Notable Women of Portland

Images of America

by Tracy J. Prince, Zadie Schaffer

The story of Portland, Oregon, like much of history, has usually been told with a focus on male leaders. This book offers a reframing of Portland's history—starting from 10,000 years of Native American women, to pioneer women, to women of the Progressive Era, WWI, WWII, and post-war women, with additional chapters on Women in the Arts and Women in Politics. Many women made their mark and radically changed the Oregon frontier, including Native Americans Polly Johnson and Josette Nouette; pioneers Minerva Carter and Charlotte Terwilliger; doctors Marie Equi, Mary Priscilla Avery Sawtelle, and Bethina Owens-Adair; artists Eliza Barchus and Lily E. White; suffragists Abigail Scott Duniway, Hattie Redmond, and Eva Emery Dye; lawyer Mary Gysin Leonard; Air Force pilot Hazel Ying Lee; politicians Barbara Roberts and Margaret Carter; and authors Frances Fuller Victor, Beverly Cleary, Beatrice Morrow Cannady, Ursula Le Guin, and Jean Auel. These women, along with groups of women such as "Wendy the Welders," made Portland what it is today.

Reviews:
"[This] book shines the spotlight on women from all walks of life [showing] the scope of just how long and hard women have had to work to reach equality to men in many areas."
--Portland Tribune

“Prince and Schaffer have made a conscious effort to select a diverse range of women from different cultural heritages, ethnicities, and social classes… cover[ing] the suffrage movement, Oregon’s 1849 black exclusion law, the Chinese Exclusion Act, civil rights, and women’s roles before, during, and after the two World Wars…It’s clear by the visually appealing layout and the breadth that Prince and Schaffer have done substantial research, and the result is a wonderful compendium for anyone interested in the history of women’s contributions to Portland.”
--Portland Book Review

The authors' aim was "to do our part to mend the telling of Portland's history"...They draw attention to the lives of Native Americans and other women of color...The emphasis is on historical photographs, newspaper clippings, and other documents, which are accompanied by short captions...The authors are to be commended for their efforts to document the experiences of a diverse group of Portland women...This book deftly spotlights lesser-known figures from Portland's past.
--Kirkus Reviews

"Mother-daughter authors Tracy Prince and Zadie Schaffer have produced the latest ...regional and local history from Arcadia Publishing..."Notable Women of Portland" consists primarily of historical photographs, but what photographs they are!"
--The Oregonian

Genres: Nonfiction, History, Biography

127 pages, Hardcover

First published June 5, 2017

About the author

Tracy J. Prince, Ph.D. is a Research Professor at Portland State University's American Indian Teacher Program, an historian, and a Fulbright (Malta). Born in Little Rock, Arkansas, she has spent her career teaching and writing about overlooked and forgotten parts of history that she finds by digging through archives and interviewing folks who like to talk about the olden days.

Dr. Tracy Prince has taught in or spent extensive research time in Turkey, Australia, England, Canada, France, and throughout the US (Oregon, Nebraska, Oklahoma, Arkansas) in Humanities, English, Curriculum & Instruction, and Urban Studies and Planning departments. https://www.pdx.edu/profile/tracy-j-p...

Reviews

[Rhome · Rating 5 out of 5]

It's hard for the modern reader to imagine a world where women had almost no opportunity to shine without the benefit of a male patron. This book does a good job of telling many of the untold stories of women operating in a man's world. And its timely appearance just 5 months after the 2017 Women's March on Washington makes it that much more relevant. But there is always a risk to keeping to the format dictated by the publisher, Arcadia, which limits the number of pages and words for subtitles. Several people might feel that too many women were not mentioned, while others might feel that not enough time was spent explaining the story of the important women noted. Notable Women of Portland threads that fine line of describing a great assortment of women from many walks of life that defined Portland's history while giving the juicy details of what made them important enough to make it into the book. The book also has a bonus in daylighting for the first time new scholarly research on Native American presence in and around the Portland area before the city was established in 1851. Dare I say that this makes the perfect Mother's Day book or graduation gift for that special daughter in your life? The stories are certainly inspiring enough to motivate the next generation.

[Peggy · Rating 4 out of 5]

I appreciated how the authors really sought to recognize women from the inception of the town to the present. The sketches are brief- mostly captions to photographs, but they recognize women of varied ethnicities and socioeconomic backgrounds in their many roles as activists, workers, creators, and professionals.
Probably, the e-book format as read on a phone did not show the book to its best advantage.

[Barbara White · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a powerful book. Women played a huge role in the development of Portland through the years beginning with native Americans. This is probably not common knowledge. This would be a good book for a women's studies class. These women should provide strength and determination for all women to strive in challenging themselves. Thanks to Goodreads First Reads for a copy of this book.

[Shannon · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book fell short of what I was hoping. It does a nice job of listing many of the women who shaped Oregon however, I wished for more details about their lives. The authors chose to include so many women that there wasn't space in this short book to include the details that would have added more vibrancy to the remarkable lives of these important women.

[Eric Flamm · Rating 5 out of 5]

Portland has a rich history, from the pioneers and Suffragettes to politicians and artists. A book like this, highlighting the tremendous contribution of women to all aspects of life, is long overdue. The historical pictures pull the reader into this captivating read.

[S · Rating 5 out of 5]

The wealth, and variety of information on
Women in Portlands history, and the
wonderful accompanying photographs
Make Notable Women of Portland an
enjoyable and satisfying read
Also a perfect book for every public school
and college Library

[Bridget Bimrose · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really enjoyed the high resolution photos and compelling story telling. It was well researched and a fun read! I learned so much and find myself revisiting the historical photos. I think this would also make a great gift for any young woman; inspiring!

[Barbara · Rating 4 out of 5]

A lot of history packed into a slim book, which naturally leaves a curious reader wanting to know more about the women activists who made their mark on Portland. A walking tour of all the places mentioned would be a good start.

[Tempest2 · Rating 5 out of 5]

I learned stuff I'd never known about Portland history--Native American and pioneers, suffragettes, women in the war industry (WWII), artists, politicians, civil rights leaders. Great book.

[Awjtf · Rating 3 out of 5]

very interesting book

[Jackalacka · Rating 5 out of 5]

Lots of photographs and tidbits about Portland's past women..and not just white thank goodness!