Zoe Gayton – Woman Transcontinental Walker

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By Davy Crockett

Both a podcast episode and a full article

On May 10, 2019, America will celebrated the 150^th anniversary of the completion of the transcontinental railroad. This is the third article in a series to recognize some historic accomplishments walking or running across the American continent. In the previous articles, the history was given of the 1855 walk across South America by Nathaniel Holmes Bishop, and the story of Dakota Bob was shared as an a example of the many fraudulent characters who would claim to walk across America.

Women got into the game too! The most famous of the transcontinental woman walkers of the late 1800s, and perhaps the first, was a Spanish-American world-famous actress, Zoe Gayton. The may have also been the first person to walk the history transcontinental railroad end-to-end. Here is her amazing story of her walk in 1890-91.

Zorika Gaytoni Lopez Ares “Zoe Gayton,” was born in about 1854, in Madrid, Spain. When she was about four years old, her father became a political exiled immigrant and they came to New York City. Zoe Gayton started performing in the theater at the early age of 14 in Tennessee and then joined a company in New York City.

Zoe Gayton married at about 18 years old, to famous rich man, John H. Church, who was the owner of the Golden Gate Theater in Oakland, California. He had many wives, some at the same time. Zoe toured with him to South America. They lived in Utah for a time, building the first hotel in Little Cottonwood Canyon, Utah (location now of Alta and Snowbird ski resorts). They divorced in 1873 and Zoe then went through a series of other marriages as she continued to perform. She later joined companies in the west, performed in many places, and took a company to perform in Hawaii.

Mazeppa

Zoe Gayton became a world-known “equestrian actress impersonator” who traveled performing a four-act play based on a legendary poem, “Mazeppa” by Lord Byron. In the plot, Zoe played the male character Mazeppa, a horseman and page for a Polish Count. When Mazeppa is caught in an affair with the Countess, he is tied naked to a steed and set loose. The terrifying scene is the play is when Zoe is bound to a horse in scant clothing and rides on planks to the theater’s ceiling. It was much like a circus act.

One newspaper described it this way, Zoe “is strapped to the side of her ‘barbed steed’ and ascends the precipitous ‘runs’ to the ‘flies’ in the roof of the theater. It is a very exciting scene, and never fails to elicit tumultuous applause from the audience.” Another paper wrote, “Besides possessing a clear and pleasing voice, she has a splendid physique and graceful movement.”

In 1882 Zoe Gayton performed “Mazeppa” in England at Queen Victoria’s New Royal Theatre. As she was touring, Zoe was arrested for stealing things at a boarding house where she was staying with her manager William J. Marshall. She took ten table clothes, a silk-velvet cape, a shawl, an umbrella, a lace scarf, and other items. They were found in her possession, she was convicted and sentenced to four months in prison.

In 1883 she was back touring in the United States in Los Angeles, San Francisco, Oakland, New Orleans, and Alabama. In 1884 in deep financial trouble, after performing in Alabama, she raffled off her famous performing white Arabian steed, “Gypsy” to raise money to pay off debts when her theater company “went to pieces.” In 1885 she was performing with a new steed, “Fearless.”

Zoe had performed all over the world including England, Scotland, France, Spain, Germany, Australia, India, Peru and all over America. But her years of success playing Mazeppa finally came crashing down. In 1885 her company was bankrupted performing in Kansas and her personal luggage was sold off to pay debts.

In 1886 Zoe was traveling and performing again but in a new roles as Leah in Jewish play, “Leah, the Forsaken,” and in another play, a military drama, “The French Spy.” At this time she had her own “Zoe Gayton Company.” She performed for the next few years in Upstate New York, Illinois, and Canada. But by 1889, her company had folded and she was out of work. A play had been written for her, but no one could be found who wanted to produce it. She was pretty desperate to get into the limelight again.

Plans for a Transcontinental Walk

During the summer of 1890, Zoe Gayton with others, were talking in a hotel dining room. George H. Clark, a well-known sporting man and a heavy gambler told the story about two young men who on a wager rode horseback from New York to San Francisco, averaging 15 miles per day. In half jest, Zoe said she could walk it in that time. Others disputed her bold claim and it evolved into a large wager by Clark.

Zoe later admitted, “I have always been lazy, and never walked a block if there was a cab or a car in sight. Yet I had made the statement and so I determined to stick to it to the letter. My friends tried to dissuade me, telling me that it would be the death of me.”

