As New Yorkers bundle up against the lingering chill of early March, the city also warms up to the spirit of Women's History Month. It's the season to look back and honor the legacy of women who've blazed trails through history. One such extraordinary figure is Molly Williams, known to be the first documented woman firefighter in the United States, according to the Minnesota Department of Public Safety.
Williams was a slave owned by a New York City merchant named Benjamin Aymar who was involved with Ocean Engine Company #11, as noted by the Minnesota Department of Public Safety . Although records indicate she started in the fire department to work as a cook, fate had other plans. In 1818, during a blistering blizzard where sickness had immobilized volunteer firefighters with the flu, Williams found herself the sole healthy member at the fire station when fire erupted.
