Laura Stockton Starcher (d. 1960) was the first female mayor in Umatilla elected through the Petticoat Revolution in 1916.[1][2] She was the wife of incumbent mayor EE Starcher, and was elected by a vote of 26–8. Her husband only discovered she was his opponent on the afternoon of election day.[3][4][5]
Career edit
She served less than a year in office and was succeeded by councilwoman Stella Paulu, who replaced her as mayor in 1918. Other remaining members of the Petticoat Government helped make significant improvements to the town's infrastructure in the next four years of their governance.[6]
After her term as mayor, she may have run a beauty salon and delivered mail in Parma, Idaho.[7] In her first public address, she promised to appoint a new female police marshal citing her reasons as, "[w]e will not leave the enforcement of our laws to any man, because past experience has proven the laws will not be strictly enforced."[8]
Starcher died in 1960 and was buried in Parma Cemetery in Idaho.[9][10]
References edit
- ^ Onion, Rebecca (2015-04-14). "Thousands of American Women Ran for Office Before They Could Even Vote. Some Won!". Slate Magazine. Retrieved 2021-09-28.
- ^ "Laura Starcher and the Petticoat Revolution of 1916". www.mentalfloss.com. 2015-04-21. Retrieved 2021-09-28.
- ^ "WIFE WINS POLITICAL RACE.; Mrs. E.E. Starcher Elected Mayor of Umatilla, Ore., Over Husband". The New York Times. 1916-12-07. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2021-09-28.
- ^ "Laura Stockton Starcher and the Ladies of Umatilla by Linda Harris Sittig". Stories of Strong Women. 2017-11-30. Retrieved 2021-09-28.
- ^ "Laura Stockton Starcher". www.oregonhistoryproject.org. Retrieved 2021-09-28.
- ^ "Stella Paulu". Her Hat Was In The Ring. Retrieved 2021-10-29.
- ^ Cockle, Richard; Oregonian, The (2012-03-07). "Umatilla will revisit famous 'Petticoat Revolution' that made national headlines". oregonlive. Retrieved 2021-09-28.
- ^ "Laura Starcher and the Petticoat Revolution of 1916". www.mentalfloss.com. 2015-04-21. Retrieved 2021-10-29.
- ^ Wallace, Shelley Burtner (1987). "Umatilla's "Petticoat Government," 1916-1920". Oregon Historical Quarterly. 88 (4): 385–402. ISSN 0030-4727.
- ^ "When the Men Failed, Women Took Over the Government to Save a Town". History Hustle. 2018-07-24. Retrieved 2021-09-28.