In 1890, Zoe Gayton, at age 36, shocked the theater world when she accepted a $2,000 wager, plus expenses, to accomplish a transcontinental walk from San Francisco to New York City in 226 days for an average of 15 miles per day. Her theatrical manager, William J. Marshall, would accompany and support her along the way. Joseph L Price also would go along as a witness for the wager and make sure she didn’t take any rides.

Zoe claimed that she had never accomplished long distance walking, but Marshall mentioned that she was already an accomplish pedestrian and yeas earlier in 1884 walked from Los Angeles to Deming, New Mexico, 600 miles in six weeks. Perhaps Zoe chose to keep that quiet for betting purposes.

Early Miles in California

Zoe Gayton’s journey began in San Francisco without “noise or flourish of trumpets” with a train ride around the bay to Oakland. She was up front that her walk officially started on August 28, 1890 at Oakland, California and she walked 26 miles the first day. Her route was nearly exclusively on railroad tracks, and they obtained permission from the railroad companies ahead of time. Through the west from Sacramento to Omaha, she walked on the historic transcontinental railroad that was finished in 1869.

Zoe Gayton, Marshall, and Price were accompanied by two dogs, Zoe’s “Beauty,” a cocker spaniel and “Lion,” a Gordon setter, a fine hunting dog. Near Lathrop, California, Marshall shot a duck. Lion went to fetch it, but when crossing a train trestle, coming back with the duck in his mouth, a train struck the dog. The next day he died.

Zoe’s trip was nearly stopped early near Stockton, California. She said, “I was caught on a railroad bridge and while there was plenty of room for the train to pass, I took my dog ‘Beauty’ in my arms and jumped into a marsh, a distance of fourteen feet. I was not hurt at all but was all covered in mud.”

On September 2, Zoe arrived in Sacramento in what the newspaper called a “tramping” effort to “gain fame and dollars.” A few days later they arrived in Colfax and it was reported that Zoe was getting stronger each day. She said, “There was fruit along the tracks and we could get plenty to eat. The road has a nice gravel path between the rails.”

Nevada to Colorado

When asked what they ate, Zoe replied, “We fished, and I tell you, mountain brook suckers are good when you are hungry and tired. We shot quail and jack rabbits.” Zoe even shot an antelope in the Sierra Nevada and didn’t know what to do with it. She said, “We got some good meat off it. But no vegetables, we went for sixteen days without even so much as a potato.”

Near Clark’s Station, Nevada they had a scare. Zoe recalled, ”We usually had all the apples, oranges and apricots we desired, but this time we were short in fruit. Mr. Marshall went to a certain orchard to procure some when he was discovered and the angry farmer shot him but fortunately, he was only slightly wounded. I always carried my rifle and revolver while out west.”

As for their supplies at first, they packed tea, sugar, bacon, butter, two blankets, one knife and one fork. They bought bread along the way. Zoe said, “Lots of people took us for tramps (railroad hobos) and wouldn’t give or sell us food. I had offered as high as $1 for a loaf of bread and didn’t get it.” They later carried four changes of linens and left some behind to get laundered and then mailed ahead.

By September 28^th, Zoe Gayton was in Winnemucca, Nevada, 73 miles ahead of her 15-mile-per-day schedule. Her journey was getting attention in the newspapers across the country. One night she badly sprained her ankle near Rye Patch, Nevada. Her companions carried her to a ranch nearby where she stayed for four days, carefully taken care of by the kind ranch hands. After those days, even though the ankle still hurt bad, she tried to go again. “But after three miles had to take refuge in a deserted ranchman’s hut. We stayed there three days longer.”

They had difficulty at times finding water in the desert and each of them had to carry a canteen. After leaving Battle Mountain, Nevada, there were no house seen for three days and they went without food. They only carried small hand satchels.

As they were approaching Elko, Nevada, Zoe recalled, “We sighted a small hut four miles away and Mr. Marshall made for it. When we got there we found it deserted. He made a search of the place for food and finally found a small piece of bacon about two inches square. I don’t think I ever enjoyed anything better. I suffered a great many untold hardships. Often, while on the barren plains at sunset, tired and lame, would sit down on the plain sand or alkali plain. We carried no bedding but a blanket, and many are the nights, Beauty and I have laid on that piece of cloth and gone to sleep with nothing but the skies for covering.”

Their trip over both the Sierra and the Rocky mountains was difficult and they had to carry a heavy outfit through the west. At times they used stray railroad ties to construct shelters to get out of the wind and the storms.

