Etta

Etta Place, girlfriend of The Sundance Kid, traveled to South America with Butch and Sundance. While it was widely reported that Butch and Sundance were killed in Bolivia it seems that Etta returned to the United States. However, once she returned she disappeared.We believe that Etta Place was probably an alias. Often times Etta signed her name as Ethel or Eva. And how can we explain the fact that after much research by historians no one can say where this mysterious Etta Place came from or where she went?Who was this mysterious woman running around with Butch Cassidy and The Sundance Kid? Some people have claimed that Etta was actually Butch's sister. But this seems unlikely. In fact she was probably Butch's girlfriend before she met Sundance. Butch and Etta were seen together in the winter of 1896-97 at the outlaw hideout known as Robbers Roost. Other people have suggested that Etta Place was a music teacher, a showgirl from a Texas saloon, manager of a motel, wife of a boxing promoter, the cousin of The Sundance Kid, or even a soldier for Pancho Villa in the Mexican Revolution.Recent research has uncovered interesting similarities between Etta Place and a woman named Ann Bassett. Ann grew up on a cattle ranch in Brown's Park (another famous outlaw hangout frequented by Butch and Sundance).Ann had a wild side. She was kicked out of Catholic School in Salt Lake City and was involved in cattle rustling back in Brown's Park. Shortly before Etta and Butch were reportedly seen at Robbers Roost. Butch and Ann were known to have become friendly during one of Butch's visits to Brown's Park. Etta Place remains one of the great history mysteries of the old west. The answer to the question "Who was Etta Place?" may never be known. ~ U.S. DEPT OF THE INTERIOR ~ Etta, Sundance & Butch