To know women’s history is to understand the breadth of the American experience. Although often underrepresented in recorded histories, women helped build our nation and Routt County and they continue to shape our future.

To celebrate Women’s History Month this March and highlight the critical contributions of women in all history, the Tread of Pioneers Museum in Steamboat Springs will feature “Women’s History Spotlights” throughout museum exhibits and in programming and events by providing information to local schools and on social media.

Though there are so many women in local history worthy of celebrating, here’s a short list of some of the standouts:

Emma Hull Peck

Emma Hull Peck laid the foundations of Routt County’s education system. In the late 1800s, she took over the County School Superintendent position from her husband and traveled nearly 2,000 miles a year in her horse-drawn sleigh and wagon to serve one-room schoolhouse children throughout the county.

She enhanced the lives of children throughout her career as a teacher and administrator, all while managing her own ranch and family of six. Her drive and leadership are commendable, especially in the earliest days of Routt County.

Elizabeth Hutchinson

Elizabeth Hutchinson was the pioneer homesteader of the now city-owned Legacy/Arnold Ranch, now the location of Yampatika’s Environmental Learning Center.

Her life was marked by fortitude and industriousness, as she earned a living and managed various businesses on her own as a divorced woman in the early 20^th century.

Charlotte Perry and Portia Mansfield

Charlotte Perry and Portia Mansfield are the founders of nationally renowned Perry-Mansfield Performing Arts School and Camp. These Smith College graduates sought to merge the beauty of art and nature at the camp they began to build in Strawberry Park in 1915.

Over a century later, the camp continues to provide performing arts excellence to students and artists from around the nation.

Eleanor Bliss

Eleanor Bliss is most known as one of the founders of the Steamboat Springs Arts Council and for her role in saving the historic railroad depot from demolition in 1972. What is not as well-known is her adventurous spirit and her long-distance ski and horseback treks up and over mountain ranges, often in treacherous conditions with her lifelong companion, Marjorie Perry.

Though outlaws and lawlessness were in her bloodlines, Ida Younger thrived on the right side of the law. This former Routt County resident forged her unique path in law enforcement beginning in the 1950s.

Her sharpshooting skills and service in the Denver Sheriff’s Department made her a trailblazer in the male-dominated field.

Ella Wilson and Alexa Brabec

Local athletes such as Ella Wilson, Alexa Brabec, and others are shattering glass ceilings and fighting for their spots on the world stage in the traditionally male-focused sport of Nordic Combined.

On July 4, 2024, Wilson became the first female winner of the local Jumpin’ and Jammin’ Ski Jumping Extravaganza co-ed competition.

Alexa Brabec made headlines this winter by finishing an impressive fourth place at the FIS Nordic World Ski Championships, proving that Nordic combined American women are competitive on the world stage.

Her performance is the best ever recorded by a U.S. female athlete in the sport, and it signals a bright future for the next generation.

We hope you will join us to celebrate Women’s History Month when we honor Routt County women who have shaped our county’s history and continue to inspire us all.