It's Women's History Month, so why not honor some amazing West Virginia women? These three ladies might not be very well-known to everyone, but they've all made a difference in history in one way or another.
Elizabeth "Betty" Zane
Betty Zane lived in what is now Wheeling. She is known for her daring act during the siege of Fort Henry in 1782.
While under fire from the Indians, the people defending the fort began to run out of gun powder. The 16-year-old Zane insisted she could get more gun powder from her family's cabin, which was slightly beyond the gates of the fort.
When the Indians saw her leave the fort, they let her pass, believing her to be harmless. However, on her return trip, the Indians realized what she was carrying in her apron and began to fire at her.
She made it back to the fort unharmed, though, and it was her heroic act that saved Fort Henry from the Indian siege during the Revolutionary War.
Belle Boyd
Born in what is now Martinsburg, Belle Boyd was a famous Confederate spy during the Civil War. Boyd was a very brave and loyal woman who did what she felt was right.
Boyd, who began spying at age 17, used her charm and feminine wiles to extract information from Union men as well as to get her out of trouble repeatedly. During any time spent in Union company, she listened in on conversations and passed on and important information to the Confederacy, usually to General Thomas J. "Stonewall" Jackson.
Boyd's most famous acts came in May 1862. First, she eavesdropped on a Union strategy session from a hole in the floor above and rode approximately 15 miles to tell Confederate officers the information she'd gathered.
Then on May 23, she overheard the Union's plan to withdraw from Front Royal, Va., and ran to tell Gen. Jackson the news, getting caught in gunfire on the way. However, her information proved helpful and Jackson's troops were victorious.
She could have easily been killed while traipsing back and forth on dangerous missions or later when her espionage was found out, but these dangers did not seem to ruffle the daring Belle Boyd's feathers at all.
Anna Jarvis
Anna Jarvis, the founder of Mother's Day, was born in Webster on May 1, 1864 and grew up in Grafton.
Her mother hoped that one day there would be a holiday honoring mother. Upon her death in 1905, Jarvis took it upon herself to make her mother's wish a reality.
She petitioned her cause to anyone who would listen -- especially legislators, executives and businessmen. She had a breakthrough in 1908 when John Wanamaker, a Philadelphia businessman and philanthropist lent his support to the cause.
By 1909, 45 states were celebrating the day, and in 1910, West Virginia's governor issued the first Mother's Day proclamation. In May 1914, President Woodrow Wilson officially declared the second Sunday in May to be Mother's Day.
These are just three West Virginia women who have made a difference. Even though they were from different eras, they all have this in common: They believed in themselves and they refused to let others inhibit them.