For the first time in 40 years, a new bridge will soon span the Willamette River in Portland. The car-free bridge will connect the eastside and westside, helping improve commutes and transit across the region. TriMet is soliciting names from the community for its new bridge, and submissions have
to be received before 5 p.m. on December 1st. (http://trimet.org/namethebridge/)
Currently, all the close-in downtown bridges that are named after people are named after men: U.S. Army Major John C. Fremont, David W. Burnside, John L. Morrison, Philip A. Marquam, Dr. James C. Hawthorne, and Rev. James Sellwood. What if the next bridge is named for a notable Portland woman! Mary Schutten is campaigning for the bridge to be named the Abigail Bridge (after Abigail Scott Duniway), and OWLS member Karin Power forwarded the plea for support to the OWLs listserve. As the TriMet website notes, bridge names can evoke historical moments and provoke conversation - and this email certainly did just that! A discussion of other notable Portland women ensued, so we at Queen’s Bench thought we’d review some of the notable women who’ve made Portland great - Click on Read More to see our list (listed alphabetically).
to be received before 5 p.m. on December 1st. (http://trimet.org/namethebridge/)
Currently, all the close-in downtown bridges that are named after people are named after men: U.S. Army Major John C. Fremont, David W. Burnside, John L. Morrison, Philip A. Marquam, Dr. James C. Hawthorne, and Rev. James Sellwood. What if the next bridge is named for a notable Portland woman! Mary Schutten is campaigning for the bridge to be named the Abigail Bridge (after Abigail Scott Duniway), and OWLS member Karin Power forwarded the plea for support to the OWLs listserve. As the TriMet website notes, bridge names can evoke historical moments and provoke conversation - and this email certainly did just that! A discussion of other notable Portland women ensued, so we at Queen’s Bench thought we’d review some of the notable women who’ve made Portland great - Click on Read More to see our list (listed alphabetically).
Gail Achterman (August 1, 1949 – January 28, 2012) was one of Oregon’s foremost experts in
natural resources, environmental law and policy and transportation, and participated in in drafting the legislation that created the Columbia Gorge National Scenic Area in 1981. She served as director of the Institute for Natural Resources at Oregon State University and as Chair of the Oregon Transportation Commission. (http://obits.oregonlive.com/obituaries/oregon/obituary.aspx?pid=155716448)
Tabitha Brown (May 1, 1780 – May 4, 1858) was an American pioneer emigrant who traveled the Oregon Trail to the Oregon Country. There she assisted in the founding of Tualatin Academy, which would grow to become Pacific University in Forest Grove, Oregon. Brown was honored in 1987 by the Oregon Legislature as the "Mother of Oregon." (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tabitha_Moffat_Brown)
Beatrice Morrow Cannady (1889–1974) was a renowned civil rights advocate in early 20th-century Oregon, United States. She was editor of the Advocate, the state's largest African-American newspaper. She was also one of the founders of Oregon's chapter of the NAACP and was one of the first black women to graduate from law school in the United States.
(http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Beatrice_Morrow_Cannady)
Elizabeth Caruthers (Died 1857) was an early pioneer woman who was one of the first settlers in the southern part of the young city of Portland.(http://www.portlandoregon.gov/parks/finder/index.cfm?&propertyid=1385&action=ViewPark)
Beverly Cleary (Born April 12, 1916) is an American writer of more than 30 books for young adults and children. As one of America’s most successful authors of children’s literature, she has sold 91 million copies of her books worldwide. She was born in McMinnville and attended elementary and
high school in Portland. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Beverly_Cleary)
Abigail Scott Duniway (October 22, 1834 – October 11, 1915) worked tirelessly for decades so women could have more control over their lives financially and democratically. She had six kids, health issues, money issues and a brother (editor of the Oregonian) who opposed her goals each time it came up for a vote. It took four decades of hard work but she led the way to secure rights for women – including the right to vote. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Abigail_Scott_Duniway); See also (https://www.facebook.com/theabigailbridge).
Esther Pohl Lovejoy (November 16, 1869 – August 31, 1967) was the first woman doctor in Oregon.
She was a public-health pioneer, suffrage activist, congressional candidate, and a central figure in
early efforts to organize international medical relief work. She also created the Everybody’s Equal Suffrage League ahead of the 1912 election, when Oregon became the 7th state to grant women the right to vote. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Esther_Pohl_Lovejoy)
Bethenia Angelina Owens-Adair (February 8, 1840 – September 11, 1926) was an American social reformer and one of the first female physicians in Oregon.
