Women's History

Mary Brainard Isaacs was Canadian's pioneer educator. She was born in Massachusetts on February 16, 1854. At the age of 34, her family moved to Canadian to join her brother, Ed Brainard who had already established John’s Creek Ranch in Roberts County. At this time, there were 20 families and a number of children, but no school in Canadian. Mary, who had left a good teaching position in New York State, took care of the town’s educational problem.

The Springer Ranch Company hired Mose Wesley Hays, an experienced cowman who, with his brother-in-law Joseph Morgan had driven cattle to Hemphill County from Padre Island in 1878. His wife, Lou Turner Hays, became legendary among area cowboys for her hospitality. Mrs. Hays mothered the whole countryside, besides serving as postmistress.

Although Jewel McMeans Barker was blind for many years she did not allow it to be a handicap. Her blindness was caused by secondary glaucoma, and she raised four children, two of whom she never saw. She taught music for many years, she memorized over 300 hymns when she knew that she was going to be blind and was pianist for the Assembly of God Church, and she was also a composer.

When Mrs. Elizabeth Winsett Johnson came from Tennessee with her husband in 1885 she brought her household goods, her family, and her way of life. She was a pioneer woman and a very gifted artist who found time to work at an easel. These paintings did not include scenes from the southwest. Instead, her paintings captured current events such as the discovery of King Tut’s tomb, told stories of Egyptian slave markets and Joan of Arc.

The Home Mission Board of the Presbyterian Church U.S.A. commissioned The Rev. C.W. Alexander to establish a church and Sunday school in Mobeetie in 1885. While on the trip to bring his wife and family to the Panhandle, he took a cold from being wet and never completely recovered, dying within the year. Mary Jane Alexander was encouraged to purchase land and begin a livelihood for her family of five children.

Mrs. Paul Hoefle was a native of New York, and she came to Texas with her husband who was in the mercantile business. She was the first Home Economics teacher in the Canadian Schools. She was em¬ployed in 1918 and was an instructor for three years. 

Through the efforts of Mrs. J.P. (Elizabeth) Johnson and Mrs. L.N. White, the W.C.T.U. was organized on Nov. 26, 1902, by Mrs. Nannie Webb Curtis, who was organizing unions throughout the state. The ladies felt a union was necessary to fight against the many saloons that existed at that time in Canadian.