Daly Wire - March 2016 - Vol. 2, No. 3

Not every local lady living out her final days was quite as famous as the woman known world-wide as “Mother Minerva.” She lived in Daly City, or Colma. Her mailing address was simply “Minerva’s Fort, California State Highway, San Mateo County, Calif.”

Minerva was considered engaging, although sometimes “odd,” as well as mysteriously fascinating, colorful, patriotic, and somewhat quirky.

It is assumed that Minerva arrived in the Bay Area shortly after the 1906 earthquake and fire in San Francisco. Minerva’s story leaves much to the imagination. When, why, and how she came to Daly City/Colma is not certain. How she established her home is not certain.

Minerva’s home was northeast of the intersection of El Camino and F Street at the then ethereal borderline between those emerging cities. It was easy to recognize. It was contrived of three post-earthquake shacks that had been hauled away from a San Francisco emergency shelter area. Placed side by side, the one-room shacks comprised “Minerva’s Fort.” Minerva patriotically displayed her beloved Stars and Stripes daily.

Some years after her death, Minerva achieved world-wide recognition when Hearst journalist Robert Ripley mentioned her in his popular “Believe It Or Not” newspaper column. He saluted her as a veteran of four wars. She had served as a nurse in the Civil, Spanish American, Indian, and Crimean wars.

A native of Canton, Ohio, Minerva was born in 1832. Reportedly, she married US Navy Captain Louis Washington Hartman when both were on duty during the American Civil War (1861-65). It is not known when she became a widow. No children have been attributed to that union.

Minerva’s service to American servicemen took her around the world. She reportedly was one of the original 34 trainees that honed their skills in England with the famed nurse Florence Nightengale, “The Lady with the Lamp,” during the Crimean War (1853-56). Nightengale is credited with being the founder of modern nursing techniques. In later years, Minerva reportedly served with General George Custer (1876) during American Indian Campaigns as well as the Spanish-American War (1898) and the Philippine Insurrection (1899-1902).

In remembrance of her service, Minerva often wore a wide-brimmed Army campaign hat decorated with fabric ribbons of blue, yellow and red, denoting the U.S. Infantry, Cavalry, and Artillery. Military medals were displayed on her blouses and vintage khaki army jackets. In 1907, a grateful U.S. Congress bestowed upon her the title of “Mother of the Army and Navy.” In 1932 Minerva took a bus trip to Washington to aid a fight for Veterans’ bonuses.

Minerva enjoyed hosting afternoon tea at her home and befriending neighbors in need of brief childcare. One long-time local resident recalled when Minerva’s Fort was threatened by El Camino highway realignment. “She held them off with a shotgun,” wrote the informant. “When mom and I visited Minerva,” the writer included, “We waited for the #40 street car in the shelter of her house…she didn’t have a bathroom. If you were there (under the house) at the wrong time, it could be bad.”

On March 25, 1937, fire destroyed “Minerva’s Fort” and Minerva. She was 104 years active.

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