February 14, 2001
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By I860, fifty percent o f the black population in Texas, Indian
Territory, Utah Territory and the Pacific Northwest were African
American women. During the Gold Rush in California, there was a
large imbalance in the number o f black men and black women.
(P hoto cot rtesy of OHS)
family won a legal battle for
their freedom and stayed in
southern C alifornia. M ason, a
skilled m idw ife and herbalist,
built an em pire by investing in
real estate. She was one o f
the first wom en o f color, under
Am erican rule, to own a home.
By th e 1870s, she w as a
wealthy wom an and never for
got the hardships she had suf
fered. H er hom e was always
open to people who needed
shelter, no m atter their race;
she helped found the First Af
rican M e th o d ist E p isco p a l
Church o f Los Angeles; she
established charitable opera
tions during the 1880 flood.
Philanthropists and rags-to-
riches stories usually get re
corded, and there are several
black women who fill this cat
egory. Am ong them , along
with Biddy M ason, are Clara
Brown, w ho made several for
tunes in Colorado Territory real
estate in the m id-19th century
and helped hundreds o f blacks
settle in the Central City
region; businesswoman-
a c tiv is t M a ry E lle n
P le a s a n c e w as co-
founder o f the first Bank
o f California, developed
s h e lte rs fo r a b u se d
wom en and aided fugi
tive slaves.
Several black western
wom en did not amass a
fortune, but created such
a unique impression that
th ey are rem em bered
e v e n to d a y .
E lv ira
Conley started her west
ern life as a successful
laundress in rough-and-
tum ble Sheridan, Kan
sas. Among her friends
were W ild Bill Hickok
and other notables o f the
late 1860s. Cathey W il
liam s m oved W est as a
girl with her m other and
sisters. Lured by m ili
tary pay and adventure,
she changed her name
to W illiam Cathey, and
for tw o years served as a
Buffalo Soldier, earning
a m edal for bravery. And
no o n e c o u ld fo rg e t
Stagecoach Mary Fields,
who stood at over 6 feet
tall. She traveled W est
in 1884 to aid Ursuline
nuns and settled in Cas
cade, M ontana Territory,
w h e re sh e b e c a m e a
driver for W ells Fargo,
one o f the state’s first
p o s tm a s te rs, and w as
noted for her ability to
hold her liquor.
O f course, many o f the
intrepid souls who ventured
West, no matter their color,
arercmembeiedonlybecau.se
western culture thrives today
from their effort. Horace
Greeley’sbigptedambition for
the western territories was
thwarted even as he spoke,
and the strength of character,
inventiveness and vision that
formed the West can be cred-
itedtoblacksaswellas whites,
to women as well as men.
Karyn Follis Cheatham
is the author o f ‘‘The Ad
ventures o f Elizabeth For
tune, ” a nouveau Western
book that deals with race
a n d gender o f the post-
Civil War American West.
Page 5
Saluting Black History
Month
Linda and Lilian Sevier
R.D. Sevier & Son, Inc.,
Garbage Service
1101 NE Alberta
Portland OR 97211
287-0262
HARTLEY OIL, INC
Celebrates Black History Month
KEEPING FAMILIES OF
THE COMMUNITY WARM
IS OUR BUSINESS
Fuel oil • Furnace Repair
United Association
Local 290
Plumbers and Steamfitters
proudly salutes
Black History Month
and acknowledges
African American achievements.
Local 290 is an Eoual Opportunity Employer.
For information on our apprenticeship
programs call (503) 691-1997.