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More Than Petticoats: Remarkable Nevada Women by Jan Cleere January 2005 Publisher: The Globe Pequot Press ISBN: 0-7627-2739-X $10.95 2006 WILLA Literary Award Finalist! 2006 Arizona Press Women's CommunicationsContest Finalist! ORDER NOW |
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More Than Petticoats: Remarkable Nevada Women presents the compelling stories
of twelve pioneering women, plus a remarkable group of nuns, who braved dangers
and desolation in Nevada Territory during the tumultuous 1800s. Facing unimaginable
challenges, they climbed mountains seeking untold riches, swooped down legislative
hallways, wove intricate artistry and taught the next generation about equality.
The riches of the Comstock brought women to Nevada seeking wealth for a variety of
reasons.
Alison “Eilley” Oram (Orrum) Bowers
1826-1903
Scottish-born Alison “Eilley” Orrum made the trek to America in 1849 following Brigham
Young to Salt Lake City, then traveling on to the isolated community of Genoa, Nevada.
When Young called his followers back to Salt Lake, Eilley chose to stay and open a
boarding house in Johntown. Encouraged by the ore discoveries at Gold Hill, Eilley
purchased several claims. After marrying for the third time, Eilley and Sandy Bowers
became two of Virginia City’s first millionaires. The mansion they built still stands today
in Washoe Valley. Spending their money as fast as the mines produced, the Bowers
squandered their wealth and Eilley was forced to turn the Bowers Mansion into a
boardinghouse. In her later years, she told fortunes and was eventually committed to
the poor house. Her ashes are buried on the hill behind Bowers Mansion.
Ferminia Sarras
1840-1915
Describing herself as “a Spanish lady of royal blood,” Nicaragua born Ferminia Sarras
had a preference for younger men and a talent for finding lucrative copper strikes.
Placing two of her children in a Nevada orphanage, she set out for the mining fields
alone, her backpack laden with tools and grub. When she made a profit, most of her
earnings were lavished on handsome escorts, elegant hotels and sumptuous meals.
This “Nevada Copper Queen” would then return to the mines and resume her search
for another profitable strike.
Sarah Winnemucca Hopkins
1844-1891
When Sarah Winnemucca was born, only the Northern Paiute and Washoe Indian
tribes inhabited the plains and mountains of western Nevada. During her lifetime, she
witnessed her Paiute kin succumb to the white man’s illnesses and abuses. Overcoming
her fears of white authority, she became an interpreter and mediator between whites
and Indians, traveling extensively to negotiate better conditions for her people. Her
efforts resulted in the freedom of the Paiutes to return to their native lands. Only forty-
seven years old when she died, one can only image what she might have accomplished
had she lived a full life.
Dat-So-La-Lee
1850-1925
Basket weaver Dat So La Lee, considered the foremost maker of Washoe traditional
basketry, signed her bills of sale with a handprint. Never having the opportunity to
attend school, she remained illiterate throughout her life. Initially a washerwoman and
cook in Carson Valley, she began weaving her artistry in 1895 and crafted between
150 and 300 baskets, some of which today fetch prices in the hundreds of thousands
of dollars. Many of her baskets are housed in the Nevada State Museum.
Helen J. Stewart
1854-1926
Widowed while pregnant with her fifth child, Helen Stewart, the “First Lady of Las
Vegas,” operated a successful cattle ranch in a desolate and lonely stretch of desert
that would one day become Nevada’s reigning city of lights. Grapes harvested on the
Las Vegas Ranch produced “drinkable” wine that Helen sold to passing prospectors
and pioneers headed west. When she heard the railroad might come through the area,
Helen bought up as much land as she could. With her resourceful business acumen,
Helen prospered as the town of Las Vegas flourished. In her later years, she was
sought after as an authority on the history of Southern Nevada.
Idah Meacham Strobridge
1855-1932
After the deaths of her husband and three children, Idah Strobridge ran the family’s
ranch, mined for ore in the Humboldt Mountains, taught herself to bind books and wrote
vivid accounts of the desert country she loved. As one of Nevada’s first women writers,
her books bequeathed a legacy of words coloring the mauve-tinged mountains and
vast ranges of her beloved state to those who would willingly follow her into the Nevada
desert.
