Johann Gottfried Hauer (John Godfrey Howard) Family Line
Dr. Minnie Hayden Howard (1872-1965) Frontier Doctor of the West
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by Carolyn Ann Howard
Dr. Minnie Howard may not be related to me through blood, but I'm still incredibly proud to have her same last name, Howard. Dr. Minnie was the wife of my third cousin, twice removed. Click on photos to enlarge
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| Dr. Minnie Howard |
Dr. Minnie was born Minnie Hayden in Memphis, Missouri, to a farmer and his wife, Jacob and Carina (Carrie). When she was 14, she moved with her parents and siblings to Larned, Kansas. The reason for the move may have been the call of the west, which was strong at that time. It might be that opportunities were better for their children in Larned. This would be information that perhaps an extended study would find.
Dr. Minnie attended Central Normal College in Great Bend, Kansas, before embarking on a career in teaching in rural Kansas.
Five of Dr. Minnie's letters to her then future husband, which can be found on-line through Idaho State University, show that Dr. Minnie was well-educated and highly regarded. In the letters, she called her future husband, William Forrest Howard, her "esteemed friend." She also, in these few letters, outlines her brother, Will's, carriage accident, in 1890. Will fractured his skull and almost died. He did recover from his injuries, and, in his adult life, he was a pharmacist. I'm wondering if his accident was something that caused Minnie to consider becoming a doctor. According to Idaho's Remarkable Women by Lynn Bragg, her husband talked her into getting a medical education, so that she would understand the lifestyle. Her mother, Carrie, died in 1892, another factor that may have caused Dr. Minnie to make a decision on becoming a doctor.
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| Minnie's brother, Will |
Dr. Minnie's husband, William Forrest Howard, also graduated from Central Normal College. After their marriage on 23 Aug 1894, in Larned, Kansas, at the home of the bride, they both taught school. William and Dr. Minnie graduated from the University of Kansas Medical School, Minnie in 1899. Upon their graduation, the couple practiced for a few years in Cuba, Kansas. In 1902, however, they moved their practice to Pocatello, Idaho.
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| Pocatello, Idaho circa 1890 Public Domain via Wikipedia |
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| Mountain scape of Pocatello |
The Howards did a lot of good in Pocatello, so much so that in 1983, a mountain range was named after them: Howard Mountain!
Minnie herself did much philanthropic work in Pocatello, for example, heading the committee to get a grant from Andrew Carnegie for the Carnegie Library that still serves the community to this day.
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| Modern day Pocatello Library Tricia Simpson via Wikimedia Commons |
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| Tribute to Chief Pocatello Public Domain via Wikimedia Commons |
Another reason to believe in Dr. Minnie's sincerity is her interest in, not only local history, but her attempts to locate the original Old Fort Hall, considered by some to be the most important location on the Oregon Trail. Along with a few others and her husband, the location was discovered, although "experts" disputed it. An archaeological excavation in 1993 proved Dr. Minnie and her crew's findings correct. The site is now the home of The Fort Hall Replica and Museum, 3000 Avenue of the Chiefs in Pocatello.
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| 3000 Avenue of the Chiefs Google Maps Proper Attribution Given |
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| Courtyard of the Replica of Fort Hall Jeffrey G. Backes via Wikimedia Commons |
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| The Discovery of Old Fort Hall Public Domain via Ancestry |
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| The Howard Sons Public Domain via Ancestry |
