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Explore the History

Utah Women in County Office, 1896 - 1920
Kanab's all-woman town council, c. 1912. Courtesy of JoLynn Hoyt.

The 1896 election was the first in which Utah women citizens could run for public office. You’ve likely heard of Dr. Martha Hughes Cannon, who famously beat her own husband in the 1896 election to become Utah’s—and the nation’s—first female state senator. But did you know about the other women who won office that year? Sarah E. Anderson and Eurithe LaBarthe were elected as state representatives, and 11 other women were elected to county office! By the time the 19th Amendment became law in 1920, more than 120 Utah women had served as county recorders, treasurers and more. Find their stories in the table below, and  find stories of other trailblazing women on our pages for each county!

Special thanks to all the volunteers who researched these women, especially Constance Lieber, Sandra Ball, Dr. Ann Engar, and Dr. Laura Davis’ women’s history class at Southern Utah University!

Year ElectedNameCountyPositionNotes
1896Margaret CaineSalt Lake County AuditorBio here
1896Ellen JakemanUtah County TreasurerBio here
1896Delilah K. OlsonMillard County RecorderBio here
1896Charlotte FarmerJuab County RecorderBio here
1896Maud LaytonSevier County RecorderBio here
1896Mamie WooleyKane County Clerk Bio here
1896Amelia GraehlBox Elder County RecorderBio here
1896Emily DodsTooele County RecorderBio here; 2 terms
1896Tryphenia WestIron County Recorder2 terms
1896Bessie MoreheadCache County RecorderBio here; 2 terms
1896Mary F. ShelbyRich County RecorderBio here
1898Eliza MadsenBox Elder County Recorder
1898Mamie FoyGarfield County Recorder2 terms
1898Sarah E. ColeJuabCounty RecorderBio here
1898Mrs. Persis A. SpencerKaneCounty Recorder
1898Annie WixumPiuteCounty Recorder
1898Kate R. SnowballRichCounty RecorderBio here
1898Kate PerkinsSan JuanCounty Clerk and
County Recorder
2 terms
1898Eliza RossSevierCounty RecorderBio here
1898Mary HerronTooeleCounty Treasurer
1898May Brown SpencerUtahCounty RecorderBio here
1900Ella HutchinsBeaverCounty Recorder
1900Jennie P. SlaterCacheCounty RecorderBio here
1900Sarah A. HowardDavisCounty Recorder2 terms
1900Emily WatsonIronCounty Recorder
1900Hattie SpencerKaneCounty Recorder
1900Josephine KingPiuteCounty RecorderBio here
1900Alveretta OlsonSevierCounty RecorderBio here; 2 terms
1900Sadie HoldawayUintahCounty RecorderBio here; 2 terms
1900Sarah Jane RogersonSan JuanCounty Treasurer/
Clerk/Recorder
4 terms
1902Rebecca EamesCacheCounty RecorderBio here; 2 terms
1902Marie WorthenGarfieldCounty Recorder2 terms
1902Mary MonohanBeaverCounty Recorder
1902Kathinka AndersonEmeryCounty Recorder
1902Emily C. WatsonIronCounty Recorder2 terms
1902Isabelle RobisonMillardCounty Recorder
1904Lavina MurdockWasatchCounty TreasurerBio here; 3 terms
1904Meltrude HunsakerBox ElderCounty Recorder
1904Lydia CowleySevierCounty RecorderBio here
1904Sadie FossDavisCounty Recorder
1904Elizabeth NielsonBeaverCounty RecorderBio here; 3 terms
1904Christina MadsenBox ElderCounty Recorder2 terms
1904Esta SorensonMillardCounty Recorder
1904Laura StarkPiuteCounty RecorderBio here
1904Dorothy WilsonRichCounty Recorder2 terms
1904Addie LonghurstUintahCounty RecorderBio here
1906Jennie AshbyMillardCounty RecorderBio here
1906Minerva JohnsonUintahCounty RecorderBio here; 2 terms
1906Lucinda ReddSan JuanCounty Surveyor
1906Lenore ButtSan JuanSuperintendent of Schools
1906Rachel C. FarleyMorganSuperintendent of Schools
1906Sarah MerrillCache County RecorderBio here
1906Ida M. WellsGrand Superintendent of Schools
1906Emily BertelsonPiuteSuperintendent of SchoolsBio here
1906Susa J. SearlePiute County Recorder
1906Mattie DelongGarfield County Recorder
1908Margaret Zane WitcherSalt Lake County Clerk and
