Mary McNair Mathews (1834–1903)

Mary McNair Mathews was born in Livingston County, New York. She was married and widowed early, with one son. In 1869, she learned of her brother's murder in Virginia City, Nevada, and sold her hoop skirt factory in Buffalo to travel out there to investigate and sort out his affairs. Virginia City was still the frontier and in the throes of the silver mining boom when she arrived. Mrs. Mathews opened a laundry business, a school, a boarding house, and a soup kitchen. She returned to New York in 1878 and published her memoir Ten Years in Nevade; or Life on the Pacific Coast in 1880, recounting her experiences in Nevada and California mining towns, including Virginia City, Gold Hill, Silver City, Sutro, You Bet, Nevada City, and Red Dog. She then headed back west to be with her son. Mrs. Mathews died in Ukiah, California in 1903.