The Women of the US Postage Stamps—Part 7

 

By Jennifer Uhlarik

 

Hello, dear Readers! I am back with the next installment of all the various amazing women who have been featured on America postage stamps through the years. Today, we’ll start with Julia Ward Howe. Do you know why she is famous? Let’s explore and find out.

Julia was born in New York City in 1819, the fourth of seven children. Her father, a successful banker, afforded the family a very comfortable life. Julia was educated by private tutors and all-girls schools until the age of sixteen. At age 24, she married a physician and reformer, Samuel Gridley Howe. Theirs was a rocky marriage, though it produced six children. During her marriage, Julia wrote many poems, plays, and essays, and she borrowed themes from her difficult marriage, as well as wrote on the roles of women in society and the home. Her views angered her husband, and at times, inflamed others, too. One particular travel narrative titled “A Trip to Cuba” (published in 1860) brought her much heat because of her views on Blacks. While she agreed that slavery was wrong, her particular view was not one of equality for all races. The following year, after visiting Washington D.C. with her husband, Julia was inspired to write the “Battle Hymn of the Republic” after meeting Abraham Lincoln in the White House. She also went on to write new lyrics for “John Brown’s Body,” and the result became one of the most popular songs of the Union during the Civil War. After her husband’s death in 1876, Julia went on to work for women’s suffrage among other things.

Our next honoree is Mary Lyon, who was born in Buckland, Massachusetts, in 1797. Her farmer father died when Mary was just five years old, so she and her siblings helped with farm work from young ages. When Mary was thirteen, her mother remarried and moved away, leaving Mary in Buckland with her older brother, where she keep house for him. During this time, she attended local schools, and at the age of seventeen, began a teaching career herself. She eventually attended two different women’s seminaries, one where she met Zilpah Polly Grant, who became a mentor to Mary. Following Grant’s lead, Mary went on to help Laban Wheaton and his daughter, Eliza, found Wheaton Female Seminary (now known as Wheaton College), which opened in 1835. However, her time with the Wheatons was short-lived, as Mary left to found her own women’s seminary, Mount Holyoke Female Seminary, with the intent of making a place for women of all socioeconomic levels. Her school opened in 1837 with a tuition costing just one third of other similar schools. The school still exists today, now known as Mount Holyoke College. During her tenure there, Mary Lyon implemented many unique programs, such as a work/study format that helped keep the tuition costs low, daily exercise for the ladies who attended, and a course of study just as rigorous as schools for their male counterparts, including many classes in Christian faith, mathematics, and the sciences.

Our third woman of the postage stamps for today is Evelyn Nesbit. Have you heard of her? I had not, though she led a fascinating and often controversial life and is known as the world’s first supermodel. Born in Pennsylvania on Christmas day, 1884, Evelyn was the daughter of an attorney and a homemaker. Her father encouraged her bold and precocious nature, helping her to study music and other interests, as well as providing her a library full of fairy tales and adventure books (often more geared toward boys). Evelyn’s father passed away when she was ten, leaving the family destitute, and for a span of several years, they struggled. Eventually, a female artist noticed Evelyn’s beauty and asked for her to model for a painting. The young woman soon began modeling for other artists, and when the family moved from Pennsylvania to New York, those artists provided letters of introduction to the New York art community. Evelyn became one of the most in-demand artists’ models of her day, which eventually led to work on Broadway. She was pursued by famous actors and elites, such as John Barrymore and Stanford White, a prominent New York architect who Evelyn said stole her virginity in a case of date rape. After she later married Harry Kendall Thaw, the son of a railroad baron, Thaw became obsessed with White and murdered him in public at the theater. The murder case was called the “trial of the century,” and ended with Thaw being found not guilty due to an insanity defense (he had been known to have mental instability issues since childhood). Evelyn divorced him, married her dance partner, and went on to a career in vaudeville, burlesque, and silent movies, but it was the earlier murder trial that most defined her life.

The final lady we’ll focus on today debuted in her singing career at age two under her birth name, Frances Ethel Gumm. Frances and her two older sisters first performed together at their father’s movie theater, singing the chorus of “Jingle Bells,” and continued to entertain there for several years. After a move to California, the trio became involved in the Vaudeville circuit as “The Gumm Sisters.” However, after the audience laughed one night while they were introduced, it was suggested they pick a different name. They chose the last name Garland—and Frances changed her given name to Judy. The Garland Sisters were born. They toured together until 1935 when the eldest sister left the group to marry a musician in Reno, Nevada. It was then that Judy got her start with MGM Studios. She was given a contract, and eventually found success once she was paired with Mickey Rooney in several films. Judy stated that MGM prescribed amphetamines to help her keep up with the hectic pace of filming and barbiturates to help her sleep at night—a claim that Rooney, as a fellow young actor for the same studio, denied. No matter how the habit began, it remained a problem throughout her lifetime. In 1938, she was cast in her most iconic role, Dorothy in The Wizard of Oz. Through many ups and downs, she gave birth to three children—Liza Minelli, Lorna Luft, and Joey Luft, had a long career in movies and television, and as a singer. But she lived a life plagued by self-doubts and addictions and died by accidental overdose at the age of forty-seven. She was featured on stamps twice--in 1989 and 2006.

 

It's Your Turn: Which of these women do you find the most interesting, and why?