Eliza Cook
1856-1947
Even though Eliza Cook, one of Nevada’s first women doctors, received her medical
degree in 1884, she had been active in the medical field long before by tending to her
neighbors’ needs in Carson Valley. Her concern for her patients extended beyond
normal professional care and on more than one occasion, she delivered a baby, then
stayed to tend to the family’s needs—washing clothes, cooking and general housework.
Eliza became involved in the temperance movement at an early age and was later a
moving forced behind the women’s rights movement, lecturing and circulating petitions
to bring women the right to vote in Nevada.
Daughters of Charity
1864-1897
Arriving in Virginia City in 1864 determined to bring Christianity to the sin-riddled
citizens on the Comstock, the Daughters of Charity administered to the needs of
miners, orphans and the downtrodden. Breaking with traditional cloistered orders that
stayed within the confines of their nunneries, the Daughters of Charity hit the streets
looking for lost souls. They established an orphanage and hospital to care for the
rejected, dejected and dying. Even though the hospital building is used today as an art
center, the ghost of a nun who was killed in a fire years ago still lingers. Some say she
can be seen peering from one of the upper windows or roaming through the ancient
hallways.
Josie Pearl
1873-1962
With about $10,000 worth of diamonds on her hands and wrists, clad in an old calico
dress, a tattered straw hat and mismatched shoes, Josie Pearl sought elusive riches in
mining communities across Nevada. A loner, and usually the only woman around for
miles, Josie attracted national attention when war correspondent Ernie Pyle visited her
in 1936, dubbing her “the Tugboat Annie of the desert.” Never finding the one strike
that would make her a wealthy woman, Josie generously grubstaked other down-and-
out prospectors. Her tiny cabin in Cove Canyon near the Black Rock Desert held the
riches and rags of a life full of hope and hope denied.
Anne Henrietta Martin
1875-1951
After receiving a master’s degree from Stanford University, Nevada-native Anne Martin
returned home in 1897 to teach history at the University of Nevada in Reno. She
traveled extensively throughout Europe and the Orient developing such an avid interest
in the women’s suffrage movement that she was arrested in England during a women’s
rights demonstration. She campaigned extensively to establish equal suffrage
organizations in every Nevada county and led the charge for women’s voting rights.
Although Anne considered herself the first female in the country to run for the U.S.
Senate in 1918, there were women who preceded her. Losing her bid for office twice,
she encouraged women across the country to become involved in political activities.
Ah Cum Kee
1875 or 1876-1929
The daughter of a Chinese merchant in Carson City, Ah Cum Kee’s life was destined to
be harsh and brutal. Along the Comstock, Chinese had no rights, virtually no voice. Her
parents, unable to tolerate the abuses rained down upon non-whites, abandoned their
daughter and returned to China. Marrying a vegetable farmer at the age of 14, Ah Cum
Kee bore six children and toiled the fields alongside her husband. When he died, she
continued to run their meager farm, becoming the first female Chinese-American farmer
in Nevada.
Maude Frazier
1881-1963
Tall, prim-looking Maude Frazier could be Hell on wheels fighting for her favorite
cause—better education for the children of Nevada. She traipsed the rutted roads of
Nevada from one school to the next teaching children starved for education. As deputy
superintendent of the Nevada State Department of Education, she dodged coyotes and
rattlesnakes to check on far-off desert schools. In 1927, she became superintendent of
the Las Vegas Union School District and persuaded the public to pass a bond issue for
construction of Las Vegas High School. Leaving the education field in 1946, Maude
took on the State Legislature and ran for the Nevada Assembly. She was the driving
force behind the development of the Southern division of the University of Nevada.
Felice Cohn
1884-1961
When Rabbi Sheyer saw his granddaughter teaching school at the age of 11, he knew
she destined for greatness. Native-born Felice Cohn received her law degree from
Washington Law School in St. Louis and at the age of eighteen, when most girls were
still tied to home chores, Felice became the youngest individual admitted to practice law
in Nevada. Recognizing the need for legal counsel in mining and land use issues, she
set up business in Goldfield and Carson City. In 1906, Felice became Assistant
Attorney General for Nevada, and was then asked to be a court reporter because it
was a “woman’s” job. It is not surprising that she then became involved in the women’s
suffrage movement, known for her quiet but persistent voice. She was the fourth
woman admitted to practice law before the U.S. Supreme Court.