County Recorder
Bio here
1908Mary A. GunnIronCounty Recorder
1908Linnie TelfordCache County RecorderBio here
1908Isabella DaltonBox ElderCounty Recorder
1908Elsie SomervilleGrandCounty Clerk
1908Hattie EpsonPiuteCounty Recorder
1908Pearl BroughRichCounty RecorderBio here
1908Viola BurrSevierCounty Recorder
1908Ruth BaileySan JuanCounty Treasurer
1908Lillian RowberryTooeleSuperintendent of Schools
1908Leone RogersDavisCounty RecorderBio here
1908Clara GouldGarfieldCounty Recorder
1910Hulda MillerDavisCounty Recorderserved part of 1909-1910 term
1910Agnes EdwardsBeaverCounty Recorder
1910Rose H. NeeleyBox ElderCounty Recorder2 terms
1910Lavina MurdockWasatchCounty TreasurerBio here; 2 terms
1910May BakerSevierCounty Recorder
1912Mabel HackingUintahCounty RecorderBio here; 3 terms
1912Kate PrestonCacheCounty RecorderBio here; 2 terms
1912Josie FitzgeraldCarbonCounty RecorderBio here
1912Ann CooperGarfieldCounty Recorder4 terms
1912Blanche LewisDavisCounty RecorderBio here
1912Mary A. GunnIronCounty Recorder
1912Carrie A. HenryPiuteCounty Recorder
1912Emma ChristensenSan JuanCounty Recorder
1912Matilda DaltonSevierCounty Recorder
1912Ann SnowWayneSuperintendent of Schools
1914Electa DorrityBeaverCounty Recorder3 terms
1914Lulu HoodDuchesneCounty Treasurer
1914Olga StandingBox ElderCounty Recorder
1914Gwendolyn M. BensonIronCounty Recorder
1914Caroline F. RoundyKaneSuperintendent of Schools
1914Alice DavisMillard County Recorder
1914Athena PorterMorganCounty Clerk
1914Addie GottfredsonPiuteCounty Recorder
1914Augustine PearceRichCounty Recorder
1916Kate LittlefieldMorganCounty Clerk/
Recorder/Auditor
3 terms
1916Ella JohnsonBox ElderCounty Recorder
1916Clara R. GreySevierCounty Recorder
1916Josie Barnson SpraguePiuteCounty Recorder2 terms
1916Francis CallahanWayneCounty Treasurer2 terms
1916Katherine HigginbothamWeberCounty Recorder2 terms
1916Sophia MalletTooeleCounty Recorder
1916Barbara ForresterCarbon County RecorderBio here
1916Louisa BarberCache County RecorderBio here
1916Jennie AshbeyMillard County Recorder
1916Alma KimballSummitCounty Recorder
1916Millie WittWasatch County TreasurerBio here; 2 terms
1916Alice M. ToddDuchesneCounty Recorder
1916Kate TaylorIronCounty RecorderBio here; 3 terms
1916Sarah A. McKinnonRich County Recorder2 terms
1916Zilpha Wall MeeksUintah County RecorderBio here
1918Iris JacobsonDavisCounty Recorder
1918Isabelle LukePiuteCounty Treasurer
1918Melissa LanceDuchesneCounty RecorderBio here
1918Alice EliasonBox ElderCounty RecorderBio here
1918Mary Ann ThomasCarbonCounty RecorderBio here
1918Maggie E. FoyGarfield County RecorderBio here; 2 terms
1918Addie L. SwappKaneCounty Treasurer
1918Bertha WarnerMillard County RecorderBio here; 2 terms
1918Mary J. BowmanSevier County Recorder2 terms
1918Lucinda "Lou" GoldbransonSevierCounty Treasurer
1918Kate KimballSummitCounty Recorder2 terms
1918Genevieve RichardsonUtahCounty Recorder
1918Ellen CarterWashingtonCounty Recorder2 terms
1918Zella ColvinWayneCounty Clerk/
Recorder/Auditor
2 terms
1920Ida ParksJuabCounty Treasurer
1920Ruth BaileySan JuanCounty Treasurer
1920Isabelle de la MarrTooeleCounty Treasurer
1920Jenny JepsenUtahCounty Treasurer
1920Celista C. JensenBox ElderCounty Recorder
1920Laura R. MerrillCacheCounty RecorderBio here
1920Jessie SamfordCarbonCounty Recorder
1920Hulda BrownDavisCounty Recorder
1920Annie M. AllenEmeryCounty Recorder
1920Florence JohnsonPiute County Recorder
1920Minnie CutlerSalt LakeCounty Recorder
1920Blanche EliasonSanpeteCounty Recorder
1920Minnie PreeceUintahCounty Recorder
1920Leah ElkinsUtahCounty Recorder
1920Glenna FeltWeberCounty Recorder
1920Elsie NorrisRichCounty Recorder
1920Mayme DuncheeBeaverCounty Recorder
1920Gladys BriggsWasatchCounty TreasurerBio here
1920Tyrza HansenWayneCounty Treasurer
1920Flaurie E. WhiteMorganCounty Clerk/
Recorder/Auditor