Chesterfield County is home to many historic landmarks, events, and inspiring individuals. Women were making an impact here as far back as the 1600’s. Read on to learn more about the women of Chesterfield who have paved the way for future generations.
OPOSSUNOQUONUSKE
In the 1600’s, the area we now know as Bermuda Hundred was home to the Appamatuck, an Algonquin-speaking native American tribe that was part of the Powhatan Chiefdom. The tribe was led by the strong female warrior, Opossunoquonuske, the “Queen of Appamatuck.” According to colonial accounts, Opossunoquonuske invited English colonists to her village for a friendly feast and with her beauty and charm, she convinced the colonists to leave their weapons behind, as they “scared the women in the village.” Amidst the feast, she took the colonists by surprise and ordered them to be killed. Only one man survived—the drummer boy.
MARY RANDOLPH
Born in Chesterfield at Ampthill into a wealthy, politically significant family, Mary Randolph began collecting recipes as a young woman. In 1807, Mary and her husband David Meade Randolph sold their estate, Moldovia, and opened a boarding house. After the family moved to Washington, D.C. in 1819, Randolph drew from her “practical experience as keeper of a large establishment” to develop The Virginia House-Wife. Published in 1824, The Virginia House-Wife is considered to be the first regional American cookbook and one of the most influential housekeeping and cookbooks of the 19th century. Along with recipes for dishes like bread pudding and apple fritters, the Virginia House-Wife explained how to make hand soap, clean silver, manage a household, and more. Mary Randolph was also the first person known to be buried at what is now Arlington National Cemetary.
CLAUDIA L. DODSON
Soon after graduating from the University of Richmond, Claudia Dodson became chair of the girls’ physical education department at Chesterfield’s Meadowbrook High School. In 1971, she became the girls’ athletics programs supervisor for the Virginia High School League (VHSL) at a time when Virginia only had one girls’ competition, gymnastics. Dodson fought against the perception of girls’ sports and advocated for each high school in Virginia to offer two sports for girls each season, including regional and state finals. By 1982, the number of girls in athletics in Virginia had grown from 8,100 in 1972 to over 30,000. By the time she retired in 2002, VHSL offered 31 championships in 12 girls’ sports.
JOAN GIRONE
In 1971, Joan Girone became the first woman elected to the Chesterfield Board of Supervisors. She joined this “boys’ club” and paved the way for future women on the Board. A resident of Bon Air, Girone advocated for regional cooperation, economic development, and community involvement. Among her many accomplishments, Girone helped develop the county’s public library and the Midlothian YMCA. She also initiated a change in how the county’s School Board was chosen — from being appointed by the Board of Supervisors to being elected by the community.
CLEO POWELL
After receiving her Juris Doctor from the University of Virginia School of Law in 1982, Cleo Powell worked in private practice and then as the Senior Assistant Attorney General for the Equal Employment Opportunity and Personnel Section. Since that time, Powell has served at every level of Virginia’s judicial system as a judge. She served as a General District Court Judge in Chesterfield and Colonial Heights from 1993 until 2000 and as a Circuit Court Judge in the same jurisdiction 2008. In 2008, she became the first Black woman to sit on the Virginia Court of Appeals. Then in 2011, Powell joined the Virginia Supreme Court as its first Black female justice. As one of two women on the Supreme Court, she continues to advocate for diversity in law.
KELLIE WELLS-BRINKLEY
A James River High School graduate, Kellie Wells-Brinkley is an Olympic champion in the 100-meter hurdles. She overcame difficult obstacles throughout her childhood to eventually qualify for the 2012 London Olympics. There, Wells-Brinkley won an Olympic bronze medal, setting a personal record. Wells-Brinkley is a member of the 2024 inaugural class of the Chesterfield Sports Hall of Fame.
History is all around us in Chesterfield County. Be sure to follow @ExperienceChesterfield and facebook.com/ExperienceChesterfield for more History that Happened Here.
