Eulalia Bourne
Encyclopedia
Eulalia "Sister" Bourne (c.1895-1984) was a pioneer Arizona schoolteacher, rancher and author (Woman in Levi's, etc.). Born in West Texas, the oldest of five girls, she was dubbed "Sister" by a younger sibling who couldn't pronounce Eulalia. After a sketchy education, she got her first teaching job circa 1910 in Beaver Creek in Arizona's Verde Valley
. At the end of her second year, she was fired for dancing the "one-step", considered a “vulgar rag” by the chairman of her school board.
Bourne's next teaching job was at Helvetia
, a mining camp in the Santa Rita Mountains
south of Tucson
. None of her students spoke English, nor did Bourne speak Spanish. At that time, Arizona had a law forbidding the use of Spanish in school. "It was the silliest rule I ever heard of in my life," she said. She sent away for Spanish grammar books, and set aside the last five minutes of each day for the students to teach her Spanish.
Bourne entered the University of Arizona
in Tucson in 1920, but it took her ten years to graduate,working her way through school, majoring in English and Spanish. After graduating summa cum laude, she took a job in the isolated ranching community of Redington
. There she created The Little Cowpuncher, a mimeographed newspaper, written and illustrated by her students. It was begun, as Bourne later explained, as an effort “to hold the mirror up to life as we live it here.” The little paper (and the mimeograph machine) moved with her from school to school for the next 11 years: from Redington to Baboquívari then to Sierrita, Sasco
, Sasabe
, Sópori and back to Sasabe. With its lively, detailed descriptions of ranch and school life, it is now seen as a unique historical document of Southern Arizona ranching communities from 1932 to 1943. A complete set is available online here.
"Sister Bourne was a complicated personality. She subscribed to The New Yorker
magazine and was a member of the Arizona Cattlemen’s Association. She was a rancher who hated rodeos because she saw them as animal cruelty. She wouldn’t divulge her age or details of her private life, but freely offered her (often unpopular) opinions on the social and political questions of the day. She wore red lipstick and faded Levi’s. She was ahead of her time with her views on bilingualism in the classroom. She had many supporters, but some considered her a pain in the neck. From all reports, her students loved her and probably her cows did too. (She gave them all names: Vanilla Ice Cream, Dirty Face, Milagro, Old Rattlesnake.)" --Joan Sandin .
Bourne was (briefly) married three times, divorced twice, and widowed once. She lived much of her life at her homestead in Peppersauce Canyon above San Manuel
, and later at her GF Bar Ranch on Copper Creek, east of Mammoth
, where she died in 1984. Bourne received honors and awards from (among others) the UofA Alumni Association, the Arizona Press Women, Arizona Library Association, and the Cowgirl Hall of Fame.
Sources:
Nine Months Is a Year: Teaching at Baboquivari School. University of Arizona Press, 1969. Online Version
Ranch Schoolteacher, University of Arizona Press, 1974. Her early life as a pioneer Arizona teacher. Named Best Book of the Year by the Society of Southwestern Authors.
The Blue Colt, Flagstaff, Northland Press, 1979. A Western novel for children.
Verde Valley
The Verde Valley is a valley in central Arizona in the United States of America. The Verde River runs through it. It is overlooked by Mingus Mountain and the Mogollon Rim.- History :The first notice of this region appears in the report of one Espejo,...
. At the end of her second year, she was fired for dancing the "one-step", considered a “vulgar rag” by the chairman of her school board.
Bourne's next teaching job was at Helvetia
Helvetia, Arizona
Helvetia is a ghost town in Pima County in the U.S. state of Arizona. The town was settled in 1891 in what was then the Arizona Territory.The Rosemont project is a large porphyry copper deposit nearby, which may be developed into a mine as early as 2011.- History :Helvetia was founded in 1891 for...
, a mining camp in the Santa Rita Mountains
Santa Rita Mountains
The Santa Rita Mountains, located about 65 km southeast of Tucson, Arizona, extend 42 km from north to south, then trending southeast. They merge again southeastwards into the Patagonia Mountains, trending northwest by southeast...
south of Tucson
Tucson, Arizona
Tucson is a city in and the county seat of Pima County, Arizona, United States. The city is located 118 miles southeast of Phoenix and 60 miles north of the U.S.-Mexico border. The 2010 United States Census puts the city's population at 520,116 with a metropolitan area population at 1,020,200...
. None of her students spoke English, nor did Bourne speak Spanish. At that time, Arizona had a law forbidding the use of Spanish in school. "It was the silliest rule I ever heard of in my life," she said. She sent away for Spanish grammar books, and set aside the last five minutes of each day for the students to teach her Spanish.
