Texas Day by Day

In its issue for this day in 1937, Life magazine wrote up Mary Lucy Kyle Hartson as the only woman mayor in Texas. The 72-year-old great-grandmother was elected mayor of Kyle by a write-in vