Sarah Anna Gordon (''née'' Steele; January 10, 1831 – before 1900) was an American physician and author of ''Camping in Colorado with Suggestions to Gold-Seekers, Tourists and Invalids'' (1879).

Early life

Gordon was born in 1831 in

Charlemont, Massachusetts Charlemont is a town in Franklin County, Massachusetts, United States. The population was 1,185 at the 2020 census. It is part of the Springfield, Massachusetts Metropolitan Statistical Area. History Charlemont was first colonized by Mose ...

, the daughter of Elijah Steele and his second wife, Emily. When Gordon was young, her parents moved to New York, where she was reared and took the first year of a college course of study, which was afterwards completed in

Illinois Illinois ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Midwestern United States, Midwestern United States. It borders on Lake Michigan to its northeast, the Mississippi River to its west, and the Wabash River, Wabash and Ohio River, Ohio rivers to its ...

Career

Before marriage, Gordon was in charge of the ladies' department at Rock River Seminary, and subsequently, the same position was twice tendered to her at

Ripon College (Wisconsin) Ripon College is a private liberal arts college in Ripon, Wisconsin, United States. As of 2024, the college enrolled around 754 undergraduate students. Nearly 80% of students were Wisconsin residents. History Ripon College was founded in 1851 ...

. She was offered the position of principal of the newly formed State Normal School of Wisconsin. She attended teachers' institutes, wherever held throughout the State, for the purpose of agitating the subject of a normal school, until the desire became an object accomplished. In 1858, she married William Allen Gordon, M.D., of New York. After the Civil War, they moved to

Hannibal, Missouri Hannibal is a city along the Mississippi River in Marion County, Missouri, Marion and Ralls County, Missouri, Ralls counties in the U.S. state of Missouri. According to the 2020 United States census, 2020 U.S. Census, the population was 17,108, ...

. After her marriage, Gordon immediately commenced the study of medicine with her husband, attended a partial course of lectures, and was called upon by the people to assist him in an overburdening practice. In 1859 and 1860 the Gordons were connected with the

Smithsonian Institution The Smithsonian Institution ( ), or simply the Smithsonian, is a group of museums, Education center, education and Research institute, research centers, created by the Federal government of the United States, U.S. government "for the increase a ...

, taking meteorological notes and making collections for the same. Gordon filled an engagement of one year as associate editor on the ''Central Wisconsin'', and then joined her husband in

Louisville, Kentucky Louisville is the List of cities in Kentucky, most populous city in the Commonwealth of Kentucky, sixth-most populous city in the Southeastern United States, Southeast, and the list of United States cities by population, 27th-most-populous city ...

, where he was stationed most of the time during the Civil War. In Louisville, Gordon gave considerable time to the study of art, the remaining time being devoted to the relief of the suffering soldiers around her. Situated near her husband's headquarters at one time was a camp of homeless southern refugees, overtaken by the smallpox. They could find no physician to serve them. Gordon's husband was prohibited both by want of time and the exposures it would bring to the soldiers. She learned of their pitiful condition and at once went to their relief and fought the scourge until it vanished. Gordon served as hospital officer to her husband in different capacities as unavoidable circumstances created vacancies not readily supplied. Gordon was a weekly contributor to the literary columns of the Louisville ''Sunday Journal'' during the war. She has been a member of the

Dante Society of America The Dante Society of America is an American academic society devoted to the study of Dante Alighieri. One of the oldest scholarly societies in North America, it predates both the Modern Language Association, founded in 1883, and the American His ...

since its organization, and in 1882 and 1883 was State editor for the Missouri

Woman's Christian Temperance Union The Woman's Christian Temperance Union (WCTU) is an international temperance organization. It was among the first organizations of women devoted to social reform with a program that "linked the religious and the secular through concerted and far ...

on the Chicago ''Signal''. During a residence in

Denver Denver ( ) is a List of municipalities in Colorado#Consolidated city and county, consolidated city and county, the List of capitals in the United States, capital and List of municipalities in Colorado, most populous city of the U.S. state of ...

, Colorado, Gordon was the first person to suggest the demand for the newsboys' home there, which she had the opportunity to aid in establishing. She was also assistant superintendent of Chinese work in that city for some time. Gordon was the author of: ''Music of Waters'', ''Missing Gems'', ''Pebbles'', ''Camping in Colorado with Suggestions to Gold-Seekers, Tourists and Invalids'' (1879, The Author's Publishing Company, 1st edition, 1882, W B Smith & Co., New York, 2nd edition), and several papers and poems that have entered into other collections. ''Camping in Colorado'' described her and her family's adventures as they camped in the Rocky Mountains near Denver: "At the gates of the park we discovered an open cabin. It was built of unhewn logs, and covered with earth. The windows were gone, and the paths that once led to it were overgrown with bramble. We learned that this had been the home of Mountain Jim, who, during his life, had been known as trapper, hunter, fishman, and more. The desolate cabin still serves as a monument to his memory; and it is pointed out to strangers, the thrilling of this strange life and tragic death are related; all of which have become historically associated with the park"—S. Anna Gordon. In 1889, Gordon graduated with honors from the

Hahnemann Medical College Drexel University College of Medicine is the medical school of Drexel University, a private research university in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The medical school represents the consolidation of two medical schools: Hahnemann Medical College, orig ...

Chicago Chicago is the List of municipalities in Illinois, most populous city in the U.S. state of Illinois and in the Midwestern United States. With a population of 2,746,388, as of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, it is the List of Unite ...

. In medicine, she was a homeopathist.

References

Attribution

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Gordon, S. Anna 1831 births Physicians from Wisconsin American women physicians American writers American women writers People from Charlemont, Massachusetts Year of death missing Wikipedia articles incorporating text from A Woman of the Century