Trailblazing women of the North Coast

The trailblazing women of the North Coast were rule breakers who chose to defy society's rules to own land, start businesses, and have careers. See some of them in our inspiring gallery.|
JANET BALICKI
FOR THE PRESS DEMOCRAT

In the 19th century, at a time in our history when women were treated like second class citizens, these bold women stood out. The trailblazing women of the North Coast were rule breakers who chose to defy society's rules to own land, start businesses and have careers.

Our list includes pioneers such as Maria Ygnacia Lopez de Carrillo, a widower who was one of only a handful of single women given land by the governor of California in the mid-1800s. Her 8,885-acre Rancho Cabeza de Santa Rosa, incorporates our present-day county seat. Also included is Luda Fulkerson Barham, the first female attorney in Sonoma County, who in 1895 at only 23 began studying law at a time before women had the right to vote.

Click through our gallery to see more bold and fascinating women of the North Coast.

UPDATED: Please read and follow our commenting policy:
  • This is a family newspaper, please use a kind and respectful tone.
  • No profanity, hate speech or personal attacks. No off-topic remarks.
  • No disinformation about current events.
  • We will remove any comments — or commenters — that do not follow this commenting policy.
Send a letter to the editor