JACKSON, Wyo. — Wyoming earned its nickname “The Equality State” by being the first to grant women the right to vote in 1869.
Less than a century later, right here in Jackson, residents elected an all-female town council. Most recently, in January 2021, Hailey Morton Levinson was sworn in as the fourth female mayor of Jackson.
Cafe Genevieve, the popular breakfast spot on Broadway, is named after the matron of that historic cabin, Genevieve Van Vleck. Van Vleck served on Jackson’s first all-female town council alongside Rose Crabtree, Grace Miller, Faustina Haight and Mae Deloney. They served on the town council from 1920-23, and would go down in history as “the Petticoat Rulers.”
Strong women have called Jackson home for its entire history, and we wanted to recognize them this International Women’s Day. Visit the Jackson Hole Historical Society & Museum for more stories and photos of women who have shaped this place.
