An Improbable Pioneer: The Letters of Edith S. Holden Healy, 1911-1950
Annals of Wyoming: The Wyoming History Journal
Spring, 2014
Review by Laura Uglean Jackson
American Heritage Center
University of Wyoming
The improbable pioneer was Edith S. Holden Healy, an affluent woman from Boston who moved to Buffalo, Wyoming after marrying a sheep rancher. She was also the authors grandmother. Edith wrote several letters to her mother, other family members and friends, of which the surviving correspondence dates f rom 1911 to 1950. Letters to her mother describe the Healys’ honeymoon (a three week train trip from Boston to Buffalo via the eastern and souther United States ), and the subsequent arrival and settlement in Wyoming. After Edith’s mother died in 1917, the letters relay experiences such as adopting two daughters, volunteering for the Girls Scouts of America, and traveling to South America.
The letters depict a written snapshot of early twentieth century rural West, and contain Edith’s observations and experiences about an array of subjects. Many of the early letters describe the rugged Wyoming scenery, the food she ate, the clothing that she and others wore, and the work that other people did. As is expected from a well-to-do woman of the early 1900s, her own daily life was rather ordinary — she hemmed napkins, watched people work, socialized, and wrote lengthy letters.
However, weaved into everyday activities are stories and observations of discrimination, European immigrants, voting rights, and the inner workings of a sheep ranch. Although usually only brief observations, they help enhance Edith’s life story and provide historical information for researchers. While the author’s original intent in publishing her grandmothers’ letters was “to produce a family archive,” she also wanted to “make the useful to historical researchers while still creating an enjoyable read for everyone.” Although Healy family members and close family friends may find this book of more value than scholars and general readers, there is historical information in the letters and the detailed index should assist anyone with a research objective. Additionally, the author provided a substantial amount of historical context and filled in gaps in the correspondence.
Edith’s life is largely told from her point of view, and it depicts a life largely without struggle. This may be attributed to Edith’s positive outlook on life, or simply the etiquette of the time to not discuss difficulties, but the absence of char ted growth and overcoming challenges affects the reader’s interest. The most engaging parts of Edith’s life, and therefore the book, are the struggles — when she traveled to Costa Rica during the 1948 uprising, when she conveyed a lifetime of wisdom and advice to her teenaged grand-daughter, and finally when she became terminally ill and considered her foreseeable death. Even on her death bed, Edith remained optimistic and hopeful.
Overall, the book is well organized, the author provides good analysis and historical context that the letters cannot, and it gives readers a nice snippet of what life was like in rural early 20th century Wyoming.
Annals of Wyoming: The Wyoming History Journal
Spring, 2014
Review by Laura Uglean Jackson
American Heritage Center
University of Wyoming
The improbable pioneer was Edith S. Holden Healy, an affluent woman from Boston who moved to Buffalo, Wyoming after marrying a sheep rancher. She was also the authors grandmother. Edith wrote several letters to her mother, other family members and friends, of which the surviving correspondence dates f rom 1911 to 1950. Letters to her mother describe the Healys’ honeymoon (a three week train trip from Boston to Buffalo via the eastern and souther United States ), and the subsequent arrival and settlement in Wyoming. After Edith’s mother died in 1917, the letters relay experiences such as adopting two daughters, volunteering for the Girls Scouts of America, and traveling to South America.
The letters depict a written snapshot of early twentieth century rural West, and contain Edith’s observations and experiences about an array of subjects. Many of the early letters describe the rugged Wyoming scenery, the food she ate, the clothing that she and others wore, and the work that other people did. As is expected from a well-to-do woman of the early 1900s, her own daily life was rather ordinary — she hemmed napkins, watched people work, socialized, and wrote lengthy letters.
However, weaved into everyday activities are stories and observations of discrimination, European immigrants, voting rights, and the inner workings of a sheep ranch. Although usually only brief observations, they help enhance Edith’s life story and provide historical information for researchers. While the author’s original intent in publishing her grandmothers’ letters was “to produce a family archive,” she also wanted to “make the useful to historical researchers while still creating an enjoyable read for everyone.” Although Healy family members and close family friends may find this book of more value than scholars and general readers, there is historical information in the letters and the detailed index should assist anyone with a research objective. Additionally, the author provided a substantial amount of historical context and filled in gaps in the correspondence.
Edith’s life is largely told from her point of view, and it depicts a life largely without struggle. This may be attributed to Edith’s positive outlook on life, or simply the etiquette of the time to not discuss difficulties, but the absence of char ted growth and overcoming challenges affects the reader’s interest. The most engaging parts of Edith’s life, and therefore the book, are the struggles — when she traveled to Costa Rica during the 1948 uprising, when she conveyed a lifetime of wisdom and advice to her teenaged grand-daughter, and finally when she became terminally ill and considered her foreseeable death. Even on her death bed, Edith remained optimistic and hopeful.
Overall, the book is well organized, the author provides good analysis and historical context that the letters cannot, and it gives readers a nice snippet of what life was like in rural early 20th century Wyoming.