To honor Women’s History Month, we reflect on the brilliant legacy of Toppenish-born Maud Lillie Bolin. She was a Native American woman who accomplished multiple historic firsts during the 1920s – 1940s, including aviation and theatre directing. Learn about Bolin’s life in the brief biography below.
Who Was She?
Maud Lillie Bolin was born on July 25, 1891 in Toppenish, Washington to Josephine Lillie and Nevada Lillie. Her mother, Josephine, was a member of the Yakama Nation; Josephine is considered the “Mother of Toppenish,” as she platted 40 acres of her allotment from the federal government to be Toppenish’s business district. Her father worked as a stagecoach driver, a deputy U.S. Marshal, and in the livestock trade (Meyers, 2017).
In 1898, Bolin’s parents separated, and her mother moved her and her siblings to Portland, Oregon to attend school, where Bolin studied drama, elocution, and millinery (Brown et. Al 1989).
In 1911, Maud married Charles F. Bolin and built, what has been described as, the finest home in Toppenish on her allotment near the city. (Bragg, 2004) There, Maude Lillie Bolin held a multifaceted career with a list of pioneering accomplishments as a rodeo star, a pilot, a theatre director, and a singer.
She Broke Down Barriers and Led a Creative and Altruistic Life
Bolin’s career as a rodeo performer began when she joined the Spain Brother’s Western Show as a trick rider. She was also a valued participant in the July 4th Toppenish Pow Wow that was hosted on the tract she and her husband owned (Toppenish Review, 1912). Her creative talents included the gift of song, as she frequently performed at significant events in Toppenish, including weddings, funerals, and social gatherings (Bragg, 2004).
Bolin was notably one of Washington’s earliest female aviators – one of only two women living in the Yakima Valley at the time to fly a plane alone. She was also the first Native American woman in Washington to fly an airplane. She learned to fly in 1927, just nine years after Amelia Earhart. In 1928, she flew across Washington State, dropping campaigning literature for Senator Clarence C. Dill. That same year, the Yakima Lady Birds, a women’s aviation club formed, and Bolin participated as a chartered member to inspire other women of the Yakima Valley to pursue flying. In 1930, Bolin earned her pilot’s license and participated in the Pacific Northern Airway tour; she was one of the few pilots out of 39 who made all 16 stops (Bragg, 2004).
Add theatre directing to Bolin’s impactful endeavors. She led members of the Yakama tribe in a production of “Hiawatha” in 1936. For the first time, a production about Native Americans in the Pacific Northwest used solely Native American actors to portray Native American people. At the 1948 Toppenish Pow Wow, she directed a stage production of “Sacajawea.”
Bolin was also very involved in local community activities as a philanthropist. In 1942, she led the local efforts of the United China Relief Committee, a charity developed to support China in WWII, and successfully exceeded Toppenish’s quota of raised relief funds for the war effort (Brown et. al 1989). She donated an acre of land in 1951 that later became the Toppenish Community Hospital. She also donated the land that became Pioneer Park (Meyers, 2017).
In 1966, Bolin died. To commemorate her living legacy, Larry Kangas completed the mural “Maud Bolin-Her Story” on the Toppenish Review building at 11 East Toppenish Avenue, on the southwest wall in 1993. (Featured photos of the mural courtesy of the Toppenish Mural Society.)
Yakima Valley Libraries is proud to steward stories of Yakima’s diverse history. If you would like to explore this and other stories of Yakima Valley’s history-making women, visit the Northwest Reading Room at Yakima Central Library, where Carlos and Matt can assist you in your research. Learn more about this service online or email us at archives@yvl.org.
-Written by Carlos Pelley, Archive Librarian
References:
Bragg, L. E. (2004). Maud Lillie Bolin: Yakama Cowgirl Aviator. Washington State Historical Society, Volume 18(4). https://www.washingtonhistory.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/04/winter-2004-05.pdf
Bragg, L. E. (1998). More than Petticoats: Remarkable Washington women. Falcon Guides. pages 158-166.
Brown, L., Brown, P., Bryan, G., Cooper, M., Downey, L., Fulmer, B., Galloway, D., Hoff, L., Kowlasky, M., Lamb, C., Mays, T., Splawn, H., Tate, C., Thurston, J., Turner, V., Wiehl, I., Yearout, N., Lindsey, N., & Thomas, L. (1989). 100 Years 100 Women 1889-1989, Yakima County, Washington (T. Mays, Ed.).
Plan Indian Fair at Toppenish. (1912). The Toppenish Review.