Saturday March 23, 2024 , 11:00 am - 3:00 pm
Laws Railroad Museum and Historical Site celebrated Women’s History Month, with docent presentations, games, puzzles, prizes, and an Irish “Ladies Fair” where visitors to the museum for this event can purchase vintage Jim Beam bottles, cookies, and place bids at a silent auction.
This year’s Women’s History Event theme was “Immigrant Women in Western Mining Towns”. Although many women in early Western American mining history were born here to immigrant families, others were themselves immigrants. They came from around the world, some were trafficked like Chinese teenager Polly Bemis who was sold to an Idaho mining camp saloon keeper. Others, such as Nellie Cashman, came to escape the Irish potato famine. Others came to seek fortunes of their own like Nicaraguan Ferminia Serras who became Nevada’s “Copper Queen”. Fourteen docents will be on hand to share stories of some of these women, host a silent auction, and hand out prizes. Train Crew members in the Engine House answered questions about the historic Brill Car, the restoration of our Slim Princess #9, and talk about women in railroad history.
Visitors who participated in this special event had a chance to win prizes, and those who made purchases at the Ladies Fair had the satisfaction of participating in a longstanding tradition of fundraising for repairs to the local church. Monies raised from this event are earmarked to repair the Library & Art Center stairs and ramp. Please join us our next entertaining and educational event.