Mary Donoho | First Lady of the Santa Fe Trail

Mary Donoho (1807–1880), along with her husband William and their nine-month-old daughter, traveled from Independence, Missouri, to Santa Fe, New Mexico, in 1833. Traveling the 900-mile Santa Fe Trail in a covered wagon involves rugged terrain, hostile territory, and extreme weather. Storms, droughts, and sudden temperature changes were common challenges. Mary became the first American woman to complete the journey. Historians discovered in the 1990s that she had completed the journey 13 years before Susan Magoffin received credit for being first. 

Upon arrival, the Donohos opened an inn called La Fonda. Mary managed the business, while William traveled for trade. As if running an inn were not enough, Mary gave birth to three more children in Santa Fe. They are thought to be the first white children born in the New Mexico Territory.

When a revolt against the Mexican-appointed Governor Albino Pérez began in 1837, the Donohos fled Santa Fe for Clarksville, Texas. There, they opened the Donoho Hotel, which Mary ran for decades.

Like many other prairie women, Mary experienced many family losses. In 1845, her husband died, leaving no will and six children. Before her husband’s death, she had lost several children to childbirth complications. The estate was in debt, and Mary had to struggle to keep the hotel and property. Despite these hardships, Mary remained a respected hotelier and community figure.

Her story intrigues me because I grew up on a section of the Mountain Route. It follows the Arkansas River through western Kansas into eastern Colorado, then turns southwest to reach Santa Fe. The Arkansas River was about three blocks from my home. Highway 50, the street I lived on, runs parallel to the Trail for much of its length. Although I was not traveling in a covered wagon for six to eight weeks, I can attest to the hard life of living in an area along the Santa Fe Trail, even more than one hundred years later.