Mary Higginbotham

In Genuine Cowgirl Fashion - the Life and Ride of "Two-gun" Nan Aspinwall Mary Higginbotham

Nan Aspinwall led an extraordinary life as a sharp-shooter and trick-roper in Buffalo Bill¿s Wild West Show. According to legend, a disagreement between Cody and his rival showman, Pawnee Bill, led to the circumstances whereby Nan was challenged to undertake a solo transcontinental ride. Could a woman ride from the Pacific to the Atlantic alone the showmen argued? Nan set off in September 1910 to prove it was possible. Mounting her mare, Lady Ellen, the Long Rider packed her pistol, picked up a letter from the Mayor of San Francisco addressed to his counterpart, then set out to deliver it to New York. But after riding into the history books as the first woman to ride alone across America, Nan¿s amazing tale became lost due to a clerical error. Although researchers spent years trying to uncover what happened to this remarkable Long Rider, Nan¿s story was finally uncovered thanks to the diligent academic research of author, Mary C. Higginbotham. Thanks to her detective work Nan's extraordinary story was discovered under her married name in an obscure file in the Midwest. Featuring a special Introduction by Dr. Juti Winchester, Curator of the Buffalo Bill Cody Historical Center, this is a fascinating story which is amply illustrated with never-before-seen photographs of Nan in the saddle and on the stage.