Curiously, there was no news coverage found for about 1,000 miles through Utah, Wyoming, and western Nebraska. It is very odd that the newspapers in Utah didn’t cover their journey since Zoe once lived there. Wyoming was the most remote section and they would have had to received help from the railroad way stations. However, analyzing their miles and days, it all seemed to fit into a realistic pace.

Nebraska

In mid-December, Zoe Gayton arrived in Silver Creek, Nebraska and was about 14 days ahead of schedule. She was reported to still be in good health and confident that she would succeed. Local newspapers started to more consistently cover her arrivals into their cities. Readers were captivated to think that a lady brought up in “luxury and refinement” was taking on this challenge. As she walked, she wore full-length skirts even though they were a bother when the wind blew. She explained, “I started out with bloomers. They were comfortable, but I looked like such a guy that I got a regular plain skirt of this gray flannel, a black armless jacket, and a plush cap.” Now that they were closer to towns, they stopped carrying so many provisions and gave up on their “camping life.”

Unlike Dakota Bob’s transcontinental farces, Zoe’s daily route and mileage were carefully recorded and reported. Did she receive rides? We will never know for sure but her walk appeared to be legitimate. In Nebraska, her manager, Marshall and Price used a horse-drawn buggy at times. Price usually walked all the time. When not using the buggy, the older Marshall would sometimes catch a ride on a train while Price walked.

Zoe made sure she stayed ahead of the 15-mile-per-day average. Up to this point, she was being successful walking 20 miles average per day. Her biggest day had been 34 miles. She didn’t walk every day. They were delayed by storms and took days off, requiring her to do bigger mileage days.

Zoe arrived at Omaha, Nebraska on December 19th and the next day crossed the Missouri River and stayed at the Revere House. She then continued her walk on the Chicago-Rock Island and Pacific Railroad and was 15 days ahead of schedule. Thus far she walked 1,917 miles in 113 days.

Not everyone considered her attempt as heroic. One newspaper in Kansas wrote, “The craze for notoriety still pervades this country. Those who are thirsting for it seem willing to resort to anything to obtain it. And there are as many women as men in the throng.” A paper in Delaware speculated that after she completed her walk that she would be hired as a “pedestrian freak” for some dime museum.

Illinois

On January 6, 1891, Zoe and her crew arrived at Davenport, Iowa, and the next day crossed the Mississippi River into Illinois. One observer said, “They are an unpretentious three and make it a point to stop a private boarding houses where they attract little attention.” It is curious that someone such as her, who was used to a lot of attention and was seeking for more, would avoid attention during her walk. She said, “In some places there were large crowds at the stations to see me, and when I could not dodge them, I had to pass through the ordeal of answering a thousand questions and shaking hands with hundreds.”

Thus far she had only left the train tracks a few times. For one week she did it to avoid the crowds at small towns. “If it is known that she is coming, crowds of several hundred hoodlums gather around to see her coming in, which is very annoying to her.” The most miles she put in during a given week was 187 miles.

Chicago

On January 14, 1891, Zoe Gayton arrived at Chicago, twenty days ahead of schedule, and she stayed at the Waverly Hotel. She had gone through several pair of shoes and said, “I had walking shoes made for me and they blistered my feet so that since then I have worn nothing but common pebble-goat shoes half-soled.” Her preferred shoes were high laced, two sizes larger than usual, with studded nails in the soles.

Media attention became more intense and because of all of her railroad traveling, they called her, “The Queen of Ties.” She spent ten days in Chicago and had about 1,000 miles to go as she plodded along on the Michigan Central Railway.

Michigan

On February 6, 1891, Zoe Gayton arrived in Detroit. Reporters gathered at the place she was staying. She explained that she was getting tired. “At first I was very eager for morning so that I could get started, but I am getting over that now. You have no doubt seen men driving cattle along some road and noticed how weary the poor animals looked. Well, I feel just as the cattle appear, just as if somebody were driving me with all their might.”

A Detroit newspaper dispelled the idea that she was a lovely woman in a short skirt tripping along over the railway ties and dodging express trains with a vigorous little shriek. “After allowing the effect of exposure to the weather, Zoe could not honestly be called good looking. Regarding danger, should a tramp molest Zoe, he would subsequently regret his boldness. Her good right arm could fell an ordinary man to the ground. No, the danger is delusion, as well as the beauty.”

