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Women’s History Month - County Museum profiles Nellie Tayloe Ross, the first woman governor in American history

Nellie Tayloe Ross sits on an ornate coach in a flowing gown that reaches the floor. The room is full of other ornate furniture.

Photo #1 - Nellie Tayloe Ross often visited Sweetwater County. She is shown here at the Taliaferro home in Rock Springs, circa 1935. The couch on which she is seated, still in the possession of the Taliaferro family, was made in 1832.

 

(Sweetwater County, Wyo. - March 19, 2024)     March is Women’s History Month, and the Sweetwater County Historical Museum is recognizing one of the most groundbreaking women in Wyoming history - Nellie Tayloe Ross, the first woman governor in the United States.

Nellie Ross was born in Missouri in 1876. She became a kindergarten teacher and married lawyer William Bradford Ross in 1902. Later, the Rosses moved to Cheyenne, where Ross established a law practice and served as Laramie County’s prosecuting attorney. He became involved in politics and was elected Governor of Wyoming in 1922. In 1924, after complications following an appendectomy, William Ross died.

Though she at first resisted calls for her to run for Governor in 1924, Nellie Tayloe Ross, a Democrat, relented at the last minute and won handily. She served as Governor until she was narrowly defeated in the 1926 election; many believe her defeat was due to her strong support for Prohibition and her refusal to campaign for herself.

In 1933, President Franklin Roosevelt appointed Ross Secretary of the Treasury, the first woman to hold that position. She went on to serve in that post for 20 years, under Presidents Truman and Eisenhower. She retired in 1953, traveled extensively, and wrote articles for a range of women’s magazines. Nellie Tayloe Ross died in 1976, age 101, and is buried at the Lakeview Cemetery in Cheyenne.

From Rock Springs to Chicago by air, 1927

Mary Berta and her unidentified companion, both in dresses and heels, stand in front of a Boeing 40 at the old Rock Springs Airport - now the White Mountain Golf Course - just before departure of their flight to Chicago on September 2, 1927. Photo Courtesy of the United Airlines Legacy Foundation. Used with thanks.

Photo #1:    Mary Berta and her unidentified companion at the old Rock Springs Airport - now the White Mountain Golf Course - just before departure of their flight to Chicago on September 2, 1927 aboard a Boeing 40.    (Photo Courtesy of the United Airlines Legacy Foundation. Used with thanks.)

 Left: a Boeing Model 40 with it's individual cabin doors, built into the fuselage behind the engine, open. Right: The wood paneled interior of a Boeing Model 40 cabin, a phone hangs on the wall.

Photo #2 - The Boeing Model 40's passenger accommodations were two tiny individual cabins, shown here. Each cabin was fitted with a fold-down desk.

 Four individuals stand in front of a Boeing Model 40. The three on the right all wear different kinds of hats and full light coveralls. The one on the left bears long boots and a flannel top. Arrows indicate the location of the passenger compartments, in the fuselage between the engine and cockpit, and cockpit, located just behind the wings.

Photo #3 - This Boeing Model 40, shown here with its ground crew, at the Rock Springs Airport, circa 1930, was operated by American Railway Express, a forerunner of United Parcel Service and FedEx.

 Text reads: 'Rock Springs, Wyoming September 21, 1927 Mr. H. M. Berry. Manager Boeing Aircraft, Inc. Rock Springs, Wyoming Dear Mr. Berry: I cannot forego sending you a letter of appreciation of the airflight I made September 2 over your line from Rock Springs, Wyoming to Chicago--A trip covering approximately 1500 miles over four states. The outstanding courtesy of your corps of trained attaches, the surprising comforts provided for your passengers, the goreous scenic delights beneath, the ever-spreading panoramic views and the trembling lights of the many cities we passed over a night, are all a never-to-be-neglected memory. I was impressed with the wonderful safety devices arranged for illuminating the night landings and the beacon flash lights along the course to direct the pilot. The various pilots used extreme care to eliminate every possible element of hazard and afforded every consideraton to the comfort and safety of the passengers--removing all fear! The refreshments provided at Cheyenne, North Platte, and Omaha were the acme of thoughtfulness. The easy flight of the plane was so restful, really a panacea for a nervous person; and the multiplicity of comforts in the cozy stateroom, where we could sew and write with ease, illustrated the old Latin maxim--multum in parvo! You have reduced the fear of air travel to a minimum and made an air enthusiast of me. Hereafter I shall be a Twentieth Century traveler and 'take the air' whenever possible. The various landings were so easy and so gentle. My only regret at the end of the voyage was that I had to 'give up the ship!' I did wish to keep it forever! My sincere thanks go to the several employees who made the trip so pleasant and so successful. Again thanking you and your extremely courteous men, I beg to remain Sincerely Yours, Mary Berta.'

Photo #4 - Mary Berta’s letter to H.M. Berry of Boeing.  (Photo Courtesy of the United Airlines Legacy Foundation. Used with thanks.)

 

(Sweetwater County, Wyo. - March 16, 2024)    The Sweetwater County Historical Museum was recently made aware of a letter and a photograph that provide a glimpse of long-distance air travel from Sweetwater County in the 1920s.