(http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bethenia_Owens-Adair)
Barbara Kay Roberts (Born December 21, 1936) is an American politician from the state of Oregon. A native of the state, she served as the 34th Governor of Oregon from 1991 to 1995. She is the first and, to date, only woman to be elected to that office. Since February 2011, she has served on the council of Metro, the regional government in the Portland metropolitan area. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Barbara_Roberts)
Betty Cantrell Roberts (February 5, 1923 – June 25, 2011) was a politician and judge in the U.S. state of Oregon. She was the 83rd Associate Justice of the Oregon Supreme Court, the highest state court in Oregon. She was the first woman on the Oregon Supreme Court, and had also been the first woman on the Oregon Court of Appeals. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Betty_Roberts)
Nancy Ryles (December 18, 1937 – September 12, 1990) was an Oregon politician. She served in the Oregon House of Representatives, the Oregon Senate and as one of three members of the state’s Public Utility Commission. She was known as an advocate for education and for equality for women and minorities. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nancy_Ryles)
Mildred Schwab (January 9, 1917 — c. January 13, 1999) was an attorney and politician from Portland, Oregon, in the United States. She served as a City Commissioner from 1973 to 1986;. She was one of the first women to study law, and graduated from Northwestern College of Law (at Lewis & Clark College) in 1939 and qualified for the Oregon Bar. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mildred_Schwab)
Join the campaign and submit your bridge name today (http://trimet.org/namethebridge/)!
Please Note: Neither OWLS nor Queen’s Bench endorses any of the particular names set forth above.
natural resources, environmental law and policy and transportation, and participated in in drafting the legislation that created the Columbia Gorge National Scenic Area in 1981. She served as director of the Institute for Natural Resources at Oregon State University and as Chair of the Oregon Transportation Commission. (http://obits.oregonlive.com/obituaries/oregon/obituary.aspx?pid=155716448)
Tabitha Brown (May 1, 1780 – May 4, 1858) was an American pioneer emigrant who traveled the Oregon Trail to the Oregon Country. There she assisted in the founding of Tualatin Academy, which would grow to become Pacific University in Forest Grove, Oregon. Brown was honored in 1987 by the Oregon Legislature as the "Mother of Oregon." (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tabitha_Moffat_Brown)
Beatrice Morrow Cannady (1889–1974) was a renowned civil rights advocate in early 20th-century Oregon, United States. She was editor of the Advocate, the state's largest African-American newspaper. She was also one of the founders of Oregon's chapter of the NAACP and was one of the first black women to graduate from law school in the United States.
(http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Beatrice_Morrow_Cannady)
Elizabeth Caruthers (Died 1857) was an early pioneer woman who was one of the first settlers in the southern part of the young city of Portland.(http://www.portlandoregon.gov/parks/finder/index.cfm?&propertyid=1385&action=ViewPark)
Beverly Cleary (Born April 12, 1916) is an American writer of more than 30 books for young adults and children. As one of America’s most successful authors of children’s literature, she has sold 91 million copies of her books worldwide. She was born in McMinnville and attended elementary and
high school in Portland. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Beverly_Cleary)
Abigail Scott Duniway (October 22, 1834 – October 11, 1915) worked tirelessly for decades so women could have more control over their lives financially and democratically. She had six kids, health issues, money issues and a brother (editor of the Oregonian) who opposed her goals each time it came up for a vote. It took four decades of hard work but she led the way to secure rights for women – including the right to vote. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Abigail_Scott_Duniway); See also (https://www.facebook.com/theabigailbridge).
Esther Pohl Lovejoy (November 16, 1869 – August 31, 1967) was the first woman doctor in Oregon.
She was a public-health pioneer, suffrage activist, congressional candidate, and a central figure in
early efforts to organize international medical relief work. She also created the Everybody’s Equal Suffrage League ahead of the 1912 election, when Oregon became the 7th state to grant women the right to vote. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Esther_Pohl_Lovejoy)
Bethenia Angelina Owens-Adair (February 8, 1840 – September 11, 1926) was an American social reformer and one of the first female physicians in Oregon.
(http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bethenia_Owens-Adair)
Barbara Kay Roberts (Born December 21, 1936) is an American politician from the state of Oregon. A native of the state, she served as the 34th Governor of Oregon from 1991 to 1995. She is the first and, to date, only woman to be elected to that office. Since February 2011, she has served on the council of Metro, the regional government in the Portland metropolitan area. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Barbara_Roberts)
Betty Cantrell Roberts (February 5, 1923 – June 25, 2011) was a politician and judge in the U.S. state of Oregon. She was the 83rd Associate Justice of the Oregon Supreme Court, the highest state court in Oregon. She was the first woman on the Oregon Supreme Court, and had also been the first woman on the Oregon Court of Appeals. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Betty_Roberts)
Nancy Ryles (December 18, 1937 – September 12, 1990) was an Oregon politician. She served in the Oregon House of Representatives, the Oregon Senate and as one of three members of the state’s Public Utility Commission. She was known as an advocate for education and for equality for women and minorities. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nancy_Ryles)
Mildred Schwab (January 9, 1917 — c. January 13, 1999) was an attorney and politician from Portland, Oregon, in the United States. She served as a City Commissioner from 1973 to 1986;. She was one of the first women to study law, and graduated from Northwestern College of Law (at Lewis & Clark College) in 1939 and qualified for the Oregon Bar. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mildred_Schwab)
Join the campaign and submit your bridge name today (http://trimet.org/namethebridge/)!
Please Note: Neither OWLS nor Queen’s Bench endorses any of the particular names set forth above.