Absolutely fascinating biographies about some truly extraordinary women.
of twelve pioneering women, plus a remarkable group of nuns, who braved dangers
and desolation in Nevada Territory during the tumultuous 1800s. Facing unimaginable
challenges, they climbed mountains seeking untold riches, swooped down legislative
hallways, wove intricate artistry and taught the next generation about equality.
The riches of the Comstock brought women to Nevada seeking wealth for a variety of
reasons.
Alison “Eilley” Oram (Orrum) Bowers
1826-1903
Scottish-born Alison “Eilley” Orrum made the trek to America in 1849 following Brigham
Young to Salt Lake City, then traveling on to the isolated community of Genoa, Nevada.
When Young called his followers back to Salt Lake, Eilley chose to stay and open a
boarding house in Johntown. Encouraged by the ore discoveries at Gold Hill, Eilley
purchased several claims. After marrying for the third time, Eilley and Sandy Bowers
became two of Virginia City’s first millionaires. The mansion they built still stands today
in Washoe Valley. Spending their money as fast as the mines produced, the Bowers
squandered their wealth and Eilley was forced to turn the Bowers Mansion into a
boardinghouse. In her later years, she told fortunes and was eventually committed to
the poor house. Her ashes are buried on the hill behind Bowers Mansion.
Ferminia Sarras
1840-1915
Describing herself as “a Spanish lady of royal blood,” Nicaragua born Ferminia Sarras
had a preference for younger men and a talent for finding lucrative copper strikes.
Placing two of her children in a Nevada orphanage, she set out for the mining fields
alone, her backpack laden with tools and grub. When she made a profit, most of her
earnings were lavished on handsome escorts, elegant hotels and sumptuous meals.
This “Nevada Copper Queen” would then return to the mines and resume her search
for another profitable strike.
Sarah Winnemucca Hopkins
1844-1891
When Sarah Winnemucca was born, only the Northern Paiute and Washoe Indian
tribes inhabited the plains and mountains of western Nevada. During her lifetime, she
witnessed her Paiute kin succumb to the white man’s illnesses and abuses. Overcoming
her fears of white authority, she became an interpreter and mediator between whites
and Indians, traveling extensively to negotiate better conditions for her people. Her
efforts resulted in the freedom of the Paiutes to return to their native lands. Only forty-
seven years old when she died, one can only image what she might have accomplished
had she lived a full life.
Dat-So-La-Lee
1850-1925
Basket weaver Dat So La Lee, considered the foremost maker of Washoe traditional
basketry, signed her bills of sale with a handprint. Never having the opportunity to
attend school, she remained illiterate throughout her life. Initially a washerwoman and
cook in Carson Valley, she began weaving her artistry in 1895 and crafted between
150 and 300 baskets, some of which today fetch prices in the hundreds of thousands
of dollars. Many of her baskets are housed in the Nevada State Museum.
Helen J. Stewart
1854-1926
Widowed while pregnant with her fifth child, Helen Stewart, the “First Lady of Las
Vegas,” operated a successful cattle ranch in a desolate and lonely stretch of desert
that would one day become Nevada’s reigning city of lights. Grapes harvested on the
Las Vegas Ranch produced “drinkable” wine that Helen sold to passing prospectors
and pioneers headed west. When she heard the railroad might come through the area,
Helen bought up as much land as she could. With her resourceful business acumen,
Helen prospered as the town of Las Vegas flourished. In her later years, she was
sought after as an authority on the history of Southern Nevada.
Idah Meacham Strobridge
1855-1932
After the deaths of her husband and three children, Idah Strobridge ran the family’s
ranch, mined for ore in the Humboldt Mountains, taught herself to bind books and wrote
vivid accounts of the desert country she loved. As one of Nevada’s first women writers,
her books bequeathed a legacy of words coloring the mauve-tinged mountains and
vast ranges of her beloved state to those who would willingly follow her into the Nevada
desert.
Eliza Cook
1856-1947
Even though Eliza Cook, one of Nevada’s first women doctors, received her medical
degree in 1884, she had been active in the medical field long before by tending to her
neighbors’ needs in Carson Valley. Her concern for her patients extended beyond
normal professional care and on more than one occasion, she delivered a baby, then
stayed to tend to the family’s needs—washing clothes, cooking and general housework.
