Amazing North Ogden Women

BY: SABRINA LEE

The women of North Ogden shaped the building of the community with their service, skills, innovation, and activism.

Manyyears ago, I had a history professor tell me, “Men may have won the wild west, but women tamed it.” And if you think about it, where women were involved in the settling of untamed territories, civilization emerged. The women of North Ogden shaped the foundation of the community with their service, skills, innovation, and activism.

Women like Adaline Knight Belnap who was for many years the only person who could provide healthcare in the county. Another healthcare provider was Dica Deamer. She moved to North Ogden in 1915 and worked as a practical nurse and midwife. These women provided much needed support to women’s health when, at times, it was not readily available.

Ever wonder where Ben Lomond Peak got its name? Mary Wilson Montgomery. Mary arrived in North Ogden from Scotland in 1851 and is credited with naming the peak after the one in Scotland. Mary Wheeler Chadwick came to North Ogden in 1855. A member of the Latter-Day Saints, she helped her sister-wives care for 26 children. She was the first to own a sewing machine in the area and, “pioneered the project for the production of silkworms for silk making.”

The role of teaching our youth is so important. Maggie Taggart dedicated her life to teaching the children of North Ogden for 30 years. She began teaching in 1918 and didn’t retire until 1947. We don’t bat an eye at a female involved in politics today, but it was not common in the 1950s. Lettice Rich won the election in 1952 for the first North Ogden recorder-treasurer. She served in that position for a long time, being reappointed year after year until her retirement in 1977.

These are just a few of the historical women from North Ogden. You can find their stories and many more online at the Beyond Suffrage: A Century of Northern Utah Women Making History project. This special online exhibit by Weber State University Special Collections highlights women of Northern Utah that have contributed significantly to their community. Created in 2020 for the centennial celebration of the 19th Amendment, they are still actively collecting stories of extraordinary women who have impacted their communities.

Have some amazing women in your lineage? We'd love to hear their stories. Email cindy@connectionpub.com and we might feature them in the magazine.