Teresa Jordan grew up on a ranch in Iron Mountain, Wyoming, northwest of Cheyenne. She was raised surrounded by women and girls who worked on the range, right beside their husbands, fathers, and brothers.
Those early experiences and a love of Western history piqued her interest in cowgirls. In the 1970s, she travelled more than sixty thousand miles across the West seeking out the images and stories of authentic cowgirls. Jordan compiled her findings into a book titled Cowgirls: Women of the American West.
The nearly one hundred cowgirls Jordan interviewed had an in-depth knowledge of horses and livestock and loved working outdoors. They represented a wide range of ages and personalities. Most were from Wyoming, Colorado, and Montana.
Jordan’s book included photographs of cowgirls in action. The cowgirls interviewed all had a wealth of stories to tell about ranch life. And Jordan asked them about their views on the Equal Rights Amendment and the women’s movement.
Learn more by reading the Teresa Jordan papers at UW’s American Heritage Center.