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Lillian Frances Smith (August 4, 1871 – February 3, 1930) was an American trick shooter and trick rider who joined Buffalo Bill's Wild West in 1886, at the age of fourteen. She was billed as "the champion California huntress," and was a direct rival to Annie Oakley in the show.
Biography: Lillian Smith. This brassy Californian emerged as Annie Oakley's only serious female rival in Buffalo Bill Cody's Wild West show. Oakley eventually prevailed, but at a price — she ...
- American Experience
May 8, 2017 · HISTORY. The Faux “Sioux” Sharpshooter Who Became Annie Oakley’s Rival. By reinventing herself as Indian, Lillian Smith became a wild west sensation—and escaped an unhappy past. Julia Bricklin,...
Nov 25, 2014 · Young Lillian Smith was Annie Oakley’s rival as a trick-shot artist in Buffalo Bill's Wild West, but her most astonishing act was her transformation at age 30 into ‘Princess Wenona.’
- Julia Bricklin
May 23, 2021 · I uncovered the story of Lillian Smith, another nationally-known sharpshooter who headlined Buffalo Bill’s Wild Show. She may not have a recognized name today, but she has a story worth telling. A bullseye baby
Jan 18, 2018 · Julia Bricklin has gone to great lengths to rescue Lillian Frances Smith from relative historical obscurity. As the “California Girl,” Smith lived her life in the shadow of Annie Oakley, the most famous and well-known female sharpshooter of that era.
Biography: Lillian Smith. This brassy Californian emerged as Annie Oakley's only serious female rival in Buffalo Bill Cody's Wild West show. Oakley eventually prevailed, but at a price — she...
