March is Women's History Month, and the Valley 101 podcast is taking the opportunity to explore the stories of women from Arizona's history whom you might not have heard of.

In this second episode of Arizona HERstory, we uncover the truth behind the legend of one of the most notorious criminals in Arizona history: Pearl Hart.

Dubbed the "Bandit Queen" by local papers, Pearl's history has been bit of mystery and much of that was due to her own fabrication.

Pearl came to Arizona all the way from Ontario, Canada in an attempt to escape an abusive life. For women of the 1800s, options for their independence were limited. But Pearl blazed her own path, and the fire of her spirit not only burned those close to her but it also scorched her life as well. But she never apologized for how she made herself.

This episode was written and produced by Thomas France. You can reach him at tfrance@arizonarepublic.com and on Twitter @TFranceAZ

Kaely Monahan executive produced this episode of Arizona HERstory. You can reach her at k aely.monahan@arizonarepublic.com. Follow her on Twitter @KaelyMonahan

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