Bourne entered the University of Arizona
University of Arizona
The University of Arizona is a land-grant and space-grant public institution of higher education and research located in Tucson, Arizona, United States. The University of Arizona was the first university in the state of Arizona, founded in 1885...
in Tucson in 1920, but it took her ten years to graduate,working her way through school, majoring in English and Spanish. After graduating summa cum laude, she took a job in the isolated ranching community of Redington
Redington, Arizona
Redington is a ghost town in Pima County, Arizona, United States.It is located on the banks of the San Pedro River, northeast of Tucson and about 54 km north-northwest of Benson. The area was previously known as Tres Alamos....
. There she created The Little Cowpuncher, a mimeographed newspaper, written and illustrated by her students. It was begun, as Bourne later explained, as an effort “to hold the mirror up to life as we live it here.” The little paper (and the mimeograph machine) moved with her from school to school for the next 11 years: from Redington to Baboquívari then to Sierrita, Sasco
Sasco, Arizona
Sasco is a smelting ghost town in Pinal County, Arizona, west of Red Rock. Sasco, which is an acronym for the Southern Arizona Smelter Company, was a company town for the smelter, which served the Silverbell mines. Sasco's post office was established July 10, 1907 and was discontinued September...
, Sasabe
Sasabe, Arizona
Sasabe is a small unincorporated border community in the Altar Valley of southern Pima County, Arizona, United States. It hosts a little-used United States–Mexico border crossing...
, Sópori and back to Sasabe. With its lively, detailed descriptions of ranch and school life, it is now seen as a unique historical document of Southern Arizona ranching communities from 1932 to 1943. A complete set is available online here.
"Sister Bourne was a complicated personality. She subscribed to The New Yorker
The New Yorker
The New Yorker is an American magazine of reportage, commentary, criticism, essays, fiction, satire, cartoons and poetry published by Condé Nast...
magazine and was a member of the Arizona Cattlemen’s Association. She was a rancher who hated rodeos because she saw them as animal cruelty. She wouldn’t divulge her age or details of her private life, but freely offered her (often unpopular) opinions on the social and political questions of the day. She wore red lipstick and faded Levi’s. She was ahead of her time with her views on bilingualism in the classroom. She had many supporters, but some considered her a pain in the neck. From all reports, her students loved her and probably her cows did too. (She gave them all names: Vanilla Ice Cream, Dirty Face, Milagro, Old Rattlesnake.)" --Joan Sandin .
Bourne was (briefly) married three times, divorced twice, and widowed once. She lived much of her life at her homestead in Peppersauce Canyon above San Manuel
San Manuel, Arizona
San Manuel is a census-designated place in Pinal County, Arizona, United States. The population was 4,375 at the 2000 census.San Manuel was built in 1953 as a company town to serve the then-new San Manuel copper mine, mill and smelter complex. The mine and smelter were permanently closed in...
, and later at her GF Bar Ranch on Copper Creek, east of Mammoth
Mammoth, Arizona
Mammoth is a town in Pinal County, Arizona, United States. The population was 1,762 at the 2000 census; according to 2006 Census Bureau estimates, the population of the town is 2,167.Mammoth was founded c. 1872 as Mammoth Camp, serving the nearby Mammoth Mine...
, where she died in 1984. Bourne received honors and awards from (among others) the UofA Alumni Association, the Arizona Press Women, Arizona Library Association, and the Cowgirl Hall of Fame.
Sources:
- Joan Sandin, Sister Bourne: A Life of Teaching, Cow Punching, Broken Hearts, Broken Marriages, and Broken Bones, Arizona Alumni magazine, winter 2004
- School on the Range: The Little Cowpuncher Roundup, an online project of the University of Arizona Learning Technologies Center
Books by Eulalia Bourne
Woman in Levi's, University of Arizona Press, 1967. Memoir of her life as a rancher in the San Pedro Valley. Online VersionNine Months Is a Year: Teaching at Baboquivari School. University of Arizona Press, 1969. Online Version
Ranch Schoolteacher, University of Arizona Press, 1974. Her early life as a pioneer Arizona teacher. Named Best Book of the Year by the Society of Southwestern Authors.
The Blue Colt, Flagstaff, Northland Press, 1979. A Western novel for children.
External links
- Sister Bourne: A Life of Teaching, Cow Punching,Broken Hearts, Broken Marriages, and Broken Bones, not responding 11/26/07. Also available here, accessed 11/26/07.
- School on the Range
- The Little Cowpuncher, 1932–1943
- Biographical sketch at Arizona Women's Hall of Fame