Ellen Cashman (1845 – 4 January 1925) was an Irish

nurse Nursing is a profession within the health care sector focused on the care of individuals, families, and communities so they may attain, maintain, or recover optimal health and quality of life. Nurses may be differentiated from other health c ...

, restaurateur, businesswoman and philanthropist in

Arizona Arizona ( ; nv, Hoozdo Hahoodzo ; ood, Alĭ ṣonak ) is a state in the Southwestern United States. It is the 6th largest and the 14th most populous of the 50 states. Its capital and largest city is Phoenix. Arizona is part of the Fou ...

, Alaska,

British Columbia British Columbia (commonly abbreviated as BC) is the westernmost province of Canada, situated between the Pacific Ocean and the Rocky Mountains. It has a diverse geography, with rugged landscapes that include rocky coastlines, sandy beaches, ...

and

Yukon Yukon (; ; formerly called Yukon Territory and also referred to as the Yukon) is the smallest and westernmost of Canada's three territories. It also is the second-least populated province or territory in Canada, with a population of 43,964 as ...

. Cashman led a rescue party to miners to the

Cassiar Country The Cassiar Country, also referred to simply as the Cassiar, is a historical geographic region of the Canadian province of British Columbia. The Cassiar is located in the northwest portion of British Columbia, just to the northeast of the Stikine ...

gold mine in the Cassiar Mountains of

earning her the nickname "Angel of the Cassiar". In

Tombstone, Arizona Tombstone is a historic city in Cochise County, Arizona, United States, founded in 1877 by prospector Ed Schieffelin in what was then Pima County, Arizona Territory. It became one of the last boomtowns in the American frontier. The town gr ...

, Cashman raised money to build the Sacred Heart Catholic Church, and did charitable work with the

Sisters of St. Joseph The Sisters of St. Joseph, also known as the Congregation of the Sisters of St. Joseph, abbreviated CSJ or SSJ, is a Roman Catholic religious congregation of women founded in Le Puy-en-Velay, France, in 1650. This congregation, named for S ...

. She went to the

during the Klondike Gold Rush for gold prospecting, working there until 1905. She became nationally known as a frontierswoman, with the ''

Associated Press The Associated Press (AP) is an American non-profit news agency headquartered in New York City. Founded in 1846, it operates as a cooperative, unincorporated association. It produces news reports that are distributed to its members, U.S. ne ...

'' covering a later trip. In 2006, Cashman was inducted into the Alaska Mining Hall of Fame.

Biography

Ellen "Nellie" Cashman was born in

Midleton Midleton (; , meaning "monastery at the weir") is a town in south-eastern County Cork, Ireland. It lies approximately 16 km east of Cork City on the Owenacurra River and the N25 road, which connects Cork to the port of Rosslare. A satellit ...

, County Cork in the mid 1840s. Some sources give 1844 as her year of birth, while some other research indicates she was the Ellen Cashman baptised on 15 October 1845. Her family lived on Free School Lane (now known as Mc Donaghs Lane). Cashman was brought to the United States around 1850 by her mother, along with her sister Frances (known as Fanny); they settled first in Boston. As an adolescent, Cashman worked as a bellhop in a Boston hotel. In 1865, she and her family moved to San Francisco, California.

British Columbia

Cashman left her family home in 1874 for the

in British Columbia. She set up a boarding house for miners at

Telegraph Creek Telegraph Creek is a small community located off Highway 37 in northern British Columbia at the confluence of the Stikine River and Telegraph Creek. The only permanent settlement on the Stikine River, it is home to approximately 250 members of ...

, asking for donations to the Sisters of St Anne in return for the services available at her boarding house. Cashman was travelling to

Victoria Victoria most commonly refers to: * Victoria (Australia), a state of the Commonwealth of Australia * Victoria, British Columbia, provincial capital of British Columbia, Canada * Victoria (mythology), Roman goddess of Victory * Victoria, Seychelle ...

to deliver 500

dollars Dollar is the name of more than 20 currencies. They include the Australian dollar, Brunei dollar, Canadian dollar, Hong Kong dollar, Jamaican dollar, Liberian dollar, Namibian dollar, New Taiwan dollar, New Zealand dollar, Singapore dollar, U ...

to the sisters of St. Anne when she heard that a

snowstorm A winter storm is an event in which wind coincides with varieties of precipitation that only occur at freezing temperatures, such as snow, mixed snow and rain, or freezing rain. In temperate continental climates, these storms are not necessar ...

had descended on the Cassiar Mountains, stranding and injuring 26 miners, who were also suffering from

scurvy Scurvy is a disease resulting from a lack of vitamin C (ascorbic acid). Early symptoms of deficiency include weakness, feeling tired and sore arms and legs. Without treatment, decreased red blood cells, gum disease, changes to hair, and bleeding ...

