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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.

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