Canada

When Zoe left Detroit, she crossed over the Detroit River by ferry, and entered, Windsor, Canada. She next walked on the Michigan Central Railway toward Buffalo, New York. Zoe and her company were starting to be called the “Sunset Special” by the railroad men who passed by them often.

On February 17, 1891, Zoe arrived at Bismarck, Ontario, Canada. The walking in Canada had been terrible. She had been away from San Francisco for 173 days and had walked 138 of those days.

New York

On February 25, 1891, Zoe Gayton crossed the International railroad bridge back into the U.S. and was met by a huge crowd on Niagara Street in Buffalo. The bridge operator said she was the first woman ever allowed to cross the bridge on foot. Once in Buffalo, “it was almost impossible to get along, owing to the numerous handshaking. A cab was finally hailed and the weary pedestrian was bandied in and driven to the Stafford house in Buffalo. It is presumed that she will start from the point where she took the cab.”

It was written of her, “She looks as brown as an Indian and strong as a young colt. She moved about with the agility of a cat.” She had walked 2,951 miles, in 184 days, including 148 walking days. Thirty-seven days had been lost because of bad weather. Her best week was between Chicago and Detroit when she walked 195 miles on a very good road.

Marshall went ahead to make arrangements for their stay in Rochester, New York. He was described as a gray-haired but hardy looking man. He expressed that he was very appreciative toward the railroad companies,“Men have been very kind to us along the route and have shown much interest in the trip. Nearly all the employees of the different divisions were kept informed of our whereabouts and often as the through trains passed us on the plains, where we were the only human beings in sight of the passengers for hours, handkerchiefs would be waved at us and frequently flowers and other presents thrown from the train.”

Zoe’s walk between Buffalo and Rochester in early March was very hard. The snow drifted and the wind blew terribly. She took much longer than expected for the 80 miles between the cities and arrived in Rochester on March 4^th. Crowds of spectators were getting bigger. After a 26-mile walk to the small town of Palmyra, New York, crowds came out and a reception was held in her honor at Clemons Hall.

To win the wager, Zoe needed to arrive in New York city by April 8^th. On March 20^th she arrived in Albany, New York with about 160 miles to go. She soon started to struggle from headaches and had to take a day off. Her feet were doing fine and the end was coming close. She trudged south through the Hudson River Valley on the New York Central and Hudson River Railroad. She decided to leave the train tracks at Tarrytown, New York, because of the frequent dangerous trains, and walked he rest of the way on roads.

Her last night was spent in Irvington, New York, with about 22 miles left. It was reported, “As soon as she reached the hotel, she sank down into a chair. The tears sprang to her eyes, and she lay back in her chair completely worn out. She felt better, however after she had partaken heartily of supper. Shortly after supper she retired to her room.”

The Finish

On March 27, 1891, Zoe Gayton, crossed over High Bridge into New York City and was met by an escort of five mounted policemen and about 300 others, who led her to Grand Central Station, the end of her journey.

Banners were hung in her honor. An open horse-drawn carriage took her to the Police Gazette newspaper office where a reception was held. She said that was the first time she took a ride in seven months, but she must have forgotten the ride she took to a hotel in Buffalo. It was reported, “When she reached her destination a more weather-stained weary looking woman was never seen. She was covered with dust from head to foot.”

Zoe went to stay at the Ashland House where all visitors were turned away. Doctors advised that she rest for two or three days. It was observed that her feet and limbs were swollen much larger than normal. It was believed that she was having a “nervous prostration” for the past few day and had not been able to sleep or eat. She was asked if she would ever do it again. She replied, “Not for the world. When I left San Francisco my hair had no gray hair in it. What you see there now are due to the strain I have been under, and I had all I could to keep from breaking down.”

Zoe Gayton won an estimated $12,000, $2,000 for the original bet, $2,000 for expenses, and $8,000 from side wagers. That is valued about $355,000 in 2019 dollars, a terrific fortune. Zoe had walked a total of 3,395 miles in a little over 212 days, confirmed by J. L. Price, winning her wager. Along the way she stopped for a total of 46 days. When she started out, she weighed 163 pounds and finished weighing 139 pounds. Her achievement was published for days in newspapers across the globe.

However, there were skeptics. A newspaper in San Francisco shared false reports that she wasn’t known by the theatrical people there. They again speculated falsely that she never performed much during her acting career. They didn’t believe that she started from their city. It was also alleged by some that she had taken trains between many points in the west appearing only occasionally at obscure railway stations.

