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ADVENTURE SEEKERS

Tales of Bravery and Audacity by Women in the 19th Century

Embark on a riveting journey through the adrenaline-charged exploits of daring women adventurers in this captivating volume of the Sports She Wrote series, where 46 articles weave tales of bravery, audacity, and sometimes, foolhardy courage.

Hot-air balloons provided the first aerial adventures in human history and several women distinguished themselves by their ascents. This volume contains six first-person accounts of these flights written by the women who soared above the clouds, buffeted by uncontrollable wind currents, recording the awe-inspiring sights and euphoric sensations previously unknown to our species, and the often hazardous landings that left the aeronauts stranded miles away from assistance. The first four articles are successful flights in the 1870s; the latter two are harrowing tales with nearly deadly consequences, told by the aerialists who fell to earth in ruptured balloons but lived to tell the tale of their survival.

Transitioning to the big top, the volume reveals the extraordinary lives of circus performers in three illuminating articles. Balancing on high wires, riding standing on the backs of horses, and swinging daringly from flying trapezes, these fearless young women captivated audiences by pushing the boundaries of entertainment and defying the norms of their time. The last of the circus articles is a confessional by a trapeze artist who admitted that her cocaine addiction nearly led to her suicide before she regained sobriety.

The category of “Daring Doers” introduces eleven articles showcasing women who embraced hair-raising feats solely for the thrill of adventure. From swinging in bell towers to diving from dizzying heights into nets, hurtling down forty-mile flumes, exploring the depths as undersea divers, standing on the edges of tall buildings, and challenging the conventional roles of homemaker in the American West, these women personified courage in the pursuit of the extraordinary.

The article by Helen Dare in The San Francisco Examiner published July 18, 1896, describing her forty-mile flume ride, contains a passage that may be offensive to some readers but provides insight to the social mores of the time. She quotes a song lyric containing the racist n-word (although ending it with “ah” rather than “er”), while in the same article the newspaper censors the word “damn” to read “d__n.” Less than two months earlier the U.S. Supreme Court introduced the infamous “separate but equal” doctrine in the Plessy v. Ferguson decision. In an article in 1897, Helen uses the n-word again as a hyphenated prefix for a colloquial term used to describe chunks of moss in Alaska. For this volume both usages are forewarned under the datelines.

Some of the most harrowing stories in the Sports She Wrote series are told by women who joined the Alaska Klondike Gold Rush of 1897-98. These fourteen heart-pounding narratives unravel tales of survival and resilience amid the harshest conditions imaginable and send shivers to the bone. Death from starvation and freezing temperatures were commonplace. Venturing to stake claims involved snowshoeing long distances and dashing through rapids in small boats among massive ice flows and blinding snowstorms. The bravery and impulsiveness of these explorers and fortune-seekers reveals the strength and indomitable human spirit when motivated by the potential of financial gain.

The most intrepid woman adventurer of the era was Elizabeth Taylor, whose ten in-depth articles and accompanying illustrations comprise one-third of this collection, chronicling her explorations in the Arctic Circle, Norway, and Iceland, and describing the people and natural wonders she encountered. She was a popular travel writer who financed her expeditions with articles published in various periodicals in which women adventure writers were a rarity. She generally traveled alone into unknown territories and dealt with whatever hardships she encountered with the spirit of a woman who was ever curious about the world and its varied cultures. Taylor’s contributions spanned multiple realms of study, providing academic insights into the natural world.

The final three articles are essays describing the global reach of sports. The first is by Elizabeth Robins Pennell, whose bicycle touring books and articles comprise one of the cycling volumes in the Sports She Wrote series. While touring through Italy she recounts many of the traditional sports and games she witnessed. Margherita Arline Hamm provides a vivid portrayal of various sports of “the Orient,” including wrestling and forms of football that would be recognized today as precursors of hacky sack. The final article is by Llewella Pierce Churchill who delves into the sports and games of the Samoans of the South Pacific islands, including stick throwing and a game resembling shuffleboard. These international perspectives paint a rich tapestry of a world at play.

Text in bold font in the body of the articles is intended for quick reference and potential points of interest for modern readers and was not printed in bold font in the original articles. Alternate spellings for Klondike/Klondyke and Chilcoot/Chilkoot have been retained from the original publications.

Six volumes of the Sports She Wrote series pertain exclusively to outdoor sports: (1) Adventure Seekers; (2) Women on the Hunt; (3) Fisherwomen; (4) Camping Out; (5) Mountaineering; and (6) Fannie Pearson Hardy. Additional material on outdoorswomen is presented in the volumes Diana’s Outdoor Sports and Adelia Brainerd: The Outdoor Woman of Harper’s Bazar.

