Etta Place: Riding into History with Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid

Etta Place, a young woman, took the name "Place" from her lover's mother and combined it with various first names. She joined the Wild Bunch gang and went on a spree of bank, stagecoach, and train robberies. She accompanied Butch Cassidy to New York City and sailed with him to Buenos Aires. They settled on a ranch near Cholila in Argentina, and she was the first woman in Argentina to own real estate. In 1904, they sold their ranch and fled to San Carlos de Bariloche, Chile, before returning to Argentina. In 1906, she sought medical aid in San Francisco and kissed Cassidy goodbye for the last time. Her mystery remained unresolved for forty-six years until it was finally resolved.

Format: Hardback
Length: 296 pages
Publication date: 23 June 2021
Publisher: Rowman & Littlefield

The enigmatic saga commenced with the enigma of her identity. Whose essence graced her presence? As a young woman, she assumed the name "Place," derived from the maiden name of her beloved, Harry Longabaugh (the Sundance Kid), and amalgamated it with various first names, including Mrs. Ethel Place. The Pinkertons referred to her as Ethel, Ethal, Eva, and Rita, before ultimately settling on Etta for their wanted posters.

After Sundance introduced her to Robert Parker (Butch Cassidy), the trio joined the rest of their Wild Bunch gang and embarked on a spree of bank, stagecoach, and train robberies. Pursued by the law, they sought refuge at Robbers Roost in southwestern Utah, where they remained undetected until word of their whereabouts reached local authorities. Once again on the run, Place accompanied Longabaugh to New York City, where they purchased a lapel watch and stickpin at Tiffany's and paused for a renowned DeYoung portrait at a Union Square photo studio on Broadway.

On February 20, 1901, she sailed alongside Butch and Sundance, posing as Etta's fictional brother James Ryan, aboard the British ship Herminius, bound for Buenos Aires. Settling there with the two outlaws on a ranch they jointly purchased near Cholila in the Chubut Province of west-central Argentina, they were granted 15,000 acres of adjacent land, of which Place owned 2,500 acres, making her the first woman in Argentina to own real estate there.

On March 3, 1902, she and Longabaugh returned to New York City on the SS Soldier Prince, reuniting with her family and friends. On April 2, they registered at a New York City rooming house before embarking on a tour of Coney Island and visiting his family. They journeyed to Dr. Pierce's Invalid Hotel in Buffalo, where she underwent an unspecified medical treatment. Seeking further treatment, they traveled to Denver before ultimately returning to Utah.

The Wild Bunch's exploits and the intricate web of relationships that bound them together continue to captivate the imagination, offering a glimpse into the rugged and lawless era of the American West. Etta Place's role in this legendary saga remains a testament to her courage, determination, and the enduring spirit of adventure that defined the Wild Bunch.

Weight: 553g
Dimension: 240 x 163 x 22 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9781493047383