Women of the Saginaw Valley
Open a history book and the feats of founding fathers, locally and nationally, are prominently portrayed in its pages. Rarely, a woman’s name is mentioned.
Women played just as an important role in the settling of the Saginaw Valley as did men. As time progressed, their efforts helped shape mid-Michigan into what it is today.
In this documentary, learn the roles of early woman settlers as told in their own words through diaries preserved by local historians.
Women who came to the Saginaw Valley made sacrifices to make a home in a land that had nothing. Some served as physicians and educators. Others fought for better living conditions.
As time progressed, women made their own way through education. These pioneers not only founded and improved the local school systems, but also took it upon themselves to attend universities.
Women went on to be principals, superintendents and college presidents all the while looking to improve the system of learning.
The founding of the health care institutions can be credited to the women of the Saginaw Valley. As the population of the area increased, so did the need for organized care. Hospitals were established in homes. Then they were moved to larger facilities.
Nursing schools were opened to staff these hospitals. Other women took it upon themselves to break into the male-dominated health care field and become physicians.
One of the biggest struggles women faced in all aspects of life was equal treatment. The right to vote was led by the suffrage movement. Local pioneers teamed with nationally known activists to get women into the voting booth.
They succeeded when the 19th Amendment, passed in 1920.
But the fight for women and equal rights didn’t stop there. It has been a constant battle for centuries.
The Civil Rights Movement and the Equal Rights Amendment also brought women to the streets, marching for the need for fairness.
Women have made their own way in another field that's still largely dominated by men- the military. They have risen through the ranks on their own merits to command their own units.
While some women have broken through the glass ceiling, it’s still a constant battle for equal rights, not only in the 21st century, but in history books.
While organizations around the country research and preserve the role of women in history, the Michigan Women’s History Museum readily inducts women into its Hall of Fame and promotes their role as outstanding citizens and people who have made a difference.
Breaking New Ground: Women of the Saginaw Valley debuts as part of Holiday Fest Monday, November 30 at 8:00 pm on Q-TV.