Empowering Women of New Orleans
The women to remember.
Martha Westfeldt
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Martha was the owner of the Green Shutter. Pictured above. This tearoom/book shop was located on Royal Street, and was the location of New Orleans arts and crafts club. It also served as not only a center of arts but culture as well. Martha is known for her outstanding work with the red cross ambulance and motor corps transporting German prisoners of war held in Louisiana. She was also a leader in the Louisiana Women's committee. Because of the work Martha had provided to her community during the wars she was presented the Legion of Honor, which was a silver medal of the order of the crown. (HNOC,2001)
Martha Westfeldt
Sylvanie Williams
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Irma Thomas
"The Soul Queen of New Orleans"
Irma was born in Louisiana, and raised in New Orleans. Where she attended school and than later waitressed at Pimlico Club. She sang mostly in school and at church until she won the Ritz Theaters talent night two years in row. While waitressing in New Orleans she was approached by Tommy Ridgley and was asked to sing. Against her boss's wishes she did, and got fired. However it lead to a contract signing and her first released single.
1959
Henriette Delille
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She was an American French women from New Orleans. she founded the roman catholic order of the sisters of the hold family. This was established with free women of color, the order provided services to nursing care homes, and gave homes to orphans. In the later years the established schools, and they taught slave children when education was prohibited to them. She seems to be a very selfless figure of history who has shaped parts of New Orleans to what it is today.
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Micaela Pontalba
Micaela is known for marrying her cousin which was not a successful marriage. She became a prisoner in her own marriage, held captive by her husband and father in law who were both after her money that she was set to inherit. This went on for two decades. In order to gain access to Micaela's fortune her father in law shot her four times with dueling pistoles before shooting himself. She survived the attack, her father in law did not. She went on to get a separation from her husband/cousin. Micaela went back to New Orleans and was responsible for the design of the famous Pontalba buildings located in Jackson Square. Something neat that we learned about on our tour of the streets of New Orleans was that her fathers initials are in the iron work of both buildings located on the galleries. They now are the home to many unique businesses, and the top floor of both buildings serve as apartments.
The Pontalba Buildings
Did you know?
- Women were aloud to own property in New Orleans when they weren't allowed in other parts of the U.S
- Did you know that the LaLaurie haunted mansion is in New Orleans?
- Did you know that Marie LaLaurie tourtured, murdered slaves, burring them alive inside the walls of her home?
- LaLaurie Mansion when being torn down and rebuilt they discovered over 64 bodies? not including the infants buried in the womb of their mothers.
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