. She took charge of a six-man search party and collected food and medicine to take to the stranded miners. Conditions in the Cassiar Mountains were so dangerous that the

Canadian Army The Canadian Army (french: Armée canadienne) is the command responsible for the operational readiness of the conventional ground forces of the Canadian Armed Forces. It maintains regular forces units at bases across Canada, and is also res ...

advised against attempting the rescue. Upon learning of Cashman's expedition, a commander sent his troops to locate her party and bring them to safety. An army trooper eventually found Cashman camped on the frozen surface of the

Stikine River The Stikine River is a major river in northern British Columbia (BC), Canada and southeastern Alaska in the United States. It drains a large, remote upland area known as the Stikine Country east of the Coast Mountains. Flowing west and south f ...

. After 77 days of harsh weather, Cashman and her party located the sick men, who numbered far more than 26. Some historical accounts credit Cashman with saving the lives of as many as 75 men. She administered a diet containing

Vitamin C Vitamin C (also known as ascorbic acid and ascorbate) is a water-soluble vitamin found in citrus and other fruits and vegetables, also sold as a dietary supplement and as a topical 'serum' ingredient to treat melasma (dark pigment spots) ...

to restore the men to health. She was afterward fondly known in the region as the "Angel of the Cassiar".

Arizona

About 1880, Cashman moved to

. She raised money to build the Sacred Heart Catholic Church, and committed herself to charity work with the

. She took a position as a nurse in a

Cochise County Cochise County () is a county in the southeastern corner of the U.S. state of Arizona. It is named after the Native American chief Cochise. The population was 125,447 at the 2020 census. The county seat is Bisbee and the most populous city is ...

hospital, but also opened another restaurant and boarding house. Her sister Fanny Cunningham was widowed in 1881. Cashman arranged for Fanny and her five children to move to nearby

Tucson, Arizona , "(at the) base of the black ill , nicknames = "The Old Pueblo", "Optics Valley", "America's biggest small town" , image_map = , mapsize = 260px , map_caption = Interactive map ...

. Fanny died in 1884 of

tuberculosis Tuberculosis (TB) is an infectious disease usually caused by '' Mycobacterium tuberculosis'' (MTB) bacteria. Tuberculosis generally affects the lungs, but it can also affect other parts of the body. Most infections show no symptoms, i ...

, leaving her children in Cashman's care. In December 1883, bandits committed the Bisbee massacre in Tombstone, killing four innocent bystanders and wounding two others in the course of a robbery. The five men were convicted and sentenced to die by

hanging Hanging is the suspension of a person by a noose or ligature around the neck.Oxford English Dictionary, 2nd ed. Hanging as method of execution is unknown, as method of suicide from 1325. The ''Oxford English Dictionary'' states that hanging ...

on 28 March 1884. The hangings proceeded as scheduled, but out of public view. When Cashman learned that a medical school planned to exhume the bodies of the convicts for study, she enlisted two prospectors to stand watch over the

Boot Hill Boot Hill, or Boothill, is the given name of many cemeteries, chiefly in the Western United States. During the 19th and early 20th century it was a common name for the burial grounds of gunfighters, or those who " died with their boots on" (i.e ...

Cemetery for 10 days. Cashman and her associate Joseph Pascholy co-owned and ran a restaurant and hotel in Tombstone, Arizona called Russ House, now known as The Nellie Cashman Restaurant.

Yukon and Alaska

In 1898, Cashman left Arizona for the

in search of gold, staying until 1905. Her prospecting ventures took her to Klondike, Fairbanks and Nolan Creek in Yukon-Koyukuk County, Alaska. She later owned a store in Dawson City, Yukon. She subsequently settled in

Koyukuk, Alaska Koyukuk () ( Koyukon: ) is a city in Yukon-Koyukuk Census Area, Alaska, United States. At the 2010 census the population was 96, down from 101 in 2000. , Koyukuk is one of a number of Alaskan communities threatened by erosion. History The ...

, along with other established miners. In January 1925, Cashman developed

pneumonia Pneumonia is an inflammatory condition of the lung primarily affecting the small air sacs known as alveoli. Symptoms typically include some combination of productive or dry cough, chest pain, fever, and difficulty breathing. The severi ...

and rheumatism. Friends admitted her to the Sisters of St. Anne, the same hospital which she had helped to build fifty-one years earlier. She died there, and was interred at Ross Bay Cemetery in

Victoria, British Columbia Victoria is the capital city of the Canadian province of British Columbia, on the southern tip of Vancouver Island off Canada's Pacific coast. The city has a population of 91,867, and the Greater Victoria area has a population of 397,237. The ...

