Mamie Francis Hafley

Mamie Francis Hafley (1885–1950), born Elba Mae Ghent, was a performer in Wild West shows and rodeos from about 1901 until 1940.

[1] Her father had come to America as an infant with his parents, Henry and Henriet Ghent (commonly spelled "Gent"), on 16 September 1854 from the port of Liverpool, England.

[2] Mamie's mother, Hannah (or "Anna"), the daughter of Samuel Street of New Jersey and his wife, Elizabeth Armstrong, of New York, was a young child when her family moved to Wisconsin (before 1857).

In Janesville, Wisconsin, 15-year-old Elba was living with her mother, Anna Street, who was working as a housekeeper for a farmer named Edmund Jaynes.

As "Mamie Francis," she became known for her courage, skill, and beauty, entertaining untold numbers of Americans during the heyday of the Wild West shows and rodeos of the early 20th century.

[11] The shows went beyond the cowboy sport of rodeo in an effort to preserve a romanticized view of the American West and to entertain those in the East (and later in Europe) who were fascinated with the disappearing frontier of the United States.

[13] Mamie, who had learned to trick shoot as a child, would have seen the sharpshooting performances of Lulu Bell, benefitting directly or indirectly from the star.

[16] After Harry Skepper had left Mamie and Reine on their own, Charles Francis Hafley and his wife, Lillian Smith (who had both performed in the Pan-American Exposition, with Cummins' Indian Congress, with Pawnee Bill and Buffalo Bill),[17] asked Mamie Francis to join their venture called "California Frank's Wild West" in 1905.

They apparently thought this teenage mother, with her shooting and riding skills, would be a nice addition to their group who came from Pawnee Bill's and other Wild West shows.

[21] California Frank's company and the 101 Ranch Wild West Show participated in the Jamestown Exposition in 1907,[22][23] marking the beginning of their relationship with the larger outfit both at the 101 headquarters in Oklahoma (the Millers were neighbors of Pawnee Bill)[24] and at times performing with the 101 on the road.

Hafley's show was not on as grand a scale as the 101 Ranch Wild West, but they had quality acts excelled by few to none at the time: Lillian Smith was better known as "Princess Wenona," world champion horseback sharpshooter,[25] Ada Sommerville on her magnificent horse, Columbus, danced to the "Merry Widow Waltz,"[26] and Mamie Francis began her daring horse diving act in 1908 at Dreamland on Coney Island, New York City, New York.

For the second dive, Mamie would mount the mother of Serpentine, a white Arabian horse named Lurlene (or "Babe"), and hold on tightly as the animal dove off the platform - the rider's long dark hair flying through the air before they hit the water.

For the "Wild West Show," occupations listed were: Showman, High Diver, Nurse, trainer, bugler, marksman, roper, rider, musician, talker, cook, labor(ers), and gunner.

[37] By the end of 1910, Princess Wenona, Ada Sommerville and Bee Ho Gray had left the show (they may have gone back to the Millers Brother's 101 Ranch and did not return to California Frank's).

Mamie Francis Hafley was resting alone in her upper birth when she was startled to hear on the other side of the curtain the porter of the train shouting, "No!

They were in a lucrative business for the times and, with the help of their nurse friend, Fannie Liesy, the Hafleys were able to buy a ranch near Ridgway, Colorado, in 1915.

The Hafleys kept in touch with other producers and performers (including silent western movie star, Tom Mix) and stayed connected with the Miller Brother's 101 Ranch off and on.

I know of no friends that I hold in higher esteem than I do you and Frank and Rene, as well as the remainder of your bunch, and I trust the friendship will continue to exist."

Mamie Francis spent her last days at her daughter's ranch (where the Sheltons were breeders of Santa Gertrudis cattle) south of San Antonio in McMullen County.

Mamie Francis Ghent Skepper Hafley died of cancer in 1950 near Tilden, Texas, and is buried in Handley's Shannon Rose Hill Memorial Park Cemetery in Fort Worth.

In 1981, Mamie Francis Hafley was made an honoree at the National Cowgirl Museum and Hall of Fame in Fort Worth, Texas.