Frank E. Butler
Encyclopedia
Frank E. Butler was a marksman in Wild West variety shows. He was married to sharpshooter Annie Oakley
. While his birth date is listed on his and Annie's U.S. Passport application as February 25, 1852, it is possible he was born in 1847.
, and in 1885 they joined Buffalo Bill
's Wild West show, leaving it in 1901. As Oakley became the star attraction, Butler became her manager, writing articles and press releases. Oakley said that the financial part was always in her husband's hands. Oakley returned to performing between 1911 and 1913 with Vernon Seaver's "Young Buffalo Show", with Butler again as her manager. Butler also worked as a representative of the Union Metallic Cartridge Company and as a salesman for the Remington Arms Company.
After they retired, Butler and Oakley spent part of the year at Pinehurst, North Carolina
, and Cambridge, Maryland
.
The musical Annie Get Your Gun
is loosely based on the lives of Annie Oakley and Frank Butler.
On November 3, 1926 his wife Annie Oakley died. Frank stopped eating after the death of Annie and died on November 21, 1926.
Annie Oakley
Annie Oakley , born Phoebe Ann Mosey, was an American sharpshooter and exhibition shooter. Oakley's amazing talent and timely rise to fame led to a starring role in Buffalo Bill's Wild West show, which propelled her to become the first American female superstar.Oakley's most famous trick is perhaps...
. While his birth date is listed on his and Annie's U.S. Passport application as February 25, 1852, it is possible he was born in 1847.
Biography
Butler was born in county Longford, Ireland and moved to the United States about the age of 13. After a series of odd jobs, he developed a shooting act and toured with variety shows. After meeting at a shooting competition in Cincinnati, Butler and Oakley married on August 23, 1881. They developed their shooting act in 1882 when Oakley stood in for Butler's sick partner. In 1884 the Butlers joined the Sells Brothers CircusSells Brothers Circus
-History:It ran from 1862 to 1863 and again from 1871 to 1895. It merged with the circus operated by Adam Forepaugh to form the Forepaugh-Sells Brothers' Circus in 1900. It later merged with the Floto Dog & Pony Show into Sells Floto Circus.-External links:...
, and in 1885 they joined Buffalo Bill
Buffalo Bill
William Frederick "Buffalo Bill" Cody was a United States soldier, bison hunter and showman. He was born in the Iowa Territory , in LeClaire but lived several years in Canada before his family moved to the Kansas Territory. Buffalo Bill received the Medal of Honor in 1872 for service to the US...
's Wild West show, leaving it in 1901. As Oakley became the star attraction, Butler became her manager, writing articles and press releases. Oakley said that the financial part was always in her husband's hands. Oakley returned to performing between 1911 and 1913 with Vernon Seaver's "Young Buffalo Show", with Butler again as her manager. Butler also worked as a representative of the Union Metallic Cartridge Company and as a salesman for the Remington Arms Company.
After they retired, Butler and Oakley spent part of the year at Pinehurst, North Carolina
Pinehurst, North Carolina
Pinehurst is a village in Moore County, North Carolina, United States. The population was 9,706 at the 2000 census. It is the location of the Pinehurst Resort, venue of the 1936 PGA Championship, the 1951 Ryder Cup. The host site for the 1999, 2005,& 2014 U.S. Open Golf Championships, the 2008 U.S....
, and Cambridge, Maryland
Cambridge, Maryland
Cambridge is a city in Dorchester County, Maryland, United States. The population was 12,326 at the 2010 census. It is the county seat of Dorchester County and the county's largest municipality...
.
The musical Annie Get Your Gun
Annie Get Your Gun (musical)
Annie Get Your Gun is a musical with lyrics and music written by Irving Berlin and a book by Herbert Fields and his sister Dorothy Fields. The story is a fictionalized version of the life of Annie Oakley , who was a sharpshooter from Ohio, and her husband, Frank Butler.The 1946 Broadway production...
is loosely based on the lives of Annie Oakley and Frank Butler.
On November 3, 1926 his wife Annie Oakley died. Frank stopped eating after the death of Annie and died on November 21, 1926.