Eliza became involved in the temperance movement at an early age and was later a
moving forced behind the women’s rights movement, lecturing and circulating petitions
to bring women the right to vote in Nevada.
Daughters of Charity
1864-1897
Arriving in Virginia City in 1864 determined to bring Christianity to the sin-riddled
citizens on the Comstock, the Daughters of Charity administered to the needs of
miners, orphans and the downtrodden. Breaking with traditional cloistered orders that
stayed within the confines of their nunneries, the Daughters of Charity hit the streets
looking for lost souls. They established an orphanage and hospital to care for the
rejected, dejected and dying. Even though the hospital building is used today as an art
center, the ghost of a nun who was killed in a fire years ago still lingers. Some say she
can be seen peering from one of the upper windows or roaming through the ancient
hallways.
Josie Pearl
1873-1962
With about $10,000 worth of diamonds on her hands and wrists, clad in an old calico
dress, a tattered straw hat and mismatched shoes, Josie Pearl sought elusive riches in
mining communities across Nevada. A loner, and usually the only woman around for
miles, Josie attracted national attention when war correspondent Ernie Pyle visited her
in 1936, dubbing her “the Tugboat Annie of the desert.” Never finding the one strike
that would make her a wealthy woman, Josie generously grubstaked other down-and-
out prospectors. Her tiny cabin in Cove Canyon near the Black Rock Desert held the
riches and rags of a life full of hope and hope denied.
Anne Henrietta Martin
1875-1951
After receiving a master’s degree from Stanford University, Nevada-native Anne Martin
returned home in 1897 to teach history at the University of Nevada in Reno. She
traveled extensively throughout Europe and the Orient developing such an avid interest
in the women’s suffrage movement that she was arrested in England during a women’s
rights demonstration. She campaigned extensively to establish equal suffrage
organizations in every Nevada county and led the charge for women’s voting rights.
Although Anne considered herself the first female in the country to run for the U.S.
Senate in 1918, there were women who preceded her. Losing her bid for office twice,
she encouraged women across the country to become involved in political activities.
Ah Cum Kee
1875 or 1876-1929
The daughter of a Chinese merchant in Carson City, Ah Cum Kee’s life was destined to
be harsh and brutal. Along the Comstock, Chinese had no rights, virtually no voice. Her
parents, unable to tolerate the abuses rained down upon non-whites, abandoned their
daughter and returned to China. Marrying a vegetable farmer at the age of 14, Ah Cum
Kee bore six children and toiled the fields alongside her husband. When he died, she
continued to run their meager farm, becoming the first female Chinese-American farmer
in Nevada.
Maude Frazier
1881-1963
Tall, prim-looking Maude Frazier could be Hell on wheels fighting for her favorite
cause—better education for the children of Nevada. She traipsed the rutted roads of
Nevada from one school to the next teaching children starved for education. As deputy
superintendent of the Nevada State Department of Education, she dodged coyotes and
rattlesnakes to check on far-off desert schools. In 1927, she became superintendent of
the Las Vegas Union School District and persuaded the public to pass a bond issue for
construction of Las Vegas High School. Leaving the education field in 1946, Maude
took on the State Legislature and ran for the Nevada Assembly. She was the driving
force behind the development of the Southern division of the University of Nevada.
Felice Cohn
1884-1961
When Rabbi Sheyer saw his granddaughter teaching school at the age of 11, he knew
she destined for greatness. Native-born Felice Cohn received her law degree from
Washington Law School in St. Louis and at the age of eighteen, when most girls were
still tied to home chores, Felice became the youngest individual admitted to practice law
in Nevada. Recognizing the need for legal counsel in mining and land use issues, she
set up business in Goldfield and Carson City. In 1906, Felice became Assistant
Attorney General for Nevada, and was then asked to be a court reporter because it
was a “woman’s” job. It is not surprising that she then became involved in the women’s
suffrage movement, known for her quiet but persistent voice. She was the fourth
woman admitted to practice law before the U.S. Supreme Court.
Absolutely fascinating biographies about some truly extraordinary women.