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FISHERWOMEN

Women’s Chronicles of the Art of Fishing Featuring Sara McBride and “Fly Rod” Crosby

Many women participate in the serene art and recreational sport of fishing (also known as “angling”). Some of the most prominent writers on the subject in the 19th century were women whose works are featured among the 139 articles in this volume.

The first ten articles are devoted to Sara McBride, an expert on fly fishing. Three of the articles are her groundbreaking study, “The Metaphysics of Fishing,” published in Forest and Stream magazine in 1876. Her series is an in-depth academic analysis of the intricacies of insect species and the fish most likely to be attracted to them.

Sara was renowned for her artistic mastery of tying flies. She was introduced to the trade by her father, who ran a successful fly-tying business which she inherited. Forest and Stream magazine regularly contained advertisements for Sara McBride’s flies, one of which is included in this volume. She also wrote an article for the publication in 1880 describing the largest fishing tackle establishment in the world. Sara maintained her fly-tying business until 1880. The other six articles in the Sara McBride section are written by men commenting on Sara’s flies and the value of her contribution to the sport of angling.

Following the Sara McBride section are 40 chronological articles about fishing in the 1880s and 1890s. Twenty-five women authors describe fishing for trout, catfish, bass, salmon and muscalonge (muskies), in various parts of the world, including Norway, Jamaica, Syria, California and Florida. The chronology includes three correspondences written by men in response to articles written by the women. Contributions by men are labeled with the male symbol (♂).

The bible of tying flies was written by Mary Orvis Marbury, published in 1892. Favorite Flies and Their Histories is a vast and magnificent book, over 500 pages with hundreds of illustrations, many in color, showing the varieties of flies she has tied and detailed descriptions for their uses. This masterwork, available online and in bookstores by various publishers, is not included in this volume but merits mention in any collection featuring women writers on the subject of fishing. Two articles by Marbury are included in this collection, originally published in Forest and Stream in 1896 and 1897, describing her fishing expedition in Florida and her experience fishing with a hand line.

The second half of the volume is devoted to the most famous fisherwoman of the 19th century, Cornelia T. Crosby, widely known by her pen name “Fly Rod” Crosby. The “Fly Rod” articles are divided into two parts.

Part 1 is “Introducing Fly Rod,” 52 articles published in several newspapers and magazines from 1884 to 1898. Seven of these were written by Crosby and two others were bylined by women. She is widely quoted in many of the remaining articles, and her exploits and contributions to fishing, hunting and camping in her native State of Maine are presented as background to this remarkable woman.

Part 2 contains 37 articles from “Fly Rod’s Note Book,” her long-running column in the newspaper “Phillips Phonograph” in 1899 and 1900. Her column began years earlier but the microfilm versions were not available for this volume, and continued years into the twentieth century, which is beyond the parameters of this book series.

Fly Rod’s tales of adventures in fishing and hunting were syndicated across America. Described as a 6-foot tall outdoorswoman and guide, she was initially inspired to take up fishing after being advised by a doctor to take ‘a large dose of the outdoors’ to combat respiratory problems. She became Maine’s greatest promoter, the only woman to head an exhibit at the prestigious Sportsmen’s Exhibition at Madison Square Garden. Fly Rod’s legacy deserves to live on.

Six volumes of the Sports She Wrote series pertain exclusively to outdoor sports: (1) Adventure Seekers; (2) Women on the Hunt; (3) Fisherwomen; (4) Camping Out; (5) Mountaineering; and (6) Fannie Pearson Hardy. Additional material on outdoorswomen is presented in the volumes Diana’s Outdoor Sports and Adelia Brainerd: The Outdoor Woman of Harper’s Bazar.

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WOMEN ON THE HUNT

Shooting and Hunting in the Victorian Era

Hunting is generally considered a male pursuit, but many women also hunt for sport and food. Hunting in the 19th century was more accepted as a survival necessity, in an era before shoppers could obtain meat wrapped in plastic from a refrigerated grocery store display. Today the separation between meat on the hoof and meat on the plate is often invisible and only winced at in the imagination.  The modern revulsion many people have toward hunting is based on this separation from the reality that meat-eaters in the past witnessed first-hand in the wild and at their local butcher shop. Hides and fur were also used for practical clothing purposes, most of which have been superseded by fabrics and artificial fur.

Most hunting is controlled by government authorities who strive to maintain an ecological balance, limiting the methods and times when hunting can occur, and specifying areas and animals that are off limits. Deer herds are culled by hunters to prevent overpopulation that would be damaging to other species and the environment.