When approached about these accusations, Zoe’s eyes filled with tears. She said, “I tell you candidly that this talk of my not having made the trip is maddening. The station agents and trainmen along the line can testify whether or not I made the trip. All I want is justice.” She challenged her accusers to “put up or shut up” and produced news articles from California that were published during the early stages of her walk.

Did Zoe Gayton really do it? With all the news stories left behind, the evidence seems to confirm the accomplishment. The largest gap in new stories was in Utah, Wyoming, and Nebraska where the population was very sparse along the railroad lines. Without taking rides on trains, they would have had to receive significant help from the Central Pacific and Union Pacific Railroads. The story of her accomplishment was published in just about every newspaper at the time and you would think that railroad employees would come forward to dispute the story, but they didn’t. Unlike Dakota Bob, Zoe Gayton’s stories on the road were full of believable details and were very consistent.

Fame From the Walk

A couple weeks after Zoe finished, she, her dog, and her two companions were hired for a few weeks by a dime museum to sit in a display made up to look like one of their western camps.

Dime museums were centers of entertainment for the working class. P.T. Barnum and others established these museums in New York City. They hired on which Huber’s Museum which at times featured acts such as a sword swallower, a half-man half-woman, and magicians. Many of these museums became scams and were despised by the upper class.

If Zoe had won such a fortune, why did she hire on with this museum? It did not help persuade some people to believe that her journey took place. But in fairness some of the opposition was clearly because she was a woman, that she claimed to do something that people thought was improper for a woman to do.

A strange newspaper article appeared in Illinois that stated that across the city of New York, posters were displayed “bearing the interesting information that Miss Zoe Gayton the pedestrian, and J. L. Price, one of her companions, would be married this week on the stage at Huber’s Museum.” The ceremony was supposed to be held on April 26, 1891 but the bride and groom didn’t show up and the crowd had to instead watch the performance of a snake charmer and a iron-jawed man.”

It was then rumored that actually Zoe Gayton and Price had already been married nearly a year earlier in Denver, well before her transcontinental walk began. This rumor put further suspicion on Price’s role as the transcontinental walk witness. Price disappeared for awhile. Gayton and Marshall were fired by the museum after the wedding didn’t happen. It is very possible that there really was no huge wager involved with Zoe Gayton’s transcontinental walk, that it was just a complex scheme for her to get attention and revive her acting career.

Zoe Gayton soon organized her own dramatic company, “Zoe Gayton & Co.” performing “Mazeppa” again. Price was her manager. Another incident cast great doubt on Zoe ‘s character. In February, 1892 at Columbus, Ohio, Price was hiring a treasurer for Zoe’s company and required a $25 deposit from the person he hired. It was discovered that he “hired” two men and was called a “fake.” The men went to the authorities and an arrest warrant was issued. Zoe’s property was to be take to compensate the men. It was reported, “When Constable Scurry attempted to serve the papers, Miss Gayton pulled a revolver and chased him from her apartment. Policeman Wolfel took the revolver away from her, and her trunk. Price was arrested by the police authorities.”

A few weeks later, Zoe opened in Minneapolis, Minnesota playing her old role of “Mazeppa.” Apparently, the company quickly failed. A month later Zoe joined a traveling novelty company that played at towns on the road and she was highlighted as the “transcontinental pedestrienne.” But that also quickly failed.

Copycats

Pretenders soon wanted to join the spotlight. Miss E. M. Jordan of Lynn, Massachusetts proclaimed that she could beat Zoe’s time in walking both to and from San Francisco and sought for a $10,000 sponsorship. J. Edwin Stone took up the challenge in 1892 and was averaging 24 miles a day. As Dakota Bob did, he obtained signatures in all the towns and stations he went through as proof. In 1893 Edward Lockwood and a young man started from San Francisco determined to break “Zoe Gayton’s record.”

1892 New York to San Francisco

With her failed attempt to return to performing, on July 25, 1892, Zoe Gayton returned to walking and started a journey back to San Francisco via a southern route through New Orleans. She hoped to cover in it 160 days. She was again accompanied by Marshall, Price, and her dog Beauty. If she succeeded, it was said that she would get $20,000. If she failed, her expenses would be covered but she would lose $2,000. She said, “I will win or die on my feet.” Later the terms of the bet somehow was decreased.

