Some of the most famous people in Colorado are women. If you look at the list of the men who helped form the state of Colorado, you will find politicians, miners and construction workers, many of whom are not know beyond the state limits. A handful that are recognizable are Scott Carpenter, astronaut, Ben Nighthorse Campbell, first Native American to serve in the U.S. Senate (1992), John Elway, Denver Broncos, Douglas Fairbanks, actor, and Horace Greeley (1811 to 1872) journalist.
The women are also little known beyond the state limit, except for The Invincible Molly Brown, who some people know from the story of the Titanic. But most, like Molly, were not your “sit at home and sew by the firelight” kind of women. They were independent strong women, often forced to live in a sometimes hostile Rocky Mt. environment without a man to stand by their side.
Going back to the 1800s, Ute Chief Ouray (1833 to 1880) has been given credit for bringing peace between his people and the white man. His second wife Chipeta, or "White Singing Bird," (1844-1924) is equally as famous in Colorado. She was known for her diplomatic tenacity to achieve a bloodless peace. White settlers were numbering in the thousands, and even the Arapahos fought against the Utes for land. Chipeta was known as a warrior, and she accompanied her husband in the negotiations to sign the first peace treaties.
A humanitarian who strived to make life better for all Coloradans through improved health laws was Florence Rena Sabin (1871-1953). She was a sample of the many women in Colorado who earned degrees, often making them unapproachable to the rustic men. She is not only recognized for her service as one of the greatest scientists of our country, but she was elected to life membership in the National Academy of Sciences. She also became the first woman professor at Johns Hopkins University.
Would you believe that the first African American to come to Colorado for the Gold Rush was a women? Clara Brown (1800-1882) at the age of 59 started a laundry business in the gold and silver mines of Colorado and was able to put her children through college. She was instrumental in founding a church and Denver’s first Sunday school.
Every woman who lives in Colorado will have heard at one time or another the name of Isabella Bird (1831-1904). This proper English woman and writer came to Estes Park as part of a healthy adventure she went on. The lady wore the proper long dresses and fancy boots of her day as she explored the rustic areas and climbed Longs Peak’s, the tallest mountain in today’s Rocky Mt. National Park. She appeared riding horses cowboy fashion, while wearing bloomers. Her diary “A Lady’s Life in the Rocky Mountains” is a classic of everything wild and beautiful about Colorado.
To learn more about strong women in Colorado, refer to the book “Women of Consequence,” and “The Magnificent Mountain Women.”