TP, Female, Age 22

Exhibit Detail: U.S. Marshal Thomas Boles and His Wife

The women in this photo is unnamed, the only thing we know about her is that she married Thomas Boles. He was a U.S. Marshall for Fort Smith between 1882 and 1885. While we have a brief description of Mr. Boles, nothing was stated about his wife. She was only mentioned in the caption, and not well. I would assume that any records that contained her name were lost or damaged.

Exhibit Detail: Pearl Starr

Pearl Starr is pictured at the site with a brief description of her family and the reasons for her notoriety. As one of few women named, she is the daughter of an outlaw named Belle Starr. Her mother, like Pearl is photographed and displayed in the National Historic Site. These women are remembered because of the crimes they committed. Unlike many women of the time, they are remembered and represented in the museum. However, Pearl's fame did not extend to her associates. Two women are pictured next to her, but we know nothing about them. We do not even know their names.

Photo in Women's Restroom: Florence Hammersley

This photo is of one of the most in detail displays about women. This page was displayed in the women's restroom, along with three other, similar printouts. Oddly enough, the only displays that have as much information about women were about outlaws. The printouts are said to be changed every three months, but the men's restroom displayed information on both men and women at the time of our visit. It struck me as odd that the women's restroom only displayed female figures, while the men's displayed both. It could be that the people who run the site are trying to compensate for the lack of representation of the women of the past. Maybe it is thought that women would care more about the unequal representation than men, which would explain why only women are represented in the women's restroom.

Comments

VR, Female, Age19

Photo: Unlabeled In this image a crowd of men are the only present during a court. This symbolizes an inequality between both men and females. A difference that has always existed leading to the female gender to be seen as the weakest. Jury trials at this time were of great importance, but the fact that only man are present to give their opinion. That displays a powerful message. Is a women's opinion less valuable than that of a male? Even today, we hardly ever see women involved in political positions, or in important platforms. Society calls for a change. Just like the women at this time, women today deserve to have equal opportunities as man, to show what they are capable even if that means sharing a simple opinion at trial. Exhibit Detail: Music Class This image caught my attention, for it was one of the only pictures with women present, in fact, the only picture with all women. However, the description states that most, if not all, of these women are de...

DR, Female, Age 24

Exhibit: Lady Desperado One of the pieces that stood out to me the most was the section about Belle Starr. She is the only female with her own section in the museum compared to the numerous displays dedicated to men. I noticed that in this particular section her physical appearance is used to describe her, and she is referred to as “flamboyant” and compared to Cleopatra. Out of all of the plaques with men on them none of them described what they looked like, dressed like, or how they drew attention to themselves like hers did. They were remarked on for their accomplishments or their wrong doings, but she is noted for how she looked. Exhibit Detail: Photo of Belle Starr Another point concerning the Belle Starr section is that any time she is mentioned so are the men in her life. This particular picture shows her picture with a short description underneath that talks about her brother and her father. The museum uses her pictures and titles the boards with h...

H.H., Female, Age 20

Exhibit: Restraints Inmates were let out occasionally on the weekend as a reward for good behavior. Being in jail, of course, provided a need for female companionship when they were let out. Prostitution became a promising business for many young women. The men, being lonely and far from their families, often did not treat the young women in an honorable fashion. No females are mentioned by name, but there was one informational panel that gave an overview of the prostitution situation. Exhibit: Jail Hospital Cell Initially, female and male prisoners alike were housed in the same quarters. As Fort Smith started growing, however, they moved the women to the jail hospital on the second floor. Additionally, only a few female criminals are mentioned by name at any point in the museum. One informational panel in the back corner of the second floor discusses the general treatment of women during their time of incarceration. They were given tasks to do that generally we...

Infinitely Obscure Lives: Invisibility of Women in a U.S. Historic Site

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