The stories of women presented in the Resilience exhibit cover each decade from the 1880s to 2020s in the former pioneer and mountain town of Flagstaff in northern Arizona. Women have been part of Flagstaff’s social fabric from its very beginnings in the 1880s. Throughout the decades, women have shaped the town’s development as public figures and caretakers. Through their stories, we can trace societal changes in a small town of America’s Southwest.

For a long time, the voices of women and minorities have not been preserved in the official archives of knowledge. These stories recover forgotten histories and recognize the role of women in Arizona’s historical narrative.

​The women covered in this exhibit have something to teach us about resilience in the face of personal hardship and adverse environments, of painful legacies and economic woes. Their stories about building and rebuilding their lives in the face of adversity speak to their resourcefulness, perseverance, determination, prudence, and their caring spirit that holds communities together.