The 58 articles in this volume written by women encompass a wide range of prey: traditional fox hunting on horseback with hounds, stalking deer in the woods with a rifle, shooting ducks from a blind with a shotgun, tracking wolves and other predators, and shooting small animals like rabbits and frogs. Articles include more exotic hunting adventures as well in quest of alligators in Florida, caimans in Venezuela, tigers in Africa, kangaroos in Australia, and whales in the open sea.

Most hunting involves shooting. This volume includes three articles about women and archery, and seven articles about women and their guns.

Most of the articles in this collection are first-person accounts by women whose personal experiences often include compassion for the animals they felled, and do not always end with success.

As in most sports of the era, the spotlight extends beyond the quarry, with women’s hunting costumes taking center stage in many articles. Fashion advice mingles with tales of the chase, offering insights into the practical and stylish aspects of 19th-century women’s hunting attire. Additional articles about women’s hunting togs can be found in the volume What to Wear, and general hunting articles in the volume Diana’s Outdoor Sports.

Six entries are chapters excerpted from the 1894 book Ladies in the Field edited by Lady Violet Greville. Two of these articles are not specifically bylined and are presumably written by Lady Greville. British spelling forms and quotations written in dialect are retained, i.e. “Hwhich,” “thunkin’,” “micht,” “tak,” “seeck,” “countree,” etc.

Two articles contain inappropriate use of racially offensive terms, as noted at the heading of each such article. A third article has been altered to rename a hunting dog “Digger.”

The two most prominent sources for articles are Forest and Stream and Outing magazines. Other articles were published in prominent periodicals including the San Francisco Examiner, Minneapolis Times, Washington Times, Los Angeles Herald, Salt Lake Herald, Philadelphia Inquirer, Alabama Daily Advertiser, Washington Evening Star and Harper’s Bazar [sic].

Several articles refer to women who hunt as “Dianas.” In Roman mythology Diana was the goddess of the hunt and she is commonly portrayed with her bow and arrow. Six volumes of the Sports She Wrote series pertain exclusively to outdoor sports: (1) Adventure Seekers; (2) Women on the Hunt; (3) Fisherwomen; (4) Camping Out; (5) Mountaineering; and (6) Fannie Pearson Hardy. Additional material on outdoorswomen is presented in the volumes Diana’s Outdoor Sports and Adelia Brainerd: The Outdoor Woman of Harper’s Bazar.

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MOUNTAINEERING

Peak Performances Featuring Frederica Plunket, Aubrey “Lizzie” Le Blond & Fanny Bullock Workman

In an era when societal norms cast shadows upon the aspirations of women, a select group of indomitable souls defied convention and ascended the towering peaks of the world. This volume of Sports She Wrote pays homage to their spirit through the gripping narratives of women who dared to conquer mountains, a pursuit dismissed by many as beyond the realm of feminine capabilities.

This volume contains six articles and three complete books by women mountaineers. One of the most creative of the articles is penned by Juliet Wilbor Tompkins (1871-1956), who whimsically personifies mountains expressing their disdain towards the burgeoning influx of tourists and the audacious construction of grand hotels on their summits and the people who “want to have the earth all paved away from them.” Tompkins, a prolific novelist and magazine editor, transcends her time to provide a humorous yet insightful commentary on the changing landscape of mountain exploration.

The bulk of this volume is comprised of a trilogy of first-person books written three remarkable women mountaineers.

First on this alpine odyssey is Here and There Among the Alps by Frederica Plunket (1838-1886), an Irishwoman whose 1875 publication stands as a testament to the physical prowess and adventurous spirit of a woman in the face of rugged landscapes. She wrote specifically for women interested in mountaineering who may have been intimidated by the arduous task. Her goal was to demonstrate what was possible for an active healthy woman, an explicit rejection of the notion that mountain climbing was inherently dangerous and beyond her physical capabilities. Her book describes ascending multiple peaks in Switzerland in 1874. A botanical illustrator of distinction, Plunket’s detailed illustrations are preserved in a museum in her homeland, a testament to her multifaceted talents.

The second book is The High Alps in Winter by Englishwoman Mrs. Fred Burnaby (1860-1934) published in 1883 when she was 23 years old. She was widowed in 1886 and later remarried and became famous by the name Mrs. Aubrey Le Blond, known among her mountain-climbing cohort as “Lizzie.” She became a founder of the Ladies’ Alpine Club in Switzerland and was the first woman to summit at least twenty peaks. She was also one of first female filmmakers, making at least ten films in Switzerland including ice hockey action and downhill sledding at the famous Cresta Run. She also took thousands of photographs of her travels, two of which were printed in her first book and are included in this volume. Hundreds of her photographs have been published in various books and periodicals. She later became a prolific author with articles in more than 200 publications. She was a woman of means and the trappings of her climbs reflected her status. Her tents were well-appointed with a bed and other creature comforts.

