Tilly Baldwin

Anna Mathilde Winger (aka Tillie Baldwin) was born in Arendal Norway on January 11, 1888 and emigrated to the United States in 1905. Her parents were Oluf Anton Kristiansen Winger and mother, Oline Andrea Olsdatter Winger both of Norway. She was one of five children. Anna was living in New York City (Brooklyn) with her brother and was employed as a Cosmetologist. She went on a weekend to Staten Island with some friends in 1908 and encountered a troupe of filmmakers with the Bison Film Company (New York Motion Picture Company). Heading that company was Red Wing (Lillian Margaret St. Cyr) and her husband, J. Younger Johnson (James Young Deer) and a young Cowboy actor, Ed "Hoot" Gibson. Anna wanted to join the filmmakers and learned how to ride horses and do some simple tricks from some of the riders there. She met Charles Thompkins of the "Tompkins Real Wild West Show" who hired her ride and do simple tricks. Later she met humorist Will Rogers while in New York and was hired to be roped while riding a horse. Through Rogers she met Joe Miller of the "Miller Bros. 101 Ranch Wild West Show" in New York and was hired to go to the Miller Ranch in Oklahoma. She was performing with the Miller show in 1911 and 1912. During that time she met a rider named John Baldwin and continued with him as a "team" performing together in many acts. They appeared as "The Baldwins". Ann changed her name to "Tillie Baldwin" and traveled with the Miller Bros. 101 Wild West Show to Venice California in November of 1911. At this time a contract was signed with the Bison Motion Picture company and the Miller troupe moved to an outdoor ranch headed by film producer Thomas Ince named "Inceville" north of Santa Monica on the coast. Tillie was a full fledged 'Cow Girl' performer working in motion pictures. Tillie was one of twenty-five cowgirls among a large troupe of cowboys and authentic Indians. Her first film she appeared in was "War on the Plains", released in 1912. A second film, "The Invaders" was released a few months later. Tillie Baldwin became a world class rodeo rider and performer while she was with the Miller Bros. Wild West Show. After she left the show Tillie joined many Wild West Shows and appeared as a star performer at Rodeos around the world and won many awards and titles. In 1957 Tillie Baldwin passed away on October 23rd of a heart ailment in Niantic (East Lynne) Connecticut. In the year 2000 Tillie Baldwin was honored at the National Cowgirl Hall of Fame in Fort Worth, Texas.