Agnes Thatcher Lake, a truly talented and persistent lady, had her life woven with the history of the American Wild West. Most prominently, she is known as the wife of the well-known gunslinger Wild Bill Hickok. However, there was much more about her than just the widow of a man who made it into history on his own. Agnes Thatcher Lake was an internationally known circus artist, lion tamer, and tightrope walker, who for most of her life had been leading a daring and glamorous existence even before encountering Hickok. This paper will explain about her birth, life, achievement, and contribution to the society.
Childhood and Circus Career
Lake was born in Boehme, Alsace, then in France, on August 24, 1826. She had been born Agnes Mersman and had arrived in the United States as a child. Agnes manifested early performance talent, and by the middle of the 19th century, she was quite a star in the world of the circus. Agnes was one of the pioneering female performers of her time in a world of circuses that was dominated by men. In no time, she gained a reputation for horse riding, tightrope walking, but above all for lion taming. Her performances were so outstanding that she went on a European tour in 1862 to exhibit her extraordinary skills. Her ability and courage received great attention and recognition, hence making her one of the most famous circus performers of her era.
William Lake – Marriage Life with Agnes
Agnes married firstly to William Lake, who was also a circus performer and a manager of the circus. They partnered and became proprietors of one of the most successful circuses, and this only added to her reputation as a show woman. In 1869, unfortunately, another tragedy befell their family when William Lake was killed by a man who tried to sneak into their circus show without paying. It affected Agnes a lot, but she still kept on being the manager of the circus and she began performing.
Marriage to Wild Bill Hickok
Agnes Thatcher Lake married James Butler Hickok, commonly known as Wild Bill Hickok, in 1876 in Cheyenne, Wyoming Territory. At that time, Hickok was the legendary figure of the American West, who had created an image of the lawman, gunslinger, and scout. The marriage happened for a short while but brought many real moments for two public figures at the time together. Tragically, the marriage was to be short-lived: he was murdered during a poker game at Deadwood, South Dakota, just a few months after their wedding. Agnes took that long trip to Deadwood to see to it that Hickok was buried properly, and in so doing showed tremendous devotion and strength in a time of great grief.
Husband of Agnes Thatcher Lake – Wild Bill Hickok
Wild Bill Hickok was born James Butler Hickok on May 27, 1837, in Troy Grove, Illinois. He was the storied central figure of America’s Old West. Because of his reputation from gunfight to gunfight, over time this highly efficient gunslinger, scout, lawman, and gambler had evolved into a folk-hero figure. Despite his rough and adventurous lifestyle, Hickok married Agnes Thatcher Lake in March 1876, just months before his untimely death. Agnes was one of the most famous circus proprietors and performers of her day, and theirs was a marriage both brief and passionate. On the night of August 2, 1876, while playing poker in Deadwood, South Dakota, Hickok was shot in the back of the head by Jack McCall, a disgruntled drifter. He died at the age of 39, which completed a short life of constant adventure and danger but left a legacy that would last for many generations. Hickok was buried at Mount Moriah Cemetery in Deadwood, where the people he rests with include the most famous personalities of the Wild West—Calamity Jane, who is reputedly said to have left instructions to be laid beside him.
Later Years and Legacy
After Wild Bill Hickok’s death, Agnes Thatcher Lake returned to life within the circus. She settled in the circus community for the rest of her years, with daughter Emma and son-in-law Gil Robinson. Agnes kept active in the circus life, exchanging wisdom and skills in efforts to form new performers. Agnes Thatcher Lake, in Jersey City, New Jersey, died August 21, 1907, four days short of her 81st birthday. While she had lead a spectacular life and accomplished so very much, one would never know it from her rather unassuming marker at Spring Grove Cemetery or in regard to her marriage to Wild Bill Hickok. Her legacy stands today, though, as one of the most iconic female performers of the 19th century.
Net Worth and Legacy
Agnes Thatcher Lake’s exact net worth is, by all indications, unavailable; however, she had been most successful and certainly well off throughout her career as a circus performer. Managing to both run and perform in one of the most popular forms of entertainment at the time would be an exercise in business acumen and ability. The life of Agnes Thatcher Lake is one that could speak to the very definition of strength, talent, and determination. She was a world-beater in the circus and really lived life on her own terms. To this day, she is mostly recalled as the widow of Wild Bill Hickok but an inventive personality who provoked sensations on several continents with her breathtaking doings.
