The final stop of the Women Who Refuse to Behave book tour has brought me to beautiful Deadwood, South Dakota, and Deadwood never disappoints. It is always a pleasure to work with the generous and welcoming people at Deadwood History, Inc., who do so much to preserve and share the remarkable stories of the American West.
Thank you to everyone who joined us tonight at the Deadwood Library for a presentation about the women physicians of the American West – courageous women who broke rules, challenged conventions, and entered a profession many believed should remain closed to them. In 1851, men at Harvard famously declared medicine was no place for women. Thankfully, many determined women refused to listen.
Tomorrow, I’ll be speaking at the Homestake Adams Research and Cultural Center about the book The Widowed Ones: Beyond the Battle of the Little Bighorn, followed on Friday by presentations on Wicked Women and An Open Secret, both exploring the lives of soiled doves in the American West.
It seems especially fitting to discuss those stories here in Deadwood, as May 21 marks the anniversary of the city’s brothels being officially shut down. History always has a way of lingering in Deadwood’s streets, buildings, and stories.
As always, it’s a good time in Deadwood.
