From the California gold rush through the mid–twentieth century, a special breed of women played an integral and heretofore unrecognized part in some of the most stirring adventures of the pioneer experience: the saintly Nellie Cashman; the copper queen Ferminia Sarras, known for her grand sprees; the former rodeo champion turned prospector; the ex-actress who snowshoed her way to Nome; and many more. Chosen as one of the top ten books of all time by the Mining History Association, A Mine of Her Own tells the definitive story of America's women prospectors for the first time.
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The common image of the frontier woman as the Madonna of the Prairies does not describe the woman prospector. These women were determined and independent, says Zanjani (Goldfield, LJ 10/1/92). Often shunning marriage, companionship, and children, they wandered the frontier from the era of the California gold rush on into the 20th century. A few struck it rich; others found barely enough mineral resources to provide a basic living. Zanjani maintains that accumulation of wealth was not always their goal. These women hungered for silence and space, seeking solace in nature. Sketchy records make it hard to determine how many women prospectors there were, but Zanjani offers vignettes of more than 100. This important contribution to women's history is recommended for all libraries.?Patricia Ann Owens, Wabash Valley Coll., Mt. Carmel, Ill.
Copyright 1997 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.
Copyright 1997 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.
Review
"The female figures presented here represent far more than a mere reversal of stereotypes. Perhaps because of the immense cultural chasm they crossed, these individuals were not simply women with a touch of 'gold fever,' but unique and even enigmatic characters... An entrancing read."--Bloomsbury Review "A Mine of Her Own proves we can still be surprised at the things women have done... Delightfully unexpected is the evidence of the charisma these enterprising women manifested, their frequent romantic liaisons and their propensity as they aged to choose young, strong husbands."--San Francisco Chronicle "A fascinating narrative ... a major contribution to the history of the American West" - Labor History "A wonderful resource" - Journal of American History "... illuminates tales of female resourcefulness, courage and humor...a group of diverse women who with great zest embraced the rough and rocky world of the mining West" - Pacific Historical Review
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10 of 10 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Worthwhile reading -- it opens a hidden history.,
By sidoli.j@adlittle.com (Santa Barbara, California) - See all my reviews
This review is from: A Mine of Her Own: Women Prospectors in the American West, 1850-1950 (Hardcover)
This book fills in a gap, opens a hidden history of women who prospected in Nevada, Utah, and Alaska. It is hard to find any other books about women prospectors in the American West. It is written in an easy to read style, yet includes a lot of direct research from diaries, newspapers, and family biographies. This book describes the lives of women who prospected from around 1860 to 1940, women who preferred prospecting to any other kind of work, including housewifery. The reader gets an insight into their daily lives in the context of the times. Their marriages, partnerships, friendships, apparel, mine-site dwellings, society's attitudes toward them, even styles of child-raising are described. However, the book does not present any technical info on mining geology. It was surprising to learn that one of the women described in this book operated a very successful Nevada mine in a humanitarian manner, with a dorm, mess hall, and swimming pool for the miners. Others turned over child-rearing to relatives due to the isolation of prospecting. They wandered over mountains and desert, sometimes alone, or preferring men as prospecting partners because, according to the author, men provided more muscle strength for digging a mine. Some women were limited in their access to investors because they did not frequent saloons. Others jumped claims and swindled investors, exaggerating the potential of a claim. Not many got rich, but all loved the outdoors. Overall, they were women with a Can Do attitude who pursued their dreams, just like the cover photo depicts.
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