Born to wealth that the Civil War ravaged, held captive by renegade Comanche, and rejected by family and friends, Mary Elizabeth (“Libby”) Haley ran away from home at the age of 14. Libby learned to navigate the dangerous and volatile Old West and made a name for herself as Squirrel Tooth Alice. Given her moniker because of a gap in her front teeth and her passion for raising ground squirrels as pets, Libby made the best of a difficult situation. She created a successful business, ultimately allowing her to build and run her own establishment.
A study in grit and grace, Two Squirrels and A Girl is a story of a woman who chose not only to survive but to thrive in a world that did not recognize women as equals to men. Libby is an inspiration for women who followed. Follow Libby on her journey and learn about this incredible, almost-forgotten icon of the West.
Montie Carol Montgomery is a businesswoman, entrepreneur, mother, and grandmother, as well as a fourth-generation wonder woman.
Montie Carol has owned and worked in restaurants, supported businesses in the oil and gas industry, operated real estate agencies and lease brokerages, and worked as a cattlewoman on a ranch in New Mexico. She’s also a songwriter and singer who has written and recorded, with her co-writer Eddie Kilgallon, a full-length album of songs about her great-grandmother’s life. Mary Elizabeth Haley Thompson is also the subject of a documentary currently in planning and production, Grit and Grace.
Experience an exclusive musical portrayal of Libby’s remarkable life through the original compositions of her great-great-granddaughter, Montie Carol Montgomery. Delve into the extraordinary journey of Two Squirrels and A Girl with emotive and captivating music that brings the story to life.
Our namesake, Mary Elizabeth Haley Thompson–or Libby, as she was called–was born in 1855 in central Texas. She was taken from her family and lived as a captive with a tribe of Comanches for three years. When she was ransomed by her family, everyone believed she was “spoiled goods,” and she was shunned by her community She struck out on her own and made her way across the western United States as a saloon dancer/singer and finally the madam of her own establishment in Texas, living a difficult and dangerous life as she struggled to support herself and her children.
As Libby learned in the 19th century, there were few opportunities for women outside the home, and while things have changed in some ways, women and girls in rural communities still fall far behind their urban counterparts where healthcare, education, training, and professional opportunities are concerned. We are actively working with organizations in communities to provide healthcare and other basic needs, as well as education, job training, and basic needs support.
