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Grandma Gatewood | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Born | Emma Rowena Caldwell October 25, 1887 Mercerville, Guyan Township, Gallia County, Ohio, U.S. |
| Died | June 4, 1973 (aged 85) Gallipolis, Ohio, U.S. |
| Resting place | Ohio Valley Memory Gardens |
| Known for | Hiking the Appalachian Trail and the Oregon Trail |
| Spouse |
Perry Clayton Gatewood
(m. 1907; div. 1941) |
| Children | 11 |
Emma Rowena Gatewood (née Caldwell; October 25, 1887 – June 4, 1973),[1] better known as Grandma Gatewood, was an American ultra-light hiking pioneer. After a difficult life as a farm wife, mother of eleven children, and survivor of domestic violence, she became famous as the first solo female thru-hiker of the 2,168-mile (3,489 km) Appalachian Trail (A.T.) in 1955 at the age of 67.[2][3][4] She subsequently became the first person (male or female) to hike the A.T. three times, after completing a second thru-hike two years later, followed by a section-hike in 1964.[3][4] In the meantime, she hiked 2,000 miles (3,200 km) of the Oregon Trail in 1959.[2][5] In her later years, she continued to travel and hike, and worked on a section of what would become the Buckeye Trail. The media coverage surrounding her feats was credited for generating interest in maintaining the A.T. and in hiking generally.[6] Among many other honors, she was posthumously inducted into the Appalachian Trail Hall of Fame in 2012.[5]
- ^ "Grandma Gatewood, 85, dies". Gallipolis Daily Tribune. June 4, 1973. Archived from the original on March 25, 2021. Retrieved March 25, 2021 – via The Digital Archives of Bossard Memorial Library – Gallia County District Library. Additional archives: Gallia County Genealogical Society.
- ^ a b Seeley, Katherine (June 27, 2018). "Overlooked No More: Emma Gatewood, First Woman to Conquer the Appalachian Trail Alone". The New York Times. Retrieved August 27, 2018.
- ^ a b Freeling, Elisa. "Good Going". Sierra Magazine (November/December 2002). Sierra Club. Retrieved March 26, 2021.
- ^ a b "2,000 Milers". Appalachian Trail Conservancy. May 11, 2020. Retrieved March 28, 2021.
- ^ a b Montgomery, Ben (2014). Grandma Gatewood's Walk: The Inspiring Story of the Woman Who Saved the Appalachian Trail. Chicago Review Press. ISBN 978-1613747186.
- ^ Reese, Diana (January 5, 2015). "Grandma Gatewood survived domestic violence to walk the Appalachian Trail alone at 67". The Washington Post. Retrieved April 25, 2021.