Legacy and honors

*The 1959–1960 season of the ABC

western Western may refer to: Places *Western, Nebraska, a village in the US *Western, New York, a town in the US *Western Creek, Tasmania, a locality in Australia *Western Junction, Tasmania, a locality in Australia *Western world, countries that id ...

television series A television show – or simply TV show – is any content produced for viewing on a television set which can be broadcast via over-the-air, satellite, or cable, excluding breaking news, advertisements, or trailers that are typically placed be ...

, ''

The Life and Legend of Wyatt Earp ''The Life and Legend of Wyatt Earp'' is the first Western television series written for adults, premiering four days before '' Gunsmoke'' on September 6, 1955. Two weeks later came the Clint Walker western ''Cheyenne''. The series is loosely ...

'', with

Hugh O'Brian Hugh O'Brian (born Hugh Charles Krampe; April 19, 1925 – September 5, 2016) was an American actor and humanitarian, best known for his starring roles in the ABC Western television series ''The Life and Legend of Wyatt Earp'' (1955–1 ...

starring as

Wyatt Earp Wyatt Berry Stapp Earp (March 19, 1848 – January 13, 1929) was an American lawman and gambler in the American West, including Dodge City, Deadwood, and Tombstone. Earp took part in the famous gunfight at the O.K. Corral, during which l ...

, featured a fictional character based on Nellie Cashman played by actress Randy Stuart (1924–1996). *

Grace Lee Whitney Grace Lee Whitney (born Mary Ann Chase; April 1, 1930 – May 1, 2015) was an American actress and singer. She played Janice Rand on the original ''Star Trek'' television series and subsequent ''Star Trek'' films. Early life Whitney was born on ...

played Cashman in "The Angel of Tombstone" of the syndicated western series ''

Death Valley Days ''Death Valley Days'' is an American old-time radio and television anthology series featuring true accounts of the American Old West, particularly the Death Valley country of southeastern California. Created in 1930 by Ruth Woodman, the program ...

'', hosted by Robert Taylor. *On 18 October 1994, Cashman was featured on a United States postage stamp as part of the Legends of the West series. *On 15 March 2006, Nellie Cashman was inducted

posthumously Posthumous may refer to: * Posthumous award - an award, prize or medal granted after the recipient's death * Posthumous publication – material published after the author's death * ''Posthumous'' (album), by Warne Marsh, 1987 * ''Posthumous'' (E ...

into the Alaska Mining Hall of Fame. *In 2007, she was inducted into the

National Cowgirl Museum and Hall of Fame The National Cowgirl Museum and Hall of Fame is located in Fort Worth, Texas, US. Established in 1975, it is dedicated to honoring women of the American West who have displayed extraordinary courage and pioneering fortitude. The museum is an edu ...

in Fort Worth, Texas. *In June 2014, a monument in Nellie's honour was erected near her home in

Co. Cork.

References

Other sources

*Don Chaput, (1995) '' Nellie Cashman, and the North American Mining Frontier'' (Tucson, Westernlore Press) *Ronald Wayne Fischer (2000) ''Nellie Cashman: Frontier Angel,'' (Talei Publishers) *John P. Clum (1931) "Nellie Cashman," ''Arizona Historical Review,'' v. iii, 9–34. * Illing, Thora Kerr (2016) ''Gold Rush Queen: the extraordinary life of Nellie Cashman'' (Touchwood Editions) *Claire Rudolf Murphy and Jane G. Haigh (1997) "Nellie Cashman," in ''Gold Rush Women'' (Alaska Northwest Books, p. 112–116)

External links

Charlene Porsild (2005). "Cashman, Ellen"
''Dictionary of Canadian Biography Online'' *
Kathy Weiser (2017). "Nellie Cashman – Pioneering the Mining Camps"
''Legends of America'' {{DEFAULTSORT:Cashman, Nellie 1845 births 1925 deaths People from County Cork Businesspeople from Boston Businesspeople from San Francisco American women restaurateurs American restaurateurs American gold prospectors Canadian gold prospectors People of the Klondike Gold Rush People from Dawson City Cassiar Country 19th-century Irish businesspeople 20th-century Irish philanthropists Irish explorers of North America Female explorers Arizona pioneers People from Tombstone, Arizona Cowgirl Hall of Fame inductees 20th-century Irish businesswomen 19th-century Irish philanthropists