Inventor, entrepreneur, and suffragist Harriet Strong’s efforts to keep her 220-acre farm productive led to advances in agriculture and irrigation for the entire nation.
Following her husband’s death in 1883, Harriet Strong became the sole owner of Rancho del Fuerte, a failing farm in Whittier, California. Determined to turn her family’s fortunes around, Strong threw herself into learning about water, soil, and marketing. She solved her immediate need for income by planting fast-growing Argentine pampas grass, an economical alternative to bird feathers for decorating hats. A creative saleswoman, Strong convinced both the Democratic and Republican national conventions to purchase plumes, dyed red, white, and blue, to wave patriotically on the convention floor. Although her gender barred her from voting in national elections, this suffragist’s crops were on full display during both the 1892 and 1896 conventions.
Thinking of her farm’s long-term future, Strong invested in a lucrative walnut crop. To ensure the health of her thirsty walnut trees, Strong invented an elaborate system of water control and irrigation. Los Angeles was prone to flash floods, and she was able to capture the water from these storms and store it for later use. Strong received U.S. patent number 374,378 for her dam and reservoir construction in 1887, and her invention was the basis for transformative national projects, including the Hoover Dam. Building on her success, Strong became an advocate for business training for women.
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