TACOMA, Wash. — The Washington State History Museum's exhibition, 'Crossing Boundaries: Portraits of a Transgender West,' explored the little-known tales of people whose life journeys were often cloaked in secrecy. The exhibit, which ran from May to Dec. last year, is in the works to return as a traveling exhibit. And this time, they'll have an award behind their name.
The museum just received an "Award of Excellence" from the American Association for State and Local History for this look at the stories of these true pioneers - pioneers that were once a very hidden chapter in history.
"There are a lot of reasons we don't know this history," said Washington State History Museum's Lead Curator Gwen Whiting.
Transgender pioneers made their way through uncharted territory.
Whiting said, "The concept of transgender didn't exist in the late 1800s, early 1900s."
The Washington State History Museum's new exhibition, 'Crossing Boundaries: Portraits of a Transgender West,' explores the little-known tales of people whose life journeys were often cloaked in secrecy.
"Their lives were erased," Whiting said.
A trans woman named 'Mrs. Nash' was married to a top aide to the notorious General George Custer.
"Mrs. Nash actually did Custer's laundry."
Whiting says that after the housemaid's death it was discovered she had what others viewed as a male body, and her reputation was smeared.
"And the press was not always kind, as you can see in the exhibit."
The papers loved to tell the then-scandalous story of Harry Allen, born as Nellie Pickerell, a name and gender the Seattle man would openly reject his entire life.
"There's numerous reports about how various women fell in love with Harry," Whiting said.
'Mother George' worked as a beloved midwife in the late 1800s.
Whiting said, "She lived in a valley in Idaho that was settled by Black pioneers."
But upon her death, residents discovered her physical characteristics were not what they thought, and promptly disavowed her.
"Some people even refused to acknowledge that she had delivered their children."
Not all transgender experiences were negative. Joe Monahan was a trans man who headed west to work the range.
"Joe was really entranced by that idea," said Whiting.
When he passed away, he was remembered just as he wished.
"A lot of his close friends and associates simply said, 'He was a cowboy. That's that.'"
A Montana-born entertainer, Julian Eltinge, was celebrated for crossing genders in his shows throughout the west. And in the 1880's a trans man in Colorado named Charles Vosbaugh was lovingly adopted by nuns in his old age.
"They let him work as a gardener," Whiting said, "and so the community embraced him under the name which he preferred, and accepted him as a man, and that was how he ended his days."
Transgender pioneers ventured where few had gone before and journeyed to new frontiers. They are forgotten no more.
"Trans people are part of the story of the West," Whiting said, "Trans people are part of our history."
KING 5's Evening celebrates the Northwest. Contact us: Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Email.