Women of the Old West

The history of the Women of the Old West is brought to life with stories about their part in shaping and settling the frontier. Women crossed the trails, they helped build towns, they claimed land under the Homestead Act, and they built communities from businesses to schools to churches. They demonstrated confidence as they undertook both traditional and non-traditional roles. The stories we tell involve the travels of a pioneer school teacher, and the adventures of a woman gold miner.

Women of the Old West is comprised of the following:

Supplemental teaching material and lesson plans about Women of the Old West reflect the experiences of women who were involved in the California Gold Rush. Another subject area combines overland travel with frontier schoolteaching.

Videos featuring Women of the Old West tell the story of California gold miner and writer Louise Clappe and pioneer traveler and school teacher Mary Graves Clarke. Both represent California history and the determination of early women in the West.