Part two of a tribute to notable Wisconsin women
Mary Anne Menard, or “Aunt Mary Anne” as she is reported to have been nicknamed by her patients, was the first doctor in the state of Wisconsin. Not only that, she was the only doctor in Wisconsin for decades until 1816, when a military fort was built in Prairie du Chien and a surgeon moved in. Her accomplishments are astonishing, as you’ll come to see. But her presence is not well documented, and knowledge of the barriers she overcame is not widespread.
At the close of the 18th century, Mary Anne Menard arrived in Wisconsin from the St. Louis area, a location where enslaved people were often brought by white people. She was biracial, and her mixed parentage has been quoted as granting her “esoteric knowledge.” Because she had a compelling understanding of what was referred to as the “healing arts,” her remedies and nursing skills were renowned as more successful than many other more traditional Western medical practices. She was quite literally the only medical practitioner for hundreds of miles east, west or south.
Even after 1816, when Fort Crawford was built in Prairie du Chien (only about a two-hour drive from Madison) and a military surgeon set up shop, residents of the area continued to solely trust Menard with their health. Though she is said to have charged a fairly high rate for her services, she did accept payment in the form of produce, as well as money. This, along with her excellent care, accounts for the fact that people often made jokes at the expense of the military surgeon on the many occasions when Menard was able to cure a patient and he was not.
It cannot go unmentioned that Fort Crawford was built on native land. The town of Prairie du Chien was taken from the native Sauk and Fox peoples. Led by leader Black Hawk in the early 19th century, a group of Sauk and Fox peoples attempted to regain the land stolen from them and plant the season’s corn. Eighty-five percent of the group was killed, and Black Hawk was imprisoned in Fort Crawford. The federal government later sent him to live on land designated for Sauk habitation. As we uncover the history of Mary Anne Menard and her accomplishments, it is crucial that we explore every nook and cranny of the intersectional misogyny and racism that has been at play in our nation since its founding.
One of Menard’s most astonishing accomplishments occurred in June of 1827. It is reported that after being attacked and scalped by a man named Red Bird, Mary Anne’s toddler-aged granddaughter was thought to be dead. While the baby was being prepared for burial, however, Mary Anne noticed slight breathing and signs of life. Her incredible encyclopedic medical knowledge was put to an ultimate test, and Menard performed immediate surgery. She is said to have placed a silver plate onto the head of her granddaughter, whose skin then healed. The granddaughter, named either Mary or Louisa (historians disagree), married, had children and lived to be 80 years old.
Mary Anne Menard should be a household name. Why isn’t she? Many factors play into the answer, the chief ones among them structural racism and historically pervasive misogyny. Because she was a Black woman, Mary Anne Menard has been cast to the wayside. This injustice, as well as the repetitive erasure of other Black women’s contributions to history, cannot continue. History is written by those in power, but it can be rewritten by those with open minds and strong values. When we acknowledge and appreciate the contributions of historically oppressed peoples, we help to further the agenda of equality and justice.
If you’re interested in learning more about underrepresented Black women in United States history, here are a few to get started with.
Katherine Johnson – Mathematician for NASA and winner of the Presidential Medal of Freedom
Madam C. J. Walker – First female self-made millionaire in the United States
Margaret Bailey – First Black military nurse and first Black full colonel in the U.S. military