On September 21, 1927, Mary Berta of Rock Springs wrote a letter to H.M. Berry, Boeing’s Rock Springs manager, regarding her recent flight from Rock Springs to Chicago aboard a Boeing 40, a mail-carrying biplane with passenger accommodations for two.

The Model 40 was Boeing’s first passenger aircraft and made its formal introduction on July 1, 1927. It was a large transport for its time, with a wingspan of 44 feet, 2 inches, an overall length of a little over 33 feet, and a gross weight of 6,000 pounds. It carried a pilot in an open cockpit, two passengers in tiny individual cabins, one in front of the other, and up to half a ton of cargo.

In her letter, Mary described “The outstanding courtesy of trained attaches, the surprising comforts provided for the passengers, the gorgeous scenic delights beneath, the ever-spreading panoramic views and the trembling lights of the many cities we passed over a night, are all never-to-be neglected memory.” She also went on to say:  “I was impressed with the wonderful safety devices arranged for illuminating the night landings and the beacon flash lights along the course to direct the pilot.”

The Bertas were a civically active Rock Springs family. Mary and her brother Tom Berta, owned and operated several show houses and theaters in Rock Springs in the 1920s, including the Lyric, Oracle, Grand, and Rialto. Another brother, Joseph Berta, served as Chief of the Rock Springs Police Department and is credited with being instrumental in creating the town of South Superior and serving as one of its mayors. Dominick Berta, yet another brother, served as a deputy sheriff under Sheriff Al Morton and as Rock Springs Chief of Police under Mayor Chris Bunning. Mary died in 1967, age 83.

Sweetwater County Historical Museum announces 7th annual quilt exhibit

Left: A quilted depiction of Devil's Tower surrounded by plants and animals. Right: A quilted depiction of an Indian PaintbrushText reads: 'The Sweetwater County Historical Museum and Sweetwater County Quilt Guild present: Historical Wyoming A contemporary art exhibition of local quilts Open Tues-Sat 9:00 AM to 5 PM.' To the right is a quilted depiction of an Indian Paintbrush from the exhibition.

Photo #1 - Only two of the quilts on display at the Sweetwater County Historical Museum in Green River for this year’s exhibit, presented in partnership with the Sweetwater County Quilt Guild. The exhibit’s 2024 theme:  “Historical Wyoming.”

 

Graphic #1 - “Historical Wyoming” at the Sweetwater County Historical Museum in Green River

 

(Sweetwater County, Wyo. - February 28, 2024)    The Sweetwater County Historical Museum is pleased to announce its seventh annual quilt exhibit in partnership with the Sweetwater County Quilt Guild.

This year’s theme is “Historical Wyoming,” which will open at the Sweetwater County Historical Museum, 3 E Flaming Gorge Way in Green River, on Friday, March 1st, and will run through May 4th. The museum’s hours are Tuesday through Saturday, 9:00 AM to 5:00 PM. Admission is free.

For additional information, call (307) 872-6435 or contact the museum by email at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. . You may also visit the museum website at www.sweetwatermuseum.org , or its Facebook page, using the handle @SWCHM.

A Sweetwater County merchant pioneer

Inset top left: A black and white portrait of a Louise Wire Field in a dress with her hair in a bun. Main photo a black and white photo of S.I. Field's outfitting store along the Green River. A nursery now sits on the site.

Louise Wire Field - Photo #1 - Louise Wire Field and the Field Store in Green River, 1871

 

(Sweetwater County, Wyo. - March 2, 2024)    March is Women’s History Month, and the Sweetwater County Historical Museum is recounting the little-known story of a Green River pioneer woman.

The book Sweetwater Women, by Christine Alethea Williams and Brigida R. Blasi, covers the lives of over 100 women who figure prominently in Sweetwater County history. Among those profiled is Louise Wire Field. Her story from Sweetwater Women is reproduced here:

Louise Wire Field

“Louise Wire Field and her husband Sam were some of the first entrepreneurs to homestead and start businesses in anticipation of the coming transcontinental railroad in what is today the city of Green River. Sam ran one of the earliest mail services in the area, the Jackass Express. They also battled the Union Pacific over land ownership when the tracks reached the area in 1868, one of the reasons the U.P. abandoned plans for Green River and moved operations to Bryan. When a drought dried up the Blacks Fork River, the U.P. moved back to the Fields’ land, some of which the company was obliged to purchase.

“The Fields ran a general store that outfitted both of John Wesley Powell’s expeditions of discovery down the Green and Colorado Rivers in 1869 and 1871. They renamed the store the U.P. Eating House following the return of the railroad. Louise was in charge of the cooking. A quilt Louise made while living in Green River in the 1860s or ‘70s is the oldest quilt in the collections of the Sweetwater County Museum.

“When she and her husband decided to move to California in 1877, they deeded a large portion of the original town plat of Green River to Sweetwater County for $1.00 ‘to be used as public streets and highways forever. Because of this, the Fields are often regarded as the founders of Green River.”