Elizabeth Eaglesfield (1853–1940) was the first woman admitted to the

Indiana Indiana () is a U.S. state in the Midwestern United States. It is the 38th-largest by area and the 17th-most populous of the 50 States. Its capital and largest city is Indianapolis. Indiana was admitted to the United States as the 19th s ...

state bar A state bar association is a bar association that represents or seeks to represent the attorneys practicing law in a particular U.S. state. Their functions differ from state to state, but often include administration of the state bar examination fo ...

and the first practicing female attorney in the city of

Grand Rapids, Michigan Grand Rapids is a city and county seat of Kent County in the U.S. state of Michigan. At the 2020 census, the city had a population of 198,917 which ranks it as the second most-populated city in the state after Detroit. Grand Rapids is the ...

, in 1875. She was also a

Great Lakes The Great Lakes, also called the Great Lakes of North America, are a series of large interconnected freshwater lakes in the mid-east region of North America that connect to the Atlantic Ocean via the Saint Lawrence River. There are five lak ...

ship captain A sea captain, ship's captain, captain, master, or shipmaster, is a high-grade licensed mariner who holds ultimate command and responsibility of a merchant vessel.Aragon and Messner, 2001, p.3. The captain is responsible for the safe and efficie ...

, the owner of a fruit shipping business, and real estate magnate in

Benton Harbor, Michigan Benton Harbor is a city in Berrien County in the U.S. state of Michigan. It is 46 miles southwest of Kalamazoo and 71 miles southwest of Grand Rapids. According to the 2020 census, its population was 9,103. It is the smaller, by population, o ...

. She was inducted into the

Michigan Women's Hall of Fame The Michigan Women's Hall of Fame (MWHOF) honors distinguished women, both historical and contemporary, who have been associated with the U.S. state of Michigan. The hall of fame was founded in 1983 by Gladys Beckwith and is sponsored by the Michi ...

in 2013 for her accomplishments in the fields of business and law.

Early life and education

Elizabeth Eaglesfield was born June 29, 1853, in

Clay County, Indiana Clay County is a county located in the U.S. state of Indiana. As of 2010, the population was 26,890. The county seat is Brazil. Clay County is included in the Terre Haute, Indiana, Metropolitan Statistical Area. History The Indiana Legislatur ...

, and attended high school in

Terre Haute Terre Haute ( ) is a city in and the county seat of Vigo County, Indiana, United States, about 5 miles east of the state's western border with Illinois. As of the 2010 census, the city had a population of 60,785 and its metropolitan area had a ...

. She later attended the

University of Michigan , mottoeng = "Arts, Knowledge, Truth" , former_names = Catholepistemiad, or University of Michigania (1817–1821) , budget = $10.3 billion (2021) , endowment = $17 billion (2021)As o ...

, receiving a degree in literature in 1876 and in law in 1878.

Career in law

Elizabeth Eaglesfield began her notable legal career by being the first woman admitted to the Indiana State Bar in 1875, 3 years before earning a law degree. She was the first practicing female attorney in Grand Rapids, Michigan. Eaglesfield focused on providing legal assistance to minors and widows. Her specialties included litigating cases involving property disputes, divorce, and violence. Eaglesfield also used her legal expertise to become a successful businesswoman and real estate mogul in Benton Harbor and a maritime lawyer on the Great Lakes.

Captain of the ''Golden Girl''

In addition to her legal practice, Elizabeth Eaglesfield captained a steamship named the ''Golden Girl'' which was completed in 1909 for a cost of $10,000. The ''Golden Girl'' could carry up to ten thousand cases of fruit from Benton Harbor to various ports around the Great Lakes. Eaglesfield's legal expertise served her well on the Great Lakes, exemplified by winning a 1911 dispute with

Milwaukee, Wisconsin Milwaukee ( ), officially the City of Milwaukee, is both the most populous and most densely populated city in the U.S. state of Wisconsin and the county seat of Milwaukee County, Wisconsin, Milwaukee County. With a population of 577,222 at th ...

, police who challenged her right to sell produce from the harbor. Her career as a captain continued until her retirement in 1930, leaving behind a fleet of five fruit boats that her son continued to operate.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Eaglesfield, Elizabeth 1853 births 1940 deaths Indiana lawyers American businesspeople in shipping American food industry businesspeople University of Michigan College of Literature, Science, and the Arts alumni People from Clay County, Indiana People from Terre Haute, Indiana Lawyers from Grand Rapids, Michigan People from Benton Harbor, Michigan University of Michigan Law School alumni 19th-century American women lawyers 19th-century American lawyers

Early life and education

Career in law

Captain of the ''Golden Girl''

See also

References