The third book is In the Ice World of Himalaya­ published in 1900, written by American Fanny Bullock Workman (1859-1925) and her husband William Hunter Workman. The Workmans collaborated on eight travel books, two of which are published in the Cycling Tours volume of the Sports She Wrote series. Fanny, an educated woman from a wealthy family, considered herself a New Woman, and championed women’s rights and suffrage. On her Himalayan adventure she achieved several women’s altitude records and one of the peaks is named in her honor. Fanny was also an avid photographer and her book is replete with 64 images of mountainscapes and the native people she encountered along the way. The book ends with a helpful glossary that defines the many unfamiliar terms used.

The Himalayan journey chronicles not only the awe-inspiring heights the Workmans conquered but also lays bare some stark depths of the endeavor. In navigating the treacherous terrain, these intrepid mountaineers leaned heavily on the dedicated labor of the local workforce, colloquially referred to as “coolies” during that era. This term, now recognized as derogatory, permeates the narrative, presenting an uncomfortable truth about the dynamics between the explorers and the laborers who shouldered heavy loads of provisions that made the ascent possible. Workman regularly criticizes the laborers’ lackadaisical efforts and even admits to throwing stones at them to force them to proceed when they complained of cold and feared danger on the trek ahead. The text, with unflinching honesty, reflects the prevailing attitudes and actions that perpetuated an unequal power dynamic, acknowledging the complex intersectionality of gender, race, and privilege in the backdrop of mountain exploration.

Another famous British woman mountaineer worth acknowledging is Lucy Walker (1836-1916), who was the first woman to ascend many of the highest European alps in the 1860s and 1870s. Unfortunately for the historical record, Lucy never wrote a book or even a single article about her great accomplishments, but a book about women mountaineers in the 19th century would not be complete without mentioning her contribution to future generations of women mountaineers.

For more in-depth biographies of these trailblazing women, interested readers can delve into various online resources, unraveling the layers of courage, resilience, and unbridled determination that define these mountaineering heroines.

Text in bold font in the body of the articles is intended for quick reference and potential points of interest for modern readers and was not printed in bold font in the original articles. Footnotes in the original books have been inserted in the text within brackets. Italicized text within brackets are English translations provided for modern readers provided by online translation programs.

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FANNIE PEARSON HARDY

Forest & Stream Chronicles From the Maine Wilderness

Fannie Pearson Hardy (1865-1946) was a remarkable woman who carved her literary legacy in the male-dominated realm of outdoor writing in the 19th century.

The daughter of the renowned outdoorsman and explorer, Manly Hardy, Fannie was not only immersed in the natural wonders of her native state but also inherited her father’s passion for the great outdoors. Together, they traversed the lakes, forests and backwoods of Maine, forging a connection with the rugged wilderness and untamed beauty that would shape Fannie’s unique perspective on hunting, fishing, and nature.

While a student at Smith College, Fannie founded the college chapter of The Audubon Society, exemplifying her commitment to the preservation of wildlife. Following her graduation in 1888 she became the first woman in the State of Maine to serve as a superintendent of schools, in her hometown of Brewer, from 1889 to 1891. During that time, she embarked on a journey that would leave an indelible mark on the landscape of Maine’s sporting literature.

Fannie’s contributions to this volume are drawn from her prolific writings in the popular monthly magazine, Forest and Stream.

This collection comprises three major multi-part essays, each a testament to her keen observations and profound understanding of the wild, and stand as invaluable glimpses into Maine’s natural history that resonate with scholarly weight and personal experience.

The “Out-of-Door Papers,” a 10-part series published in the Natural History column from October 1889 to February 1890, captures the essence of Maine’s diverse landscapes.

“In the Region Around Nicatowis,” a 10-part series in “The Sportsman Tourist” column from January to March 1891, delves into the specifics of her many explorations.

“Six Years Under Maine Game Laws,” a 12-part series featured in the “Game, Bag and Gun” column from March to August 1891, provides a captivating narrative of her experiences within the regulatory framework of the time and the controversial state laws that governed hunting and fishing. She advocated incentives making it more profitable for guides and hunters to protect game than to poach it illegally.

Complementing Fannie’s major essays are insightful articles about the author and the subjects she so passionately wrote about. Two additional standalone pieces—an obituary tribute to Maine guide and woodsman Wilbur Webster (1892), and “Eastern Notes on Western Matters” (1897), recounting her experiences in the Great Northwest—showcase Fannie’s versatility as a writer.

