Meet the Women Behind the Suites

Owl Woman (Mis-stan-stur), a Cheyenne peacekeeper and diplomat who served as a bridge between cultures and remains a symbol of strength and connection.

Owl Woman is recognized as a central figure in the history of Colorado and the American West. Her legacy is honored through her induction into the Colorado Women’s Hall of Fame and the naming of Mestaa’ėhehe Mountain.

Cathay Williams, the only Black woman Buffalo Soldier, who later lived in Trinidad. Williams is believed to have died around 1893 in Trinidad. No monument marked the place. No formal record captured the full weight of what she had done. She moved through systems that did not account for her—slavery, war, military service, frontier labor—and in each, she found a way to exist on her own terms.

Maria Dolores Gonzales Baca was a respected and influential member of Trinidad, Colorado—a civic leader and philanthropist deeply involved in Catholic charities, women’s organizations, schools, and efforts to improve local infrastructure and public health.

Mother Jones, the fiery labor leader and tireless advocate for miners and working families, this suite honors her powerful connection to Trinidad, Colorado, in the early 1900s. Her time in Trinidad helped galvanize workers during one of the most challenging and often violent chapters in the region’s labor history, as coal miners fought for safer conditions, fair wages, and basic human dignity.

Mae Phelps, one of Trinidad’s most well-known and enigmatic historical figures. A successful businesswoman of her time, she operated several of the city’s early bordellos, contributing to the vibrant—and complex—history of the region.