Page:The part taken by women in American history.djvu/786

Rh Was born June 22, 1845, in St. Albans, Vermont. Her father was John Hamilton and her mother's maiden name was Meakinn. Mrs. Pier gave the name of Hamilton to each of her three daughters. In 1866 she became the wife of C. K. Pier, of Fond du Lac, Wisconsin. She has accomplished what we believe no other woman in this country has—she made lawyers of herself and her three daughters. Mrs. Pier began her legal life by managing the large estate left by her father so successfully that other business of a like character was attracted to her. She was made court commissioner at one time and has enjoyed a successful professional career. She has accomplished much for women in her work before the legislature of her state in looking after bills in the interest of women.

Miss Alice Parker was born in Lowell, Massachusetts, April n, 1864, and was the daughter of the well-known Doctor Hiram Parker, of Lowell, Massachusetts. She was admitted to the Massachusetts bar, in 1890. Miss Parker published an interesting series of articles in the Home Journal, of Boston, under the title of "Law for My Sisters," of great value to women. They contained expositions of the law of marriage, widows, breach of promise, wife's necessaries, life insurance, divorce, sham marriages and names. She is the author of many amendments before the Massachusetts legislature affecting the property rights of women, and has made it her special work to procure such legislation at each session as will accomplish this end.

Lawyer and editor. Mrs. Bradwell was born in Manchester, Vermont, February 12, 1831. Daughter of Eben and Abigail Willey Colby. When quite young, her parents removed to New York City, and when she was about twelve years of age, to Chicago. In 1852, she married James B. Bradwell, whose father had been one of the leading pioneers of Illinois. She studied law in her husband's office. Passing the required examination, she was the first woman in America to ask to be admitted to the bar, but was refused on the grounds of being a married woman. This only added indignation to her desire, and she never ceased her efforts until this disability was removed, and finally received a certificate based upon her original application, and was the first woman to be admitted to the Illinois Bar Association. She was the editor of the first legal paper published in the Western states, known as the Chicago Legal News, and she remained its manager and editor until her death. The legislature of Illinois gave her a special charter for this paper, and it became a valuable medium for the publication of legal notices. Mrs. Bradwell drew up the bill making the law giving to married women their own earnings, and its passage was secured by her efforts in 1869. The work of editing and managing her paper became so arduous that her husband, Judge Bradwell, retired from the bench to assist her in this work. She was always