Bellefontaine Cemetery in St. Louis is like the Hollywood Walk of Fame for history nerds. The list of notable people buried there is so long that the walking brochure can only spare room for a few words about each one. My friend and I went exploring the cemetery last summer, following the brochure from the… Continue reading Kate Brewington Bennett
Category: Places
places
Susan Louise Marsh
Susan Marsh was appalled. A fifteen year old girl living in an orphan asylum in St Louis had to hand over her wages to her father, to support his drinking habit. Because of antiquated sole guardianship laws still on the books in Missouri in 1912, any wages that a child made were legally her father's. … Continue reading Susan Louise Marsh
Anna Maria von Phul
Some of the first sketches that exist of early St. Louis (between 1818-1823) were done by Anna Maria von Phul, an artist in her 30s, who came to St. Louis from Lexington, Kentucky. An unmarried woman, she came to visit her brother and lived with various family members in the area. She filled sketchbooks with… Continue reading Anna Maria von Phul
Cottey College
"We're not man hating femi-nazis," my tour guide explained. "Actually, not having men around frees some young women to experience things they might not otherwise." Freedom. It seems an interesting concept when talking about an all-girls school in 2012. I'd come to Nevada on a bright fall day, perfect for taking in some women's history.… Continue reading Cottey College
Road Trip: Bonniebrook Historic Site & Museum
Driving on 65 toward Branson, it’s easy to miss the turnoff for Bonniebrook. There are plenty of billboards to shock and distract and you with the news that Andy Williams is somehow still alive and that Yakov Smirnov is somehow still culturally relevant. Bonniebrook’s signs aren’t as flashy. But if you pass them, you’ll be… Continue reading Road Trip: Bonniebrook Historic Site & Museum
St. Louis’ Kate Chopin Bust
The Writer's Corner at Euclid and McPherson in St. Louis now includes a bust of Kate Chopin. Thanks to The Kate Chopin International Society, for allowing this reprint of their interview with sculptor Jaye Gregory. How were you selected to do the bust? The West End Association is responsible for creating the "writer's corner" at… Continue reading St. Louis’ Kate Chopin Bust
Just 100 Years
When I read Kate Chopin, I always think to myself that the only thing separating us is time - just 100 years. The experience, the challenge of being female is the same. Connecting to a woman of the past is a powerful and inspiring thing, a reminder that I'm not alone, a reminder that as… Continue reading Just 100 Years
Rediscovering the women at Missouri’s First State Capitol
Research has shown that women in history are nonexistent to elementary age boys and represent just a glimmer in the minds of girls. So, it's an awesome thing when historic site interpreters and managers continue to evaluate and question the message they give to visitors about the people who inhabited their site. Because of their… Continue reading Rediscovering the women at Missouri’s First State Capitol
Bustable Women
The Hall of Famous Missourians has been in the news recently, igniting debate over who should be honored in our state capitol. Here at Missouri Women, we like to imagine a fantasy Hall of Famous Missourians. One that would include a few more women. Like these ladies: Virginia Minor Maya Angelou Edna Gellhorn Fannie Hurst… Continue reading Bustable Women
Saint Rose Philippine Duchesne
In the late 1780s, France sat perched on the edge of Revolution. But the mind of schoolgirl Rose Philippine Duchesne was somewhere far, far away. Returning missionaries regularly spoke at Philippine’s school, captivating her with tales of their adventures in North America. Philippine felt God was calling her to the American frontier, to save the… Continue reading Saint Rose Philippine Duchesne
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