At age 15, she married her first husband: Legend has it he was the only man in town with the nerve to let her shoot apples off his head. But the marriage didn't last long: She was a wild young thing who wasn't ready to settle down. She moved west, settling for a time in Dallas, Texas where her dancing attracted a lot of attention in town. Kitty married a second time when she was 20 years old and eventually gave up dancing to become a skilled faro dealer who often dressed in men's clothing.
Kitty and husband #2 moved to California, where they planned to open their own saloon. But before reaching their destination, she left him for another man, who she married. But marriage #3 didn't last long either: It's said the couple had an argument where she attacked him and he refused to hit back because she was a woman. She changed into men's clothing and challenged him again, this time drawing her gun ... he didn't and she shot him. When he didn't die right away, she called for a preacher and the two were married. He passed away within a few days.
In 1876 Kitty moved to Deadwood, South Dakota (on the same wagon train as Calamity Jane and Wild Bill Hickok) where she worked as a prostitute in the brothel managed by Mollie Johnson. She soon opened the Mint Gambling Saloon, where she met and married a German prospector. When his money ran out, they began to argue: She hit him over the head with a bottle one night and threw him out, ending marriage #4.
Kitty's saloon was very successful. Although she had gambling income, she continued to work as a prostitute, most of the time managing her own girls. She married husband #5 on 11 June 1877. Samuel R. Curley was a prospector and gambler who was extremely jealous of Kitty's numerous affairs, one of which was with husband #4. On the night of 7 December 1878, Curley shot and killed Kitty in the Lone Star Saloon, then shot himself.
The following day, the townspeople allegedly laid out the pair for viewing inside the saloon before they were buried together. A journalist would later say of the 28 year-old, that she "had five husbands, seven revolvers, a dozen Bowie knives, and was always went armed to the teeth."
She had a daughter somewhere along the line, as Deadwood newspapers of the time indicated that her estate was left to her daughter.
In 1876 Kitty moved to Deadwood, South Dakota (on the same wagon train as Calamity Jane and Wild Bill Hickok) where she worked as a prostitute in the brothel managed by Mollie Johnson. She soon opened the Mint Gambling Saloon, where she met and married a German prospector. When his money ran out, they began to argue: She hit him over the head with a bottle one night and threw him out, ending marriage #4.
Kitty's saloon was very successful. Although she had gambling income, she continued to work as a prostitute, most of the time managing her own girls. She married husband #5 on 11 June 1877. Samuel R. Curley was a prospector and gambler who was extremely jealous of Kitty's numerous affairs, one of which was with husband #4. On the night of 7 December 1878, Curley shot and killed Kitty in the Lone Star Saloon, then shot himself.
The following day, the townspeople allegedly laid out the pair for viewing inside the saloon before they were buried together. A journalist would later say of the 28 year-old, that she "had five husbands, seven revolvers, a dozen Bowie knives, and was always went armed to the teeth."
She had a daughter somewhere along the line, as Deadwood newspapers of the time indicated that her estate was left to her daughter.
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