Published: March 07, 2008 12:39 pm            

A history lesson on 'mountain mommas'

When I was still in college, my girlfriends and I packed up the car and drove down to sunny Myrtle Beach, S.C. By day, we relaxed by the ocean and at night, we hit the town. One night as we were heading back to our car, a young man stopped and asked, “Where are you from?” I said, “West Virginia.” His response: “Whoa, mountain momma.”

I was not a “momma” and didn’t live on top of a “mountain.” But that didn’t stop me from humming John Denver’ song “Country Roads” all the way back to the hotel.

Being from West Virginia, I am amazed at how many times I have to clarify the state’s location, remind them of how West Virginia became a state and tell them that I am not from western Virginia, but West Virginia.

I should have probably thanked that young college man for actually knowing the words to “Country Roads” and its reference to West Virginia. And while some might think it was stereotypical, it is basically true — I am a woman from West Virginia.

March is Women’s History Month, where students and adults learn about famous woman like Betsy Ross, Eleanor Roosevelt, Frannie Crosby and Rosa Parks. But have you ever looked up some of West Virginia’s most famous women? If not, take a look and meet some of my favorite “mountain mommas.”

n The first professional woman journalist was Ann Newport Royall, who was born in 1769. Her family migrated to Monroe County. Royall was the first woman to interview a president by sitting on John Quincy Adam’s clothes while he took a bath in the river.

n In 1897, Mary Harris, also known as Mother Jones, became West Virginia’s adopted mother. She worked to shorten working hours and provide better work conditions for miners and children in West Virginia.

n During the Civil War, Belle Boyd, from Martinsville, became a notorious Confederate spy. She was arrested three times, but never put to death. Her claim to fame was having exceptionally good ankles and she used them to lure the secrets out of Union soldiers.

n In 1889, Susan Matilda Dew Hoff, a mother of five, became the first licensed physician in the state of West Virginia. She told an interviewer that she did not do any housework, choosing to spend her time on her profession.

n Frances Benjamin Johnston, born in Grafton, became the first American journalist to use her own photographs to illustrate her articles. Born in 1864, she took the last photo of President McKinley before he was assassinated.

n Hallie James Jameson, a teacher, tied the knot in 1912, but was told she could not continue to teach for the Marshall County Board of Education. A West Virginia Supreme Court ruling set the precedent — allowing teachers to marry without fear of losing their jobs.

n In 1928, McDowell County’s Minnie Buckingham Harper became the first black woman to become a member of a legislative body in the U.S.

n In 1943, Florence A. Blanchfield, superintendent of Army Nurse Corp., became the first woman to be awarded a regular army commission by General Eisenhower. She was born in Shepardstown.

n The author Pearl S. Buck won the Pulitzer Prize and the Nobel Prize for her novel, “The Good Earth.” She was born in Hillsboro and later educated in China.

n Georgeann Wells, a West Virginia University basketball player, became the first woman to dunk a basketball in competition.

n In 1984, Americans watched Fairmont native Mary Lou Retton bring home an Olympic gold medal. She was the first American woman to win the All-Around medal. She also became the first woman to appear on a box of Wheaties.

n In 1990, Natalie Tennant became the first woman to be the West Virginia University official mascot, a Mountaineer. She is still the only woman mascot in school history.

n West Virginia Secretary of State’s Betty Ireland is the first woman to be elected to the state’s executive branch of government. She was elected in 2004.

It is a short list but it is by no way a complete list. The hills and hollows of West Virginia have produced many outstanding women, all of whom have paved the way for future generations. And while I may not turn into a spy, win the Pultizer Prize or tumble my way to a gold medal, I do have something in common with all of these great women. We are all “mountain mommas.”

Jamie Parsell is Lifestyles editor of the Daily Telegraph. Contact her at jparsell@bdtonline.com

        

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