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The territory of Wyoming was the pioneer commonwealth in the enfranchising of women and the right to hold office incident thereto. This privilege was conferred upon Wyoming women by the first territorial legislature, December 10, 1869. Esther Morris, a Wyoming woman, was directly responsible for the introduction of the bill granting women equal political rights with male citizens. She is known as the Mother of Woman Suffrage. The first general election in which women voted after the passing of this law, was in the fall of 1870. Thus, when Wyoming was admitted to the union in 1890, the constitution of the state embodied the same provision.

In April, 1870, Wyoming women served on both grand and petit juries at Laramie, and later, as petit jurors in other localities of the territory. There was intense excitement and interest when this first jury convened in Laramie and the material facts were telegraphed all over the world by the Associated Press. Later, the general opinion of the Bench and Bar and a majority of the citizens was that the law passed three days prior to that of "female suffrage," which provided that "male citizens" should compose the jury, could not be interpreted to require jury service of women, or that the right to hold office carried with it the right to sit in trial juries. The law has never been amended and the question never directly decided by the Wyoming Supreme Court, Wyoming women having apparently been satisfied for more than fifty years to let the tedious duty of jury service devolve upon their men.

From the passage of the equal suffrage law in 1869, women have been active in the public service of their various communities and in the affairs of the state. They assumed the responsibility of the ballot as a matter of course, along with the duties of their homes, and although the number having sought public office is comparatively small, yet those who have been elected or appointed to office, have almost without exception, fulfilled the duties required of them in a competent, dignified and womanly manner.

To Esther Morris, also, belongs the distinction of being Wyoming's first woman in public office. She was appointed