Laws Railroad Museum and Historical Site Celebrates its Third Annual Women in History Event on March 23rd

Laws Railroad Museum and Historical Site Celebrates its Third Annual Women in History Event on March 23rd 

Saturday March 23rd, Laws Railroad Museum and Historical Site will be  celebrating Women’s History Month, with docent presentations, games, puzzles,  prizes, and a Virginia City tradition: an Irish “Ladies Fair” where visitors to the  museum for this event can purchase vintage Jim Beam bottles, cookies, and  place bids at a silent auction.

This year’s Women’s History Event theme is “Immigrant Women in Western Mining  Towns”. Although many women in early Western American mining history were  born here to immigrant families, others were themselves immigrants. They came  from around the world: China, Europe, Canada, South America, and Ireland.  Some were trafficked like Chinese teenager Polly Bemis who was sold to an  Idaho mining camp saloon keeper. Others, such as Nellie Cashman, came to  escape the Irish potato famine. Still others came to seek fortunes of their own  like Nicaraguan Ferminia Serras who became Nevada’s “Copper Queen”.

Join us on Saturday, March 23rd from 11:00 to 3:00 at Laws Railroad Museum  and Historical Site. Fourteen docents will be on hand to share stories of some of  these women, host a silent auction, and hand out prizes. Train Crew members  Beverly and Marty will be in the Engine House to answer questions about the  historic Brill Car, the restoration of our Slim Princess #9, and talk about women in  railroad history. Visitors who participate in this special event will have a chance  to win prizes, and those who make purchases at the Ladies Fair will have the  satisfaction of participating in a longstanding tradition of fundraising for repairs  to the local church.

While the Irish Ladies’ Societies of the Comstock held these Fairs to raise money  to build and repair churches, hospitals, and orphanages, the museum will be  earmarking monies raised from this event for repair of Father Crowley’s 100-year old Catholic Church, now the Laws Library and Art Center. Join us for this  entertaining and educational event!

News Staff