Category Archives: Nan Aspinwall

After her legendary ride, Nan and her husband Frank worked to capitalize on her fame. Various newspapers reported their plans for the future. Possibilities included performances in Atlantic City, teaching society women in Newport, Rhode Island, to ride and rope, … Continue reading →

Riding horseback alone across Utah, Colorado, Kansas, and Nebraska in the winter must have been a bleak and chilly undertaking. And unfortunately, Nan Aspinwall Gable did not leave any recollection of her journey — no letters, no journal, no memoir. … Continue reading →

After she lost her way in the Nevada desert, Nan Aspinwall ended up in the little railroad town of Proctor. It was little then and it is a ghost town today, with next to nothing left. According to the article … Continue reading →

Nan left San Francisco on September 1, 1910, riding her thoroughbred mare, Lady Ellen. She traveled light, not even taking extra food, water, or clothing, but only the bare essentials. She planned to stay in towns when she could and … Continue reading →

Nan Aspinwall, the “Montana Girl,” was not raised on a ranch in Montana. She was born in New York state in 1880 and as a small child moved with her parents to Liberty, Nebraska, where her father was a storekeeper. … Continue reading →