Emily French
Emily:
The Diary of a Hard-Worked Woman
(Lincoln: University of Nebraska Press, 1987)
It is never an easy task to find primary sources of information on women of the American West. Primary sources are sources such as diaries and letters. Getting and understanding the experiences of an individual is the key factor in understanding the lives and times of that period (in my case, the American West-1800's). Diaries are the most important source to gain an understanding of women pioneers' lives and experiences. They recall incidents that occurred during their times. They also record what they felt at that time. Letters are the second most important resource. Since, families communicated only by letters, they gave good perception to the lives of homesteaders.
Twenty states constituted the West. For millions of Americans, the West was a land of opportunities. By the 1840's, white pioneers (settlers) moved past the Mississippi River and onto the Pacific Coast. Then in 1875, most of the West was occupied by them. Many had opportunities in hunting, farming and shopkeeping. American families struggled to work the land and make new lives for themselves. But, to strive they faced many challenges. The West was also accompanied with hardship and self-reliance that characterized the lives of pioneers.
Some will assume men took all the responsibilities of the family. This wasn't the case. There were widows and unmarried single women depending on themselves to survive. They built their homes and farmed the land without the support of a husband. One great example is Emily French: a hard-worked woman.
Emily French married Marsena French; they had seven children together. Marriage was more of mutual respect then kindness and affection. After spending nearly thirty years together, they divorced. Left with her children Emily as many others did, had to seek employment. The challenges for a woman seeking employment in those days were difficult. Those women who had jobs were either laundress or seamstress. Emily's occupation was not her choosing. She wasn't young enough to obtain a job as a waitress or clerk. So her job entailed in washing clothes and sewing for families. Later on, she became a nurse (in name only, her duties pertained more of a nanny and housekeeper). This was her preferred occupation. She faced conflict with some families. Some treated her harshly. One particular woman named Mrs. O'Brien made it her way to ignore Emily. Emily was frightened to say anything that would anger the O'Brien family.
Housing conditions were poor. All water for washing, cleaning or cooking was brought in the house in a pail from wells. Women spent long hours cooking and making family's clothing with no electricity or plumbing. Emily's routine was the same in her home (or wherever she stayed). In the winter, the houses were too cold to unrope for baths.
In May 1890, Emily started building her home. She wasn't able to meet the expense of a well; so use of polluted water was the only means for household needs and horses. Money was very tight and due payments were increasing. The cost for the home was high. She often had to borrow money from people.
Denver was one of the western cities with high growth in poverty, crime, disease and unemployment. Emily French witnessed many of the families she knew and worked for become sick and suffer. These families due to overcrowding faced unsanitary conditions. This led to sickness such as diarrhea, worms in children and bedbugs. Water from the wells was tainted with chemicals and bacteria. This irritated children's skin and gave them rashes. All that families could do was pray to get better.
Religion was an important factor in 19th century family life. This was especially important for women. Attending mass helped them spiritually. There are various passages (entries) indicating Emily's faith in God. For example, Emily once quoted, "God be my helper," when times were low. On page 96, Emily also quoted, "God do send me work that will make me some money." She went to church every Sunday with her children, Ollie and Dannie. Emily also attended prayer service religiously. I believed this helped Emily in many ways. When times were rough, her faith gave her hope.
Sometime after 1894 Emily French married a Mr. Varney and left Colorado. Her children Olive and Dannie both married. Eventually, Olive left Denver, Colorado. There are no more records of the family.
Notes:
1 Emily French, Emily: The Diary of a Hard-Worked Woman ( Lincoln: University of Nebraska Press, 1987).
2 Paula Bartley and Cathy Loxton, Plains Women: Women in the American West (Cambridge University Press, 1991), pp. 5, 30, 39, 44.
3 Martin W. Sandler, Pioneers (New York: HarperCollins, 1994), pp. 62-63.
4 Dorothy Levenson, Women of the West (Franklin Watts, Inc., 1973), pp. 34-36.
5 Geoffrey C. Ward, The West (The West Book Project, 1996).
6 Kenneth L. Holmes, Covered Wagon Women: Diaries and Letters from Western Trails (Lincoln: University of Nebraska Press, 1995).
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