Ranching Women of Colorado

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The 19th century west opened opportunities for women, including entering the male-dominated ranching industry. Join author Linda Womack as she tells the stories of women ranchers in Colorado. These women not only survived, but thrived, in a role outside the conventional norm.

About Linda Wommack

A Colorado native, Linda Wommack is a Colorado historian and historical consultant. An award-winning writer, she has written eighteen books on Colorado history, including Murder in the Mile High City, Colorado’s Landmark Hotels, From the Grave; : A Roadside Guide to Colorado’s Pioneer Cemeteries, Our Ladies of the Tenderloin: Colorado’s Legends in Lace, Colorado History for Kids; Colorado’s Historic Mansions and Castles, Colorado’s Historic Schools, Ann Bassett; Colorado’s Cattle Queen, Haunted History of Cripple Creek and Teller County, Growing Up with the Wild Bunch, Ranching Women of Colorado, Cripple Creek, Bob Womack and the Greatest Gold Camp on Earth, and From Sand Creek to Summit Springs; Colorado’s Indian Wars. She has also contributed to two anthologies concerning Western Americana. She is the proud recipient of three Will Rogers Medallion awards for her work.

Linda has been a contributing editor for True West Magazine since 1995 and has been a staff writer for Wild West magazine, contributing a monthly article since 2004. She has written for the Tombstone Epitaph, the nation’s oldest continuously published newspaper, since 1993. Linda also writes for several publications throughout her state. She was earned two Six-Shooter awards for her magazine articles.

Linda’s research has been used in several documentary accounts for the national Wild West History Association, historical treatises of the Sand Creek Massacre, and as critical historic aspects for the Lawman & Outlaw Museum as well as the Heritage Center, both in Cripple Creek, Colorado.

Linda feeds her passion for history with activities in many local, state, and national preservation projects, participating in historical venues and speaking engagements, hosting tours, and is involved in historical tours across the state.

She is a member of both the state and national Cemetery Preservation Associations, the Gilpin County Historical Society, the national Wild West History Association, and is an honorary lifetime member of the Pikes Peak Heritage Society. As a member of Women Writing the West, Linda has organized quarterly meetings for Colorado members of WWW for the past ten years, served on the 2014 and 2020 WWW conference steering committees, and recently concluded her term as a board member. Linda is the chair for the Women Writing the West DOWNING Journalism Award, an award category she created for the organization in 2017.

Linda Has received numerous awards for her writing including a three-time recipient of the Will Rogers Medallion Award – Best Biography, Ann Bassett and Growing Up With the Wild Bunch, and Best Non-fiction for Ranching Women of Colorado. She has received the Six-Shooter Award twice for her magazine articles, Confidentially Told in Brown’s Park and In the Shadow of Tom Horn.

Pricing

Free for museum members, $10 non-members

Membership

Membership pays for itself with just a few programs for your family. Join us.

More Golden history

Check out the Golden History Museum & Park blog for the latest behind the scenes videos and stories, personal memoirs, and history tidbits about Golden.

Legendary Ladies (Costumed Interpretation)

Learn about extraordinary women who have made significant contributions to the history of the West.  Hear how each made their own choices and worked through difficult times – empowering themselves and future generations to achieve and lead.

By providing several vignettes during a single performance, audiences learn about a variety of extraordinary ladies and are often inspired to read more about the characters. Featured ladies at this performance are Bertha Spears, Mabel Dodge Luhan, Virginia Reed, Mary Chase, and Lola Montez.  

Featured Ladies

Bertha Spears
1908 – ?, a Harvey Girl

A chance encounter changed the life of farm girl, Bertha Spears. She seized the opportunity and adventure to work at a job that more than 100,000 women would also choose, becoming part of the largest migration of working women in US history. As a Harvey Girl, she waitressed along the Atchison Topeka & Santa Fe Railroad in Pueblo, CO. Enchanting! 1930s Costume.

Mabel Dodge Luhan
1879 – 1962, Philanthropist/Bohemian Rebel

She was called a Bohemian rebel with too much money and too many husbands, but Mabel Dodge Luhan used her connections to make Taos, New Mexico, a world-famous art colony and was an advocate for the Taos Pueblo Indians. Her Taos home has been designated a National Historic Landmark. Artfully told. 1920s Costume

Virginia Reed
1834 – 1921, Child Pioneer

When Virginia Reed was 12 years old, she and her family left Illinois in covered wagons headed across the plains and mountains on her family’s quest to reach California. As an old woman, Virginia tells a thrilling and informative story of her travels from carefree days to dire circumstances and finally triumph on this cross country trek. Riveting. Edwardian Costume.

Mary Chase
1906 – 1981, Playwright

Journalist, playwright and children’s novelist from Denver, Colorado, Mary Chase received the Pulitzer Prize for Drama for her work, “Harvey” in 1945. A prolific playwright, her characters come to life on stage. Inductee in the Colorado Performing Arts Hall of Fame, the Colorado Women’s Hall of Fame and Denver Press Club Hall of Fame. 1950s Costume.

Lola Montez
1818 – 1862, Dancer & Actress

Flamboyant dancer and actress, Lola Montez enjoyed worldwide fame while critics alternately praised and railed against her. Wildly adored by the American public, she reached her height of popularity in California during the gold rush years. Lively and entertaining. Inductee in Theater Hall of Fame. Victorian Costume.       

Time and Location

Golden History Museum

6:00 p.m. – 7:30 p.m.

Pricing

$5 for museum members, $12 non-members

Membership

Membership pays for itself with just a few programs for your family. Join us.

More Golden history

Check out the Golden History Museum & Park blog for the latest behind the scenes videos and stories, personal memoirs, and history tidbits about Golden.