In 1955, the AP thrummed with the news of Lulu Bell Parr's death. The incongruity of her final years as a pauper in a shack with her time as a Wild West star could not be ignored. Then, she was forgotten. Nearly fifty years later, small town history buffs stumbled upon her unmarked grave and set out to give her the recognition she deserved. They raised over seven thousand dollars, erected a monument on her grave (with a parade through town and celebration), and then went on to have her inducted in the National Cowgirl Hall of Fame.
The biography "I Ain't Afraid" - The World of Lulu Bell Parr, Wild West Cowgirl details how Lulu was foisted off on relatives as a girl, not educated, married at nineteen, and by twenty-six, divorced and living over a print shop in backwater Steubenville. But she could ride horses. Hired by Pawnee Bill in 1903, she went on to have one of the longest careers among Wild West performers. She worked for all the heavy hitters - Buffalo Bill, the 101 Ranch, Zack Mulhall, and more. She did not stop until her fifties when the Depression changed everything. Parr dazzled audiences of royalty and the poor alike as a sharpshooter, trick rider, and bronco rider. She worked alongside the top cowboys, cowgirls, and performers - including Princess Wenona, Bill Pickett, and Geronimo. Married at least four times, her briefest marriage -three days- was to Charley Mulhall, Zack's son.
This is a factual biography, tapping into standard and newly available resources as well as those directly involved in resurrecting and preserving Lulu's history. The hardback and paperback versions of the book include illustrations, several from Lulu's private collection which have not previously been published.