Notable Women in Yosemite's History Women have played an
important—though often hidden—part in Yosemite. In the 1800s,
women were expected to play a traditional role in the private
world of the family and the home. With the birth of the railroad
and as the Gold Rush drew people to California in the late
1800s, pioneering women found ways to broaden traditional roles.
Clothing reforms, such as the advent of "bloomers," allowed
women to participate in outdoor pursuits, while women writing
about their adventures in the West inspired the imagination of
others. Some women expanded traditional roles out of an
adventurous spirit while others branched out from the necessity
of supporting the family. In the West, women's domestic skills
sometimes became the basis for a profitable business. The
following Yosemite concessioners, adventurers, rangers,
naturalists, cultural demonstrators, and artists are some of the
pioneering women that helped expand women's roles. Bridget
Degnan moved to the United States from Ireland w