Oklahoma Journeys
Week of December 16, 2007
Lucille Mulhall Dies Dec. 21, 1940
Lucille Mulhall makes the news this week. The Mulhall family settled in Central Oklahoma following the land run of 1889 and began immediately to make their mark upon the world. There’s a town named after the family, and if you’re there, you can eat at Lucille’s. The restaurant is named after the original cowgirl, and her story is the topic of this week’s Oklahoma Journeys from the Oklahoma Historical Society.
From the Oklahoma Historical Society, this is Oklahoma Journeys. I’m Michael Dean.
For the Mulhall family the opening of the unassigned lands in 1889 provided a chance for a new start in the ranching business. Once in the area, though, Zack Mulhall realized that there was money to be had in organizing roping and riding contests. Utilizing his friendship with Teddy Roosevelt, Zack organized a traveling western show, the Congress of Rough Riders and Ropers that toured various local fairs and venues as well as places out of state. Surprisingly one of the consistently popular attractions of these events was Zack’s young daughter, Lucille. Lucille Mulhall was just fourteen when her time in the spotlight began, but she was already competing against men in some of the roughest of the events. Lucille participated in and won a large number of steer roping and bronc riding events, competing against cowboys sometimes twice her age. In addition, after her father hired an unknown cowboy roper named Will Rogers to perform at his demonstrations, Lucille began her career as a rope twirler. It soon became apparent that although almost the entire Mulhall clan was involved, Lucille was the star, and it was her talent and charisma that carried the show. Lucille’s career started out as almost a sideshow attraction. People were paying to see this young woman wrestle and rope ranch stock weighing hundreds of pounds more than her, and then perform a series of wondrous rope stunts. Lucille also trained horses, and shortly after starting her show business career, her trained horse presentations always brought down the house. Soon becoming more than an oddity, Lucille, provided a role model for other women who followed her path into the rodeo limelight. Lucille Mulhall probably wasn’t the first woman to do a man’s work around the ranch, but her ability to do it with such flair and finesse led to her title of the original cowgirl. Following her father’s semi-retirement Lucille formed her own company and traveled the world becoming the first female producer of rodeos and wild-west shows. By the time Lucille quit the tour circuit she was well into her 50’s and had inspired dozens of other women to break free of the traditional roles assigned to women of that era.
It was in this week of 1940 while riding between Stillwater and her ranch that Lucille Mulhall, the original cowgirl, was involved in a car crash and died. People everywhere whether cowboys, cowgirls or dudes all mourned her passing. After her death, much of the Mulhall family memorabilia was donated to the Oklahoma Historical Society for safekeeping and preservation.
The Oklahoma History Center features an exhibit on the wild west shows and entertainment in Oklahoma. The Oklahoma History Center is located on NE 23rd Street just east of the state capitol. The History Center is open Monday thru Saturdays from nine to five, and Sundays from noon to five. Oklahoma Journeys is a production of the Oklahoma Historical Society, dedicated to the collection, preservation, and sharing of our state’s past. I’m Michael Dean.