Exhibit: Caralyn B. Shelton – The Nation’s First Female Governor

Caralyn B. Shelton served as Oregon’s acting Governor in 1909 – three years before Oregon women were granted the right to vote. In her three-day tenure, Shelton demonstrated that a woman could execute the duties of the highest state office. Her story was told be newspapers all over the world at the time, but few today know her name and her remarkable story. This exhibit is brought to us by the Willamette Heritage Center and is sponsored by the Oregon State Capitol Foundation.