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Research material for book on California's first women legislators, 1978-1981
MANUSCRIPT 1858-1877
Collection Overview
Title:
Research material for book on California's first women legislators, 1978-1981Ethel L. Bornefeld research material for book on California's first women legislators, 1978-1981
Creator/Contributor:
Bornefeld, Ethel L., 1906-1986, creatorAbstract:
In 1978 Ethel L. Bornefeld published an article "Mrs. Elizabeth Hughes Butte County's Only Woman Legislator" in the Fall &
Winter Edition of the Butte County Historical Society's Diggin's (v. 22, no. 3&4). During the next five years or so she expanded
her focus to include other pioneering women legislators and accumulated the research material that comprises this collection.
Her intent was to publish a book entitled "California's First Women Legislators" about women who had served in the U.S. Congress
as well as the California Legislature in the early 20th century. Although the book was not completed, Bornefeld's research
collection preserves the information she gathered for future researchers.
The following women are featured prominently: Annette Abbott Adams, Esto Broughton, Grace Dorris, Elizabeth Hughes, Florence
P. Kahn, Eleanor Miller, Mae Ella Nolan, Anna Saylor, Mabel Walker Willebrandt and Cora Woodbridge. Material for each includes
genealogical references, extensive biographical information, clippings from contemporary sources, notes from interviews with
family and associates, and photographs. There is also less fulsome information about three women from a later period: Jeanette
E. Daley, Sarah E. Kellogg and Kathryn T. Niehouse. Some research material for other projects is also included in the collection;
subjects of interest were the towns of Chico and Paradise in Butte County and the Sonoma Prison for Women in Sonoma County.
The collection is organized much as Bornefeld left her material in legal-size envelopes with little internal order. Identifying
information on the envelopes has been copied and included with the relevant material. There is extensive background material
on politics in general and the women's suffrage movement in particular as well as the specific information pertaining to each
woman. Bornefeld wrote many versions of this material and various drafts, both manuscript and typescript, are included; many
are fragmentary and none were dated or arranged chronologically. There is no overall draft of the intended publication.
Date:
1978 (issued)Contents:
1858: Outlines, correspondence. -- 1859: Background: California & suffrage. -- 1860: Background: Various. -- 1861: Notes and
clippings. -- 1862: Typescript. -- 1863: Adams. -- 1864: Broughton: Notes, ms. -- 1865: Broughton: Notebooks, photos. -- 1866:
Dorris. -- 1867: Hughes: Notes, photos. -- 1868: Hughes: Notebooks. -- 1869: Hughes: Article. -- 1870: Kahn. -- 1871: Miller,
Nolan. -- 1872: Saylor: Ms., photos. -- 1873: Saylor: Notes. -- 1874: Saylor: Notebooks. -- 1875: Willebrandt. -- 1876: Woodbridge;
Other women. -- 1877: Other projects.
Subject:
n-us-caWomen legislators -- California -- Biography
Women -- California -- Biography
California -- Politics and government -- 1850-1950 -- Sources
Adams, Annette Abbott -- 1877-1956 -- Biography
Broughton, Esto -- 1890-1956 -- Biography
Dorris, Grace -- 1887-1968 -- Biography
Hughes, Elizabeth -- 1876-1941 -- Biography
Kahn, Florence P -- Biography
Miller, Eleanor -- Biography
Nolan, Mae Ella -- 1886-1973 -- Biography
Saylor, Anna -- 1871-1956 -- Biography
Willebrandt, Mabel Walker -- 1889-1963 -- Biography
Woodbridge, Cora -- 1862-1949 -- Biography
Note:
Ethel L. Bornefeld was born in Los Angeles on Dec. 3, 1906. She grew up in Bakersfield and graduated from high school in Delano.
She earned a B.A. degree at U.C.L.A. and a master's from U.S.C. as well as completing advanced studies in administrative counseling
at San Jose State College and Chico State. She taught school for 36 years, 34 of those years at the Chico High School where
she was head of the girls' physical education department and served as a counselor.
Ms. Bornefeld was active in a wide array of civic and social organizations including the Red Cross Motor Corps, the Chico
Business and Professional Women's Club, the Soroptimist International of Chico, the Native Daughters of the Golden West, the
Paradise Genealogical Society, the Bidwell Mansion Association, the Northern California Research Association and the Retired
Teachers Association. She was also a member of, and wrote articles for, the Butte County Historical Society and the Paradise
Fact and Folklore Society. After her retirement in 1967 Ms. Bornefeld moved to Paradise and continued her participation in
various organizations as well as working on the project documented in this collection. She died in Paradise on Dec. 12, 1986.
Ethel L. Bornefeld research material for book on California's first women legislators
Unrestricted. Please credit California State Library.
Type:
biographyPhysical Description:
print
20 ms. boxes (2190 items) : ill., ports.
Language:
English
Identifier:
MANUSCRIPT 1858-1877
Origin:
CaliforniaCopyright Note:
Unrestricted. Please credit California State Library.