In the film version of the life of the "Unsinkable Molly Brown," she is rescued from the Colorado River and raised in the Rocky Mountains, but the actual Margaret Tobin Brown was born and raised in Hannibal, Missouri. Her formative years took place in the town's Gilded Age; the railroad brought in lumber barons, and as the wealth of Hannibal grew, so too did the dreams of young Margaret. Even though her future career as a philanthropist and socialite would span continents and she would become famous for surviving the sinking of the "Titanic," Molly Brown was always proud to be from Hannibal.

Draws from letters, journals, court records, newspaper articles, family memoirs, and other authentic documentation to reconstruct the life of Margaret Tobin Brown, the Titanic survivor who inspired the musical "The Unsinkable Molly Brown"; discussing her early years in Hannibal, Missouri, her political work, and her family.

The real story of the “unsinkable” Titanic survivor and her early life in the Midwest. In the film version of the life of the “Unsinkable Molly Brown,” she is rescued from the Colorado River and raised in the Rocky Mountains, but the actual Margaret Tobin Brown was born and raised in Hannibal, Missouri. Her formative years took place in the town’s Gilded Age; the railroad brought in lumber barons, and as the wealth of Hannibal grew, so too did the dreams of young Margaret, who would go on to fight for women’s rights, help build a cathedral, and more. Even though her future career as a philanthropist and socialite would span continents and she would become most famous for surviving the sinking of the Titanic, Molly Brown was always proud to be from Hannibal, and this is the true story of her life in the Midwestern town.

Molly Brown was heroine of the Titanic disaster, but when asked about the experience, she said, "Please don't say I'm a heroine. I did only the natural thing and not the heroic...It isn't who you are, nor what you have, but what you are that counts. That was proved on the Titanic...it was the Brown luck. I'm the unsinkable Mrs. J.J. Brown."Margaret 'Molly' Brown's life was the stuff of legends. The heroine of the Titanic disaster was also a business woman, art collector, social and political activist,and philantropist during her full life. As she said of others, she had "a heart as big as a ham.""Unsinkable by Joyce B. Lohse is as entertaining as it is accurate. It is the perfect Molly Brown biography for readers of all ages." -Andrea Malcomb, Director of Molly Brown House Museum

Margaret (Molly) Brown is best known for her bravery and compassion during the tragic sinking of the Titanic, which catapulted her to international fame virtually overnight. But few people are aware that she was also an outspoken suffragist, a tireless champion of miners" rights, and one of the first women to run for the U.S. Congress. Raised in a working-class Mississippi River town, Margaret-who was never called Molly in her lifetime-followed her brother to a rough-and-tumble Colorado boomtown at a time when few women dared to settle in the then untamed West. She married a silver miner who eventually struck it rich, and she used her new wealth and social prominence to further her own education and to fight for the rights of others, regardless of their race or religious beliefs.This vivid account of Margaret Brown"s remarkable life from well-regarded author Elaine Landau shows how much a strong woman could accomplish, even at a time when few opportunities were available. Archival photographs and excerpts from early-twentieth-century newspapers and Brown family letters provide a clear picture of this forward-looking, energetic individual and the society that she strove to reform. Chronology, endnotes, bibliography, index.

The rollicking story of the Leadville waitress who reached the top of Newport society--and a permanent place in American lore--as a heroine of the Titanic disaster. Miss Bancroft's biography gives the true story of the unsinkable lady from Colorado and makes an amusing contrast with the legend. This is one volume in the Bancroft Little Western Books series, which recounts classic Western tales of vintage Colorado. Perfect for Colorado natives and newcomers alike, the Bancroft series is a must-have for lovers of the mountains and of the people who made Colorado one of the most intriguing states in the nation.

There's something magical about Hannibal, as if the town is frozen in time, as if you can look over your shoulder and see Tom and Huck making their way down to Bear Creek, fishing poles in hand. But set aside Twain for a moment (if that is possible to do in Hannibal) and drink in the broader vistas of the town's past. Imagine the pioneers who first settled between these bluffs, the riverboat calliopes singing their tunes as they pulled into port, the smell of fresh-cut lumber. Wave to the fashionable ladies parading down Broadway during the Gilded Age or save your greeting for visitors like FDR, Truman and Carter. Take countless more imaginative steps back through Hannibal's heritage in this accessible history by Ken and Lisa Marks.