WLM | inspirational woman
SOAP
SUDS
ROW
The Bold Lives of Army Laundresses,
1802-1876
By Kati Hime
Images courtesy High Plains Press
I
f you’re kind enough to read my rantings for a while now, you’ll
know that I have long ascertained that our Wyoming way of life has
afforded us opportunities for women to be strong contributors to
their communities. In rural populations, every individual contributing
makes for a better place for all. Our Equality State gave women the
right to vote, hold office (such as governor), with many of these rights
being first fulfilled here in Wyoming. That goes beyond the roles women
were serving throughout Wyoming in its early years. Women were rural
medical providers, teachers, business owners, farmers and ranchers and
community activists – some by choice, some by necessity when they lost a
spouse or were needed with the men.
Author Jennifer Lawrence in historical reenactment
Author Jennifer Lawrence’s book takes a look at an early career woman
– the military laundress. A detailed and entertaining read, Jennifer
describes the duties and lifestyle of the laundress – painstakingly
washing heavy clothing for hours on end, hauling water, chopping wood
and ice, making their own soap and essentials, while caring for their
children and keeping house besides. To say the job was manual labor is
an understatement.
The part that I particularly found interesting is the fact that these
manual laborers – many of whom were illiterate, or at most not highly
educated – earned a decent living for the time, and that decent living
made them a desirable spouse.
We know that this would
have been a unique find in the
1950s, let alone the 1800s! However, in the land of frontier military forts and ‘all
hands on deck’ mentality, this was a reality. While many of these women either
were or became the wives of enlisted soldiers, they continued to work regardless
of marriage. I found this to be extraordinary – a story of female empowerment
that is little known.
I have to admit: as I drug my children’s laundry hampers down the two flights of
stairs to my laundry room, tossed them into my machine, dumped a cap full of my
store bought laundry soap into the soap chamber (which I waited an additional
10 seconds to drip completely), pressed the button and walked away … I did
feel a little guilty. My previously ‘tiring’ laundry routine seemed a little weak
compared to what these ladies did over 100 years ago.
I highly encourage you to find a copy of Soap Suds Row: The Bold Lives of Army
Laundresses, 1802-1876 from High Plains Press, located in Glendo, Wyoming.
You can find this and their many other titles of fascinating work by Wyoming
and western writers on their website, highplainspress.com, or by calling
800-552-7819. W L M
www.wyolifestyle.com 21