Thinking of possible class examples from the time period.
Artificer - Philo Farnsworth, Nikoli Tesla
Barbarian - Hell-Cat Maggie, William "Bill the Butcher" Cutting [Hard to say]
Bard - Jakob and Wilhelm Grimm, Nellie Bly, William Walker
Cleric - Saint Damien of Molokai [Tough one]
Druid - [Tough one]
Fighter - Allan Pinkerton, Sir Richard Burton
Monk - Wong Fei Hung, Jack LaLanne
Paladin - T.E. Lawrence
Ranger - Jack London (Bard?), Percy Fawcett, Roald Amundsen
Rogue - Ma Barker, John Dillinger, Jesse James
Sorcerer - Gerald Gardner
Warlock - Alistair Crowley
Wizard - Helena Blavatsky