So Much to Be Done: Women Settlers on the Mining and Ranching Frontier (Women in the West)

The genuine creative achievements of nineteenth-century Western women have often been obscured by sentimental tributes to their devotion and diligence, while men are praised as pathfinders, entrepreneurs, and community builders. But these nineteen narratives, by women of diverse status and background, reveal women's involvement in every aspect of settlement. Their part in making hard decisions, producing essential income, and developing new communities was as important as their flexibility, humor, and sense of adventure. This collection describes the experiences of pioneer women responding in individual ways to the challenge of frontier hardships.--From publisher description.