In addition to her writings are nine articles by male writers commenting on Fannie’s series and adding details to her life and perspectives. For scholars, historians, and authors seeking to traverse the corridors of 19th-century America, Fannie Pearson Hardy’s writings offer a trove of primary sources that illuminate the socio-cultural, environmental, and regulatory aspects of the time, and showcase the contributions of a woman undeterred by societal expectations.

Beyond the pages of this volume, Fannie’s written works extend into the 20th century, solidifying her status as one of Maine’s foremost authorities on ornithology and native folklore, writing extensively about the language and culture of Native Americans. In 1893 she married Rev. Jacob Eckstorm, and her writing thereafter bore her married surname. After bearing two children Fannie faced the challenges of widowhood when Rev. Eckstorm died in 1899. She never remarried.

Fannie Pearson Hardy Eckstorm’s writings offer insight into the indomitable spirit of a pioneering woman whose words echo through the ages, resonating with the essence of a bygone era.

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CAMPING OUT

Women, Wives & Mothers in the Wilderness

While not a sport in the conventional competitive sense, camping in the 19th century unfolded as a captivating chapter in women’s engagement with the great outdoors and as a popular venue for participation in various athletic and field sports—hunting, hiking, boating, fishing, swimming, climbing, and horseback riding.

The 1800s seem like a quaint and simpler time before car alarms, freeway traffic, social media alerts, and the tumult of modern civilization, but to city-dwellers in the rapidly expanding industrial age the accelerating pace of life was already taking its toll and many people yearned for the relief of fresh air and the unhurried lifestyle to be found in unpaved nature.

Most of the 64 articles in this volumeare first-person accounts by women who share their camping experiences, sometimes in the company of other women, but more often with their husband or family. As these tales unfold, the essence of camping emerges not just as an outdoor pursuit but as a way of life, a respite from the constraints of money-driven culture.

Camping, as portrayed through the eloquent narratives of these women, transcends the mere act of setting up tents and kindling fires. It becomes a canvas on which tales are told of exploring the Grand Canyon and Yellowstone Park before they were overrun with tourists, vacations in the wilderness requiring survival skills and lists of provisions, walking tours in which camping was the only means of accomplishing a multi-day tramp, family excursions spent in the heart of nature, and outdoor living environments comprise.

Among the luminaries contributing to the first 42 articles in this collection are Juliet Wilbor Tompkins describing the society of city women living in domesticated tents in Mill Valley California; Mary Sargent Hopkins, most noted for her bicycling articles, advocating the outdoor life for women; E. Pauline Johnson’s “Outdoor Pastimes for Women” column in Outing magazine; Jessamy Harte (novelist Bret Harte’s daughter) on camping in the Adirondacks; a story about camping in the Ozarks of Arkansas by Minna Caroline Smith, with dialogue in Southern dialect; and multi-part articles by Dora Hope, Katherine White, and Charlotte Reeve Conover.

Sources include the magazines The Ladies’ Home Journal, Frank Leslie’s Popular Monthly, Good Housekeeping, Ladies’ World, Harper’s Bazar, and The Girl’s Own Paper; and newspapers: The Brooklyn Times, San Francisco Examiner, and Salt Lake City Herald.

The remaining 22 articles are an insightful collection published in Forest and Stream magazine in 1879 and 1880. It begins with four letters to the editor from wives describing their experiences living with a husband who is an outdoor sportsman. It is a mixed bag of compliments and complaints, and clearly struck a nerve with the publication’s female readership.

Following those four letters Forest and Stream inaugurated a regular feature entitled “Women’s Column.” This was a forum in which to vent and offer and seek advice from a number of wives whose husbands seemed as devoted to their fishing rod and rifle and hunting dogs as to hearth and home. The nature of the correspondences and reactions from men contributed to the quiet disappearance of the column after 18 installments. Contributions by men are labeled with the male symbol (♂).

This volume pays homage to the women who transformed camping from a daunting outdoor pursuit reserved for a few brave and intrepid souls into a popular journey of self-discovery, camaraderie, and appreciation for the uncharted beauty of the wild retreat in which more women could partake.

Six volumes of the Sports She Wrote series pertain exclusively to outdoor sports: (1) Adventure Seekers; (2) Women on the Hunt; (3) Fisherwomen; (4) Camping Out; (5) Mountaineering; and (6) Fannie Pearson Hardy. Additional material on outdoorswomen is presented in the volumes Diana’s Outdoor Sports and Adelia Brainerd: The Outdoor Woman of Harper’s Bazar.

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