 

 

Jennifer Uhlarik discovered western novels at twelve when she swiped the only “horse” book from her brother’s bookshelf. Across the next decade, she devoured westerns and fell in love with the genre. While attaining a B.A. in writing from the University of Tampa, she began penning her own story of the Old West. She has finaled in and won numerous writing competitions and appeared on various best-seller lists. Besides writing, she’s been a business owner, a schoolteacher, a marketing director, a historical researcher, a publisher, and a full-time homemaker. She lives near Tampa, Florida, with her husband and fur children.

 

Available Now: Love and Order: A Three-Part Old West Romantic Mystery

Wanted: 

Family, Love, and Justice

One Old West Mystery Solved Throughout Three Short Romantic Stories

Separated as children when they were adopted out to different families from an orphan train, the Braddock siblings have each grown up and taken on various jobs within law enforcement and criminal justice.

 

Youngest child, Callie, has pushed past her insecurities to pursue a career as a Pinkerton agent. Middle child, Andi, has spent years studying law under her adoptive father’s tutelage. And the eldest and only son, Rion, is a rough-and-tumble bounty hunter. 

 

When the hunt for a serial killer with a long history of murders reunites the brother and sisters in Cambria Springs, Colorado, they find themselves not only in a fight for justice, but also a fight to keep their newly reunited family intact. How will they navigate these challenges when further complicated by unexpected romances?

 

 

 

 

 

 

Maud and Frank Baum by Nancy J. Farrier

 

Frank and Maud in Egypt
Wikimedia Commons

Last month I wrote my blog post about Matilda Joselyn Gage, women’s rights activist. You can read that post here. I mentioned in that article that Matilda had a famous son-in-law and today’s article is about Matilda’s daughter, Maud, and her husband, Frank.

 

Maud in Wedding Dress 
Wikimedia Commons

Maud Gage was the youngest of Matilda’s children. Matilda had high hopes for her daughter, sending her to school and encouraging her to attend college. Maud went to Cornell University and roomed with Josie Baum, Frank’s cousin. Josie arranged for Maud to meet Frank, saying that he was perfect for Maud.

 

Maud was outspoken and enjoyed being herself, not having the restraints taught to most of the girls of her time. The boys at Cornell started rumors about her and harassed her until Maud locked herself in her room. But the traits that her fellow students found funny were the very things Frank was attracted to.

 

Frank Baum grew up in New York and was sent to a military academy when he was twelve. Frank was a dreamer, not a student. He ended up leaving the military academy and attending high school in Syracuse. He didn’t graduate and had a low opinion of education.

 

Frank Baum 1911
By George Steckel
Wikimedia Commons

When Maud and Frank were introduced at the home of Josie, Maud’s roommate, Josie’s mother told Frank he would love Maud. Frank looked at Maud and said, “Consider yourself loved, Miss Gage.” Maud replied that his statement was a promise and he needed to live up to it.

 

At the time they met, Frank was running a theater company and travelling a lot. He was certain within a week that Maud was the one for him, but it took Maud longer. Frank often borrowed a horse and buggy to drive the eight miles from the theater to her Maud’s home to court her. 

 

Matilda was not in favor of Maud marrying an actor. She wanted something more for her daughter. But Maud stood up to her mother, threatening to move out of their home if she didn’t give her approval. Matilda saw the humor in her edict and agreed to the marriage.

 

Maud with their four sons - Wikipedia Commons

Frank and Maud’s marriage was a happy one, but not always easy. Frank’s theater company folded. He was a hard worker and would take on any work but he didn’t have the best business sense. He was too soft-hearted. They moved to Aberdeen, South Dakota, where Frank opened Baum’s Bazaar. The store was a hit, but the times were harsh and people didn’t have a lot of money. Frank extended credit to the point where the store folded due to his debts.

 

Prior to moving to South Dakota, they had two sons. When Maud gave birth to their second son, Robert, she suffered from peritonitis. She was bed ridden for two years recovering, but eventually regained her strength, giving birth to two more sons.

Baum poster - Wikipedia Commons

Frank moved his family to Chicago and he got a job as a newspaper reporter. Maud  was in charge of their finances and knew how dire their situation was. She began giving lessons on embroidery and lace-making. 

 

In 1897 Frank published his first children’s book, Mother Goose in Prose. In 1899, he published Father Goose, His Book, a volume of poetry nonsense. Both books were a success, but Father Goose became the best-selling book of the year.

 

In 1900, L. Frank Baum published The Wonderful Wizard of Oz. This popular book stayed a best-seller for two years. Frank wrote thirteen more novels based on the Land of Oz. Due to the success of his books, he and Maud were financially set. In fact, they took a trip abroad that included Egypt, which Maud loved. During the trip, Maud wrote letters home describing their adventures and Frank gathered them together and published them in a book.

 

1903 Musical poster
Public Domain

There is much more I could tell about Frank and Maud but don’t have the space here. If you are interested in more of their story, I highly recommend reading Finding Dorothy by Elizabeth Letts. This engaging read tells the story of Frank and Maud meeting and the story of the making of the Wizard of Oz movie. 

 

Thank you for reading my blog post. I pray you have a blessed Christmas and a happy holidays. I’ll see you again in 2025.

 

Nancy J Farrier is an award-winning, best-selling author who lives in Southern Arizona in the Sonoran Desert. She loves the Southwest with its interesting historical past. When Nancy isn’t writing, she loves to read, do needlecraft, play with her cats and dog, and spend time with her family. You can read more about Nancy and her books on her website: nancyjfarrier.com.