Every November, Wyoming marks the anniversary of one of its proudest firsts. In 1924, Cheyenne became home to the first woman governor in American history, and the house where she lived still stands just a short drive from Little America Cheyenne.
A Season of Loss and Resolve
In early October 1924, Governor William B. Ross died suddenly, just weeks before Election Day. With little time to spare, party leaders turned to his widow, Nellie Tayloe Ross, a former kindergarten teacher who had long served as her husband’s trusted sounding board on matters of state. Friends and family advised her against running. She accepted the nomination anyway.
What followed was one of the most unusual campaigns in Wyoming history. Still in mourning, Ross refused to campaign for herself, leaving the public appeals to friends and supporters. On November 4, 1924, Wyoming voters elected her by roughly 8,000 votes, a wider margin than her husband had won two years earlier.
The Race to Make History
Wyoming was not the only state with a woman on the ballot that November. In Texas, Miriam “Ma” Ferguson won her own race for governor on the same day. The distinction of first came down to the calendar. Ross took the oath of office on January 5, 1925, and Ferguson was sworn in about two weeks later, making Ross the first woman to serve as governor of a U.S. state.
For many Wyoming residents, the milestone felt fitting. In 1869, the Wyoming Territory became the first place in the nation to grant women the right to vote, earning a nickname that endures today: the Equality State.
Ross served one term and later became the first woman to direct the U.S. Mint, a post she held for 20 years. She lived to the age of 101 and is buried in Cheyenne.
A Visit to the Historic Governors’ Mansion
Today, the Historic Governors’ Mansion offers a window into the life of Ross and the 19 first families who called it home between 1905 and 1976. The Colonial Revival residence sits just five blocks from the Wyoming State Capitol and holds a quiet national distinction: it was the first executive mansion in the country to house a woman governor. Rooms are furnished to reflect different eras of the home’s history, and admission is free, with donations welcome. In 1969, Governor Stanley Hathaway and First Lady Bobbie Hathaway helped place the mansion on the National Register of Historic Places, preserving it for generations to come.
Late fall is an ideal time to visit, when crisp air makes a walk through the surrounding Rainsford Historic District especially pleasant. Hours shift with the seasons, so checking ahead is recommended.
Return to Warmth at Little America Cheyenne
After an afternoon steeped in history, Little America Cheyenne offers a comfortable place to settle in. The Wyoming Suites provide plenty of room to unwind, and Hathaway’s Restaurant serves hearty, made-from-scratch Western fare as the evenings grow colder and longer. As Wyoming’s capital city’s only resort, Little America Cheyenne is the ideal home base for exploring the stories that shaped the Equality State.
This season, the history of Wyoming’s first Governor Lady is waiting just down the road, and a warm welcome is waiting at Little America.