Phenomenal Woman: The Dora Stockman Story - Softcover

Margaret O'Rourke-Kelly, Ph.D. is a professor of communication and adult studies at Spring Arbor University. She is the co-author of Barnes Castle and author of Conversations with E.B. Pierce. Margaret created and performs a one woman show based on the life and times of Dora Stockman. She has also written and performed radio commentary for public radio.

Margaret resides in Canton, Michigan with her delightful husband who offers unwavering support. She has two grown children who are a constant source of pleasure and inspiration.

It has been said that we read biographies to not only learn about the lives of others but to discover who we are and what we might become. I have long been interested in women's place in history. Dora Stockman is a rare find. It was the beginning of a journey that led me along her many pathways. She was the first woman elected to public office in Michigan. Among her many talents she was: an editor, educator, lyricist, poet, lecturer, playwright, politician, radio broadcaster, and reporter―all this activity while wife and mother. It was a moment of serendipity when I uncovered her rich, full life. My goal has been and will continue to be sharing the life and times of this amazing woman with others.

The Early Years
1872-1888

The Michigan wilderness was a destination for many families from the Eastern seaboard who sought to carve out their future in farming the rich land of the Traverse Bay, Michigan, area following the Civil War. What has now become a vacation spot for Midwesterners was at one time a wilderness evolving into a center of commerce for logging and mining operations.

Railroads crisscrossed the landscape and waterways were used to transport the results of mining operations in the Manistee community in the Northern Lower Peninsula.

Wilderness Settlers Lucy J. and Leander F. Hall followed the path of previous travelers and made their way to the Eastern shores of LakeMichigan. The Halls arrived in the county of Manistee in 1869,
traveling by covered wagon from the Albany, New York, area and quickly became woven into the newly-emerging community fabric. They settled into Marillia Township only three years after it was established in 1866. They discovered a bountiful
harvest of Michigan trees that included maple, beech, and pine. L.F. Hall was among the first elected township officers. Dora’s father (his name) was one of two justices of the peace for
Marilla Township, Manistee County, Michigan, in 1870.

1872-1888
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