Soapy Smith

Biography

Born Jefferson Randolph Smith in 1860, the man known as Soapy Smith became a familiar shadow along the frontier trails, where his quick humor and sharper schemes swayed crowds and commanders alike.

He met his end in Skagway in 1898, and his life now stands as a reminder of how ambition without regard for others can bring ruin; those who remember him do so as part of the complex tapestry of the frontier, learning from both the charm and the tragedy of his story.