African American Women of the Old West

The brave pioneers who made a life on the frontier were not only male; and they were not only white. The story of African-American women in the Old West is one that has largely gone untold--until now. The story of ten African- American women is reconstructed from historic documents found in century-old archives. The ten remarkable women in Black Women of the Old West were all born before 1900, some were slaves, some were free, and some lived both ways during their lifetime. Among them were laundresses, freedom advocates, journalists, educators, midwives, business proprietors, religious converts, philanthropists, mail and freight haulers, and civil and social activists.

Tricia Martineau Wagner is an experienced elementary school teacher and a reading specialist. She was educated at Miami University and the University of Toledo, where she graduated with honors. She became intrigued with the westward migration of the pioneers when she flew over the Oregon Trail. She makes her home in Charlotte, North Carolina, where she lives with her husband, Mark, and their children Kelsey and Mitchell.