The First Career Women on the Frontier

Women had their own way of dealing with struggles that arose on the frontier.  One homesteading claim tells the story of an illiterate widow who refused to admit financial defeat in California and became a squatter (sitting on a piece of land to claim it).  When the rightful claimant (who had killed her husband over this same issue) came and tried to drive her off the land with his gun in hand, she took out her own pistols and dared him to shoot her in the head.  He couldn't and she retained the land where she lived the rest of her life. :)

On the Iowa frontier, one man planned to support his family by doing carpenter work.  Writes one daughter, "Mother had other ideas and during Father's absence, she accumulated 9 cows and was able to support the family quite nicely until Father returned.  He didn't take to milking cows so one week from the time he returned, there was only one cow left.  Not the end to the story though as it seems the women used her inheritance money to purchase more cows.  With these proceeds she bought winter clothing and supplies for the entire family.  The family, by the way, ended up raising stock as a business after all.  I guess carpentry just didn't pay that well!

Other women dealt with economic hard times by taking wagon covers not needed anymore and making shirts to sell to the Indians and gloves for the military stationed nearby.  The sale of butter and eggs provided steady income for many family in the early days of settlement.

Lavina Porter, whose husband found it hard to earn money for the family because of his fondness for whiskey, patiently waited until her husband was gone and then loosened the barrel - by the time he returned the barrel was empty.

Women on the frontier were resourceful and used what they had to solve economic problems for their families.  I guess they could be called the "first career women."

Next time...child bearing on the frontier.