The Work Blog: Five Fascinating Women

To celebrate Women’s History Month, I thought it would be interesting to highlight the lives and accomplishments of five local ladies– five women with ties to New England. Whether they were born here, raised here, or worked here, these five women made substantial contributions to sports, science, politics, music and art:

1. Cornelia Thurza Crosby, the First Maine Guide – Cornelia “Fly Rod” Crosby was a writer, a sportswoman, and a public-relations mastermind. Born in 1854, she was the first person to receive a Maine guiding license. Adept at fly-fishing, she once caught over 200 trout in one day, and she is also said to have competed against Annie Oakley in a sharpshooting competition. Her popular column, "Fly Rod's Note Book," was syndicated across the East Coast, and she was equally well known for the scandalous knee-length skirts she would wear to fairs and shows across the country, where she would tout the virtues of Maine’s forests, lakes, and streams to other outdoor enthusiasts. She died in 1946.

2. Nettie Maria Stevens, Brilliant Geneticist – Nettie Maria Stevens (1861 – 1912) has ties to two New England states; she was born in Vermont and attended school in Massachusetts. After earning her doctorate, she received a grant to conduct independent research in order to learn how the sex of human progeny is determined. While studying mealworms, Stevens discovered differences between male and female chromosomes and through additional studies, verified a consistent correlation between chromosome appearance and sex. Credit for this discovery is often given to her colleague, Edmund Wilson, who published a paper with the same conclusions around the same time.

3. Mary Katherine Goddard, Political Postmistress – Mary Katherine Goddard, born in Connecticut in 1738, was the first woman publisher in America and First American Postmistress. She was also a bookstore owner and the author of an almanac. On January 18, 1777, Goddard committed treason by publishing the first signed copies of the Declaration of Independence. (She was never charged.) After a successful career as the popular Postmistress of the Baltimore post office, she was removed from her position when the Postmaster General ruled that the position required more “than a woman could undertake."  She died in August 1816.

4. Sarah Caldwell, “First Lady of American Opera” – Sarah Caldwell was born in Arkansas in 1924. A child prodigy, she had mastered the violin by age ten and had graduated high school by age fourteen. She moved to Boston in the 1940’s to study at the New England Conservatory, and later returned to Boston in 1952 to head the Boston University Opera Group. In 1954, she started the Boston Opera Group (later renamed the Opera Company of Boston) and was known for directing excellent and innovative productions of difficult operas. She died in Maine in 2006.

5. Anni Albers, Innovative Artist – born in Germany in 1899, Albers was a textile designer and printer who studied at the Bauhaus and after moving to America, taught textile arts at Black Mountain College in North Carolina. As the wife of Josef Albers, she is well known for her abstract designs focusing on form and function. She was the first textile artist to create innovative new fabrics combining synthetic and natural fibers. She moved to Connecticut in 1950, and lived there until her death in 1994.

Bonus Biography:  Charley Parkhurst, Pioneer Woman – born Mary Parkhurst in 1812 in Lebanon, New Hampshire, Charley Parkhurst was abandoned by her father and raised in an orphanage. After living for a time in Massachusetts and Rhode Island, she moved to California at the start of the Gold Rush and became known as one of the best coach drivers in the West.  She lived her life as a man, and it wasn’t until she died in 1879 that her closest friends learned that she was a biological woman.

For this list, I chose women who exemplified great perseverance and determination.While their names and accomplishments may not be general knowledge, their insight and abilities contributed to the life we enjoy today. 

Which woman/women inspire you? I'd love to hear!