has it that fellow frontier drifters often used the term ‘courting calamity’ when referring to men that approached her.