The Founding Women

"Seven middle-aged ladies in tennis shoes" came together to save the Wild Basin Wilderness Preserve (Poage, 1993). Working as a team, they formed a "Wild Basin committee" and each contributed by playing a role in accordance with their expertise in seeing the project through to the end.

Willa Mae Hardesty - "Willa Mae could fix anything" (Poage, 1993). She did her own house, car, and plumbing repairs. She earned a Bachelor of Science and an Master of Science in home economics and taught the subject for several years before and during the early years of her marriage. "She was co-keeper of the Wild Basin funds with Lucille, and they recorded and accounted for a balanced monthly financial statement which was always on time." Upon arriving in Austin with her mother-in-law, three children, and her husband (who was a chemist at the University of Texas). "She ran errands, stuffed envelopes, delivered posters, counted bulk mail, lobbied city council members and county commissioners, and transported and assembled Wild Basin's mobile exhibits."

Martha Hudson - Martha was "a home-grown Texan" (Poage, 1993). With a down-to-earth personality and a good sense humor, she was president of an environmental awareness group called"Now or Never." "She earned a Bachelor of Science in education and had been an elementary school teacher before marrying an engineer associated with The University of Texas." They had three sons who were school-aged in 1974. She juggled being a mother, a wife, and a president of an environmental group simultaneously.

Margaret Hessin - Margaret was "deeply religious with a keen sense of humor" (Poage, 1993). "She had considerable woman’s club experience, was orderly and keep the meeting agenda running on time." Previously a registered nurse from Samuel Merritt College in California, she did graduate work in psychiatry at the Institute of Living in Connecticut. "She once tracked Mr. H. E. Butts, founder of the H.E.B. food chain, in Corpus Christi, and convinced him to contribute two thousand dollars toward acquiring Wild Basin.""She also took over as Wild Basin co-chair when Martha left for a year in Brazil with her engineer-husband."

Flo Macklin - "Flo was the quiet one" (Poage, 1993). "She was always there, always dependable, did anything that was request[ed]of her, expressed a well-thought out opinion when asked (and sometimes when not asked), and never talked about herself." With a Bachelor of Science in "retail merchandising for women only" from Ohio State University, she worked for Proctor & Gamble before transitioning into her family life with an Air Force officer husband and three children in Rollingwood, a small village outside of West Lake Hills, Austin. "She was Wild Basin’s foot soldier who ran errands, stuffed envelopes, worked on fundraisers, served on the Board of Directors, and anywhere else where her talents were needed. She was also volunteered for "school, church, meals on wheels, neighborhood gatherings, community library, and the Wild Basin project."

Esther Wargo McCormick - "Esther was respected among her Wild Basin peers for her total honesty and her absolute adherence to the truth. Ask her for her opinion and she would give it to you, unvarnished. When she signed on for a project, you could be sure she would give it 150%." After obtaining her Bachelor of Science degree in nursing education from Wilkes College in Pennsylvania, she earned her Registered Nurse license at the Hospital School of Nursing. Esther became an instructor in the Medical Surgical Nursing department at St. Luke's Hospital in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania. "She was a tour guide for the Wild Basin, and became the head of the Environmental Education Committee, the most popular tour guide because of her extensive knowledge of the Basin’s flora, fauna, and geology, and her ability to impart that knowledge to visitors and school children. She also helped maintain trails and write a text for tour guide training. Her husband and her -- a physicist at The University of Texas, had a new baby. Young Brian spent many an afternoon in a backpack while his mom sorted mail, counted money, prepared mail-outs, ran errands."

Janet Poage - Janet was "the group's cheerleader, researcher, writer and total optimist" (Poage, 1993). "She truly believed that anyone could accomplish anything if they wanted to badly enough and were willing to work at it hard enough." With a degree in Spanish from the University of Texas in 1946, she spent a year as a Civil Service Commission Administrative intern in Washington." Janet was the "strategist for the Wild Basin project, outlining the courses of action in which all the Ladies played their designated roles.""She was a community service activist and served as chairman of West Lake Hills Zoning and Planning Commission before becoming chairman of The Committee for Wild Basin Wilderness."

Lucille Stegman - Lucille was always "well groomed, correct, and courteous" (Poage, 1993). As a graduate of the School of Commerce at Oberlin College in Ohio, she and her husband came to Austin from northern Ohio. Upon arrival in Austin, she attended the University of Texas. She was president of the Austin Association of Executive Secretaries. At the Wild Basin, "Lucille kept the daily money transaction accounts, which sometimes covered amounts over a hundred thousand dollars at a time" all while having two school-age children during 1974. With Willa Mae, she balanced the books to the penny at the end of every month, accounted for every cent that came in, and maintained strict accountability over every expenditure." Lucille’s work experience included service in public, private and political areas, and she had the most recent contact with any of them with the business world in Austin. She, too, was known for her volunteer contributions."

In 1974, the ladies decided they had to do something to save the Wild Basin. Despite being ordinary citizens, the women persevered against the odds. The 'Wild Basin Wilderness Preserve has about as much chance for success as a snowball in Hell,' said the Real Estate Developer." They fund-raised, volunteered, and received support from "residents of Travis County, in the thousands." They juggled being mothers, wives, while also running a non-profit organization. Through their dedication, their environmental awareness group "Now or Never" gained media attention and helped to save the wilderness preserve. They fought against the odds and created a legacy that future generations can enjoy. Thanks to their bravery and perseverance, today the Wild Basin Wilderness Preserve offers a respite for both humans and wildlife.

Works Cited

Poage, J. (1993). Snowball in Hell, Or How Seven Little Old Ladies in Tennis Shoes Whipped the Establishment and Created an Urban Nature Preserve.

"The Seven Little Old Ladies in Tennis Shoes, Founders' Day, November 8, 1992 -- From left to right: Margaret Hessin, Lucille Stegman, Esther McCormick, Janet Poage, Flo Macklin, Martha Hudson, and Willa Mae Hardesty"