Visit Wichita: Honoring Wichita's Women - Past & Present - For Women's History Month

Press release from Visit Wichita:

2022-02-27

Throughout Wichita’s history, women have played an important role. They have shaped the city in many ways and continue to be an invaluable part of why Wichita is the heart of the country.

Women’s History Month, which is celebrated in March, got its start in 1980 when President Jimmy Carter designated a Women’s History Week in early March. By 1987, Congress passed a resolution turning that weeklong celebration into a monthlong observance.

There are so many amazing female changemakers in Wichita – past and present – it’s difficult to list them all. So, we’ve compiled a list of some of the women who’ve made their mark on the city.

Women in Wichita’s History 

First on our list is Catherine Greiffenstein, a previous landowner who helped run the frontier trading post along with her husband in Wichita’s early days.

Catherine McCarty
Credit: ​Wichita-Sedgwick County Historical Museum

One of the city’s first female entrepreneurs was Catherine McCarty. She purchased land and began a laundry service. Additionally, she was the only woman to sign Wichita’s founding charter in 1870. Also noteworthy, she is the mother of the famous outlaw, Billy the Kid.

Although she was not born in Kansas, this list wouldn’t be complete without prohibitionist Carry Nation. Nation brought Wichita to national attention after destroying the Eaton hotel bar with a hatchet in 1900. After watching her husband suffer and die from an alcohol addiction, she took it upon herself to crusade against alcohol. The Eaton bar was Wichita’s fanciest and most prominent at the time, making it the perfect target for Nation and her hatchet.

Olive Ann Beech
Credit: ​Wichita-Sedgwick County Historical Museum

Olive Ann Beech was the co-founder, president, and chairwoman of the Beech Aircraft Corporation. She founded the company in 1932 with her husband, Walter Beech, and three others. She has earned more awards than any other woman in aviation, and is often referred to as the “First Lady of Aviation.”

Born in Wichita in 1919, Mary Chance VanScyoc was one of the country’s first recognized female civilian air traffic controllers in the United States.

Wichita Art Museum

Hattie McDaniel
Credit: ​The Kansas African American Museum

Hattie McDaniel, a Wichita-born film actress, became the first African American to be nominated for, as well as the first African American to win an Oscar. In 1940, McDaniel received the award for Best Actress in a Supporting Role for her portrayal of Mammy in “Gone With the Wind.” She was honored with a star on the Walk of Fame in 1960. Be sure to visit a colorful memorial showcasing her life and career. Visitors can find it at 925 N. Wichita St., near 9th and Waco, across the street where she once lived.

Former President Barack Obama’s mother, Ann Dunham, was born in Wichita in 1942.

Actress Kirstie Alley, best known for her role as Rebecca Howe in "Cheers," was born in Wichita on Jan. 12, 1951.

Doris Kerr Larkins
Credit: ​The Kansas African American Museum

Parishioner Doris Kerr Larkins led the effort to protect the Calvary Baptist Church, now The Kansas African American Museum, from urban renewal’s wrecking ball. Larkins and many others went on to launch the First National Black Historical Society in 1973.

Professional basketball player Lynette Woodard was the first woman in history to play for the Harlem Globetrotters. She was added to the team’s roster in 1985 and played on the team for two seasons. Woodard went on to play overseas and in the WNBA (Women’s National Basketball Association). 

Joanna Gaines of HGTV’s “Fixer Upper” was born in Wichita in 1978. 

Influential Women in Wichita Today

Sarah Leslie | Leslie Coffee Co.

The Anchor, The Artichoke Sandwichbar, Bagatelle Bakery, The Brown Box Bakery, The Donut Whole, Jenny Dawn Cellars, Jimmie’s Diner (North Rock and South locations), The Kitchen, Leslie Coffee Co., Monarch, Mort’s Martini & Cigar Bar, Sweet Allie B’s, Tanya’s Soup Kitchen and Olive Tree Catering.

The Anchor The Artichoke Sandwichbar Bagatelle Bakery The Brown Box Bakery The Donut Whole Jenny Dawn Cellars North Rock South The Kitchen Leslie Coffee Co. Monarch Mort’s Martini & Cigar Bar, Sweet Allie B’s Tanya’s Soup Kitchen Olive Tree Catering

Other tasty Wichita establishments with women co-owners are Bella Vita Bistro, Five Star Catering at Sugar Shane’s Café, Hopping Gnome Brewing Company, Kookaburra Coffee, Monica’s Bundt Cake, Nortons Brewing Co., Old Mill Tasty Shop, The Popcorner (East & West locations), Prost and Ziggy’s Pizza (Clifton Square, East & West).

Kelsey Metzinger | Bungalow 26

It’s not just the dining scene that is bursting with talented women. Local shops and unique businesses across the city are owned and co-owned by women: American Fun Food Company, A. Jay Health and Wellness, Bash Booking Agency, Bungalow 26, Bohemia Healing Spa, Cocoa Dolce (Bradley Fair, New Market Square and Old Town), Colour T-Hair-apy Salon & Oxygen Bar, Country Boys Carriage,  Drone-tography, LLC, The Farris Wheel, Generations Antiques and Artisans, Kendra Scott, Lucinda’s, Paramount Antique Mall, Sunflower Travel Corp., Uniquities Home, Urban Interiors, The Health Connection, Wichita Union Stockyards, The Workroom and more!

This press release was produced by Visit Wichita. The views expressed here are the author’s own.