Felicia Ann McIntyre ~ "Peg Leg Annie"

Felicia Ann McIntyre was born on 13 September 1858 in Van Buren County, Iowa. The discovery of gold on the Feather River in 1863 prompted thousands of people to move to the area, including five year old Annie, who arrived in Rocky Bar with her father Stephen, mother and brother on Independence Day 1864.

Annie attended school in Rocky Bar until the age of 14. Her father eventually became part owner of the Golden Star Mine, but was tragically shot in a street fight, leaving Annie on her own. On 27 August 1876, she became a child bride at 17, marrying Thomas Morrow, a man 16 years her senior and reportedly a cruel husband. Before they divorced, they had five children: Eliza Anne Morrow, John William Morrow, Harry Morrow, Susan Margaret Morrow and Ethel Frances Morrow. Thomas Morrow died in 1906 and is buried in Morris Hill Cemetery Plot: MHILL 4-48-9.

During the gold rush, Annie owned a plethora of businesses and many mining claims in the boomtowns of Atlanta and Rocky Bar, Idaho. An incredible entrepreneur, she was described as one of Atlanta’s more colorful individuals who lived at Rocky Bar in a cabin (which still stands). One of her many business ventures was selling whiskey: To prevent her customers from walking off with product, hid the bottles along the side of a building by her cabin. She collected payment in advance, then, with a shotgun across her knees, she would direct her customers to the spot where the bottles of booze were hidden.

Despite her success, she also worked as a successful lady of the night. In May 1896, Annie and a companion, Emma von Losch (aka 'Dutch Em', another soiled dove) set out on foot from Atlanta to Rocky Bar. It was an eight mile trip along James Creek Summit pass, a major transportation route, and the pair got caught in a terrible late blizzard that raged for two days. The women walked together on crusted snow, but at a crawl. After they failed to show up in Rocky Bar when expected, a search party was formed. Emma was found dead, covered by Annie’s underclothes. Emma was found dead, covered by Annie’s underclothes. Annie was found crawling through snow on her hands and knees, incoherent. Her feet were frostbitten and had to be amputated above the ankles, garnering her the nickname “Peg Leg Annie”.

She died on her birthday in 1934 and was buried with a simple gravestone in the Morris Hill Cemetery, Plot: Section 4-48-8. A memorial plaque was erected by the Atlanta Arts Society in July 2003 at James Creek Summit pass.