This time Zoe at first walked on roads heading south and then switched back to the tracks, getting a book signed by each of the railroad telegraph operators she passed. In late September she arrived in Atlanta and said she needed to reach San Francisco by February 4, 1893. She said, “You can understand how I enjoy a soft bed. I seldom touch one. We generally camp out where we halt. I was attacked with chills and fever the day I crossed into Virginia. Mr. Marshall thinks that I contracted the malaria passing through New Jersey. I generally drink milk and raw eggs for breakfast and supper with rare beef and vegetables for dinner.” She said that once she gets to San Francisco that she would retire from walking and then return to the stage.

She reached New Orleans in late October and put on a show racing Henry Klink, a champion short distance walker. She became sick and lost 23 days, but in November she was back on schedule in Galveston Texas. There, she helped a sick woman she found dying on the railroad tracks. Marshall and Price were taking turns being with her. The plan was for Price to walk with her to Houston, Texas where Marshall would take over, and Price would ride the train to El Paso, Texas.

Nothing more was found about this walk. Did she finish? It is doubtful because no news was found about her passing through cities. But a statement was found in later years that she claimed that she finished this second transcontinental walk. Given her health issues and no press coverage one must be skeptical.

Walk Around the World

Later in 1893 Zoe Gayton was scheduled to do another transcontinental walk starting on September 1^st. But when that day came, she was said to be in Wetland, Ontario, Canada. In 1894 she claimed to be on a walk with Marshall from Albany, New York to Portland, Oregon where she planned to take a wager of $20,000 to walk around the world, averaging 26 miles per day. But by November she was on a walk from Grand Rapids, Michigan to Kansas City in 28 days for $500 which she claimed to complete. Her walk around the world was scheduled for December 15th but was delayed.

On May 7, 1895, it was reported Zoe Gayton started her walk around the world, starting from Portland, Oregon on a wager again from J. A. Church, betting $20,000 against and $10,000 for. She needed to complete it in 18 months. It must have been a false start, because the date was changed to June 9^th with a Seattle, Washington start. She planned to reach New York in 100 days. Marshall supported her and they began the walk around the world.

At Ellensburg, Washington Zoe was delayed getting her shoes fixed. Over the Cascade Mountains, in Yakima, Washington, the news commented that she appeared to be big and strong and Marshall looked really old and slow. The news predicted that he wouldn’t make it out of Washington. Zoe was walking about 26 miles per day.

A man, V. H. Sutton started out about July 1st from Seattle and vowed to overtake Zoe Gayton and do his own walk around the world. He lectured along the way and sold pictures. At about that time, Zoe passed through La Grande Oregon. She evidently made it as far as Green River, Utah but stopped “because of a hitch in the proceedings.” Sutton only made it to Portland, Oregon.

1896 500 Miles in 500 Consecutive Hours

In February 1896, Zoe Gayton was hired to do a stunt for spectators, to walk a mile every hour for 500 consecutive hours in her old home of Salt Lake City, Utah. It was similar to a Barclay match. Her dog, Beauty walked with her. She walked on an indoor track that involved 13 laps to a mile at the Continental Market Hall ,where Abravanel Hall sits today.

Zoe’s first 50 miles went well despite catching a cold. Spectator attendance increased each day, especially among the ladies. She reached 250 miles on Mar 3^rd. In the evenings other events were held such as five-mile races, tug-of-war contests, wheelbarrow races, wrestling, club swinging, and obstacle races.

After completing her 350^th mile it was reported that Zoe was “becoming quite worn with the exertion and is not making as good time as formerly.” She quit at mile 356 when she developed an “acute attack of pleurisy” and a fever. Her excuses for not finishing included that the hall was not properly heated and “her quarters were wholly unsuitable, being only partially partitioned off from the big hall.” But her 356-mile accomplishment confirmed that she could walk 24 miles a day for a very long time.

Salt Lake City, Utah to Virginia City

A few weeks later, on April 6, 1896, Zoe Gayton, at 42 years old, started a walk from Salt Lake City to Virginia City, a distance of 680 miles in 33 days. To fund it, she would use the Dakota Bob’s method of giving lectures in various towns. Marshall went with her carrying a bundle of blankets for camping when they could not find a place to stay. She accomplished it in 30 days.

Zoe Gayton’s Final Days

Zoe Gayton dropped out the news and in 1903 and she was almost totally forgotten. Newspapers at times would bring up the story about her transcontinental walk and thought she was a man instead of a woman.

She married John Hall and was living in San Francisco with her father-in-law when the great earthquake of 1906 hit. She survived, but lost all her possessions including all her clothes

On March 9, 1907, Zoe Gayton died at age 53, penniless in Omaha, Nebraska. Some new claims were inserted into her obituary. It claimed that she and her parents were in a box at Ford’s Theater the night Abraham Lincoln was shot in 1865 and she also witnessed the murder of financial wizard James Fisk in 1872. It also claimed she accomplished two transcontinental walks, her second from Atlanta to San Francisco in 156 walking days. It must have been referring to her 1893 walk that appeared to end in Texas. It was said that Zoe Gayton died from nervous disorders that were incurable as a result of her experience in the San Francisco earthquake.

The legend of Zoe Gayton nearly totally disappeared in obscurity. But in 1941, a dramatized version of her story appeared on the radio show, Death Valley Days. In this version, Zoe was denied a Broadway role because she was an unknown. She declared that she would get there if she had to walk and wagered $2,000 with the producer. Zoe won the bet and skyrocketed to success on Broadway. Well, she never played on Broadway, but Zoe Gayton did walk to it.

Read the entire transcontinental series:

Sources:

Harpers Book of Facts
The Tennessean, Oct 15,1860
The Brooklyn Daily Eagle, Dec 18, 1873
The Hawaiian Gazette, Dec 31, 1879
Liverpool Mercury, Nov 4, 1882
Oakland Tribune, Oct 22, Nov 3,1883
The Montgomery Advertiser, Nov 30, Dec 18, 1884
The Leavenworth Standard (Kansas), May 15, 1885
The Daily Commonwealth (Topeka, Kansas), May 28, 1885
The Record-Union (Sacramento, California), Sep 3,8, Dec 17, 1890
San Francisco Chronicle, Sep 29, 1890, 1 Aug 1892, May 9, 1896, Mar 10, 1907
The Columbus Telegram, Dec 18, 1890
Harper Sentinel (Harper, Kansas), Dec 19, 1890
The San Francisco Examiner, Dec 20, 1890
The Wichita Daily Eagle (Kansas), Dec 24, 1890
The Salt Lake Herald (Utah), Mar 31, 1891, Feb 23, Mar 4,6,8,11, 1896
The Rock Island Argus (Illinois), Jan 7 1891
The Daily Times (Davenport, Iowa), Jan 8, 1891
The Indianapolis News, Jan 13, 1891
Chicago Tribune, Jan 15, 1891
The Daily Courier (San Bernardino, California), Jan 18, 1891
Detroit Free Press, Feb 5, 7-8, 1891
The Atchison Daily Globe (Kansas), Feb 6, 1891
Pittsburgh Dispatch, Feb 20, 1891
The Olean Democrat (New York), Feb 26, 1891
Buffalo Commercial (New York), Feb 26-27, Mar 2, 1891
Buffalo Morning Express (New York), Mar 1, 1891
Democrat and Chronicle (Rochester, New York), Mar 2,7, 21 1891
The Morning News (Wilmington, Deleware), Mar 2, 1891
San Francisco Chronicle, Mar 22, 1891
The Evening World (New York City), Mar 27,28, Apr 11, 1891
The San Francisco Call, Mar 28,30, 1891
The San Francisco Examiner, Mar 28, 31, 1891
Pottsville Republican (Pennsyvania), Mar 28, 1891
The Boston Globe, Mar 28, Apr 6, 1891
The Sun (New York), Mar 28, 1891
The Los Angeles Times, Apr 6, 1891
The Topeka State Journal (Kansas) Apr 17, 1891
The Rock Island Argus (Illinois), Apr 27, 1891
The Merchants Journal (Topeka, Kansas), May 23, 1891
Chicago Tribune, Jun 27, 1892
Louis Post-Dispatch, Jul 30, 1892
Daily State Ledger (Jackson, Mississippi), Sep 16, 1892
The Times-Democrat (New Orleans), Oct 20, 1892
Ottawa Daily Citizen (Canada) Aug 24, 1894
Lawrence Daily Journal, Nov 1, 1894
The Buffalo Enquirer, May 7, 1895
The Salt Lake Tribune, Feb 25, 1896
The Piqua Daily Call, Feb 11, 1892
The Atlanta Constitution, Sep 14, 1892
The Times (Shreveport, Louisiana), Oct 2, 1941

24: Zoe Gayton – Woman Transcontinental Walker

By Davy Crockett

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