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The remarkable transformation of Myra Maybel Shirley from educated piano player to notorious outlaw woman unfolds against the chaotic backdrop of post-Civil War Texas. What forces drive a respectable young woman into the dangerous world of outlaws? The answer lies in the unlikely sanctuary her family's farm provided to some of America's most wanted men.

Scyene, Texas was described as "a rendezvous of the reckless raiders of the Southwest," a perfect hideout for Missouri's Confederate guerrillas-turned-outlaws. When the James-Younger gang sought refuge at the Shirley farm, they found in May a woman hardened by war and displacement, who moved comfortably among them despite her formal education. Her friendship with Cole Younger sparked persistent rumors, while her marriage to former Quantrill raider Jim Reed cemented her connection to the outlaw world.

Reed's criminal career dragged May into an increasingly dangerous existence. As they fled from Texas to Missouri to California with their two young children, Pearl and Ed, May's options narrowed. When authorities issued a warrant for her arrest as an accessory to Reed's crimes, the line between being an outlaw's wife and an outlaw herself blurred. After Reed's violent death in 1874, May faced the ultimate challenge: surviving as a widow with two children in a society that offered little support for women in her position. These formative years, marked by hard choices and compromised morality, set the stage for her emergence as the legendary Belle Starr.

Join us for Part 3 of Belle Starr's story - "Younger's Bend: The Cherokee Queen" - where we'll explore her captivating years from 1875 to 1880. Subscribe now to follow this fascinating journey through the life of one of the Wild West's most misunderstood figures.

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