This database contains approximately 1,100 short biographies of women from 11 western states complied in the 1928 edition of Women of the West.
Historical Background
Women of the West, printed in 1928, compiled approximately 1,100 short biographies of accomplished women in 11 western states: Arizona, California, Colorado, Idaho, Montana, Nevada, New Mexico, Oregon, Utah, Washington, and Wyoming. The preface describes the women included as “women whose activities in the civic, art, social, literary, church, school, political and business life of their community or state, have qualified them for a place in this reference work.” They include “authors, prominent teachers and school officials, women in public offices, workers in the Parent-Teachers movement, librarians, successful women in the business and professional world, those active in club and fraternal circles and all others ‘who have really accomplished something.’”
What You May Find in the Records
The biographies themselves can contain plenty of useful genealogical details, including the following:
- name
- maiden name
- birth date
- birthplace
- parents’ names
- spouse’s name
- children’s names
- length of residence
- educational and professional background
- club, professional, religious, political, and other affiliations