Legends and Bandits of the Black Hills and Badlands

Lame Johnny (Cornelius Donahue)

One of the most famous of Legends and Bandits in the Black Hills is Lame Johnny. Despite being orphaned at a young age and having two malformed legs that hindered his walking ability, Cornelius Donahue was an inspiring young man who achieved outstanding academic success and lived out his dreams of becoming a cowboy. Born in 1850 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, he attended Girard College until graduation with scores far above average due to his strong will and desire to prove people wrong – no barrier could obstruct him from achieving what he wanted.

In 1872 when 22 years old, the driven work-ethic-fueled individual made way for Texas to take on the rodeo life – something which suited him down to the letter, given it helped lessen any visibility regarding those all too familiar limps caused by either one nasty fall or possibly even polio! Cornelius was pushed to his limits when other cowboys treated him poorly, and revenge became a priority.

Calamity Jane

Calamity Jane was born Martha Jane Canary on May 1, 1852, in Princeton, Missouri. She was the eldest of six children born to Robert and Charlotte Canary. Her father died when she was nine, and her mother remarried three more times before leaving the family behind at 15. At a young age, Calamity had to fend for herself and found work as a horse-riding horse wrangler in Salina, Kansas. This experience would eventually lead her to become one of the most legendary figures in early American West folklore. In 1875, she met Wild Bill Hickok while on her way to Deadwood, South Dakota, and followed him Westward until he died in 1876.

Curly Grimes

William “Curley” Grimes was one of the most notorious bandits and legends in the Black Hills during the late 19th century. Born around 1850, he became infamous for robbing the Deadwood Stage, a route frequently targeted by bandits. His criminal activities spanned approximately two years before he was apprehended. On February 3, 1880, while being transported after his capture, Grimes attempted to escape and was shot dead near present-day Sturgis, South Dakota. He was buried at the site of his death, and his tombstone bears the inscription: “Buried with his head down/just as he fell/the whispering pines/will never tell.”