William Frank Carver
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"Doc" William Frank Carver (1840–1927), was a sharpshooter and creator of a popular circus attraction from 1890's to WW2. He was born in Winslow, Illinois. As a young man he is reported to have lived with the Sioux and Pawnee. Carver was trained as a dentist, hence the nickname "Doc". At age 17 he left Winslow to assert a family land claim in Minnesota. At age 35 Doc Carver migrated to California and became a famous buffalo hunter and a companion of Buffalo Bill Cody, Wild Bill Hickok, Gen. Phil Sheridan and other well-known figures of the day.
In 1877, Carver went on tour giving exhibitions of shooting prowness. In 1883, Carver's reputation as one of the worlds best marksmen was assured when he defeated Captain Adam Henry Bogardus, World Champion and United States Champion trap shootist, in a series of 25 matches 19 times.
Doc Carver went on two European tours, performing before the Prince of Wales (later Edward VII) and on his 1882 tour winning $80,000. From those winnings, in 1883, Carver invested $27,000 in a new Wild West show known as the Rocky Mountain and Prairie Exhibition sponsored by 'Buffalo Bill' Cody and Nate Salsbury. After one year, Carver withdrew and Cody and Salsbury brought Captain Bogardus into the show, by then known as Buffalo Bill's Wild West. Captain Bogardus remained with the show for a year.
Doc Carver was instrumental in the development of horse diving exhibitions. Allegedly, in the 1880's Carver was crossing a bridge which was partially collapsed. His horse dove into the waters below, inspiring Carver to develop the diving horse act. Carver trained various animals and went on tour. Included within the tour was his son, Al, who constructed the ramp and tower and his daughter Lorena Carver who was the first rider. Others were brought into the show, including his future daughter-in-law, Sonora Webster Carver who joined the show in 1924, and Sonora's younger sister, Arnette Webster French, who started diving around 1930. The show became a permanent fixture at Atlantic City's Steel Pier. There, his family continued the show following Carver's death. Sonora Carver lost her eye sight when her horse "Red Lips" dove, off-balance, into the tank. Blind, however, Sonora continued with the act. The act finally closed as a result of pressure from amimal rights groups in the 1970's. Sonora Carver always, however, contended that the horses were never forced to dive and, in fact, enjoyed the act. Sonora Carver died in September 2003, age 99. Her early career inspired the 1991 Disney movie Wild Hearts Can't Be Broken starring Gabrielle Anwar.
