Sheridan History Series Book 2: Frances O' Connor the Armless Wonder
Sheridan History Series - Book 2
Sheridan Wyoming History Series - Book II: By Michael Dykhorst
Sheridan History Series Book II: Frances O'Connor: The Armless Wonder
Few individuals from Sheridan, Wyoming, achieved the level of fame that Frances O'Connor enjoyed during the first half of the twentieth century. Born without arms, Frances transformed what many viewed as a disability into a remarkable career that carried her across the United States and around the world.
This extensively researched biography traces her life from her years in Sheridan through her rise as one of America's most recognized sideshow performers. Readers will follow Frances's journey from local celebrity to national attraction as she appeared with some of the largest circus organizations of her era, including Sells-Floto, Cole Bros.-Clyde Beatty, and Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey.
The book also explores her appearance in the controversial 1932 MGM motion picture Freaks, her travels throughout North America and Hawaii, and the challenges and opportunities she encountered while building a life in the entertainment industry. Drawing from newspapers, photographs, census records, city directories, and numerous archival sources, the story separates fact from legend while providing the most complete account of her life assembled to date.
More than the story of a circus performer, Frances O'Connor: The Armless Wonder is the story of a determined woman who refused to let circumstances define her future. It is also the story of one of Sheridan's most fascinating and largely forgotten residents—a woman whose life intersected with the worlds of circus, film, vaudeville, and American popular culture.
Filled with rare photographs and historical records, this book preserves the legacy of Frances O'Connor for a new generation while reconnecting Sheridan with one of its most extraordinary citizens.
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