Path to Progress: The History of Early Small Businesswomen in the United States Intermountain West

Abstract

In the history of westward expansion, women’s contribution to businesses that furthered progress across the Great American Desert has been overlooked. The early historians hailed the accomplishments of the lone mountain man, explorer, and tycoon, while forgetting about the women. Historical businesses and history institutions have given credit solely to the husbands of establishments. The researcher sought to locate original and secondary sources with evidence of what women did with their work and skills in a quasi-public sphere that aided westward expansion. Secondary sources about the Central Overland, The Simpson Route, the California Central Overland and Pikes Peak Stagecoach route and the Pony Express Trail were utilized and the bibliographies of published books were mined for primary and secondary sources. The research covers the time period of 1857-1916. A military laundress, ironer, a boarding house mistress, a cook and helper in two different mining boarding houses is the researcher’s first example of a woman who had business skills which contributed to growth in the Intermountain West, and as one who had traversed the Central Overland three times. Several other discoveries followed. The stations along the Overland in the former Utah Territory and most of Colorado tremendously aided travelers. Once a station keeper was identified, the researcher searched for a wife or wives. In addition, the researcher looked at collections of historical short biographies about women in the Intermountain West, sources used, and the central argument(s) of the works. The researcher visited university libraries, state historical research centers, museums and archives. When the COVID-19 virus physically closed institutions, the researcher sent e-mails and phoned them. This information led to a Fifth Grade United States History curriculum project based on the C3 Inquiry Design Model, National Curriculum Standards for Social Studies, and the Utah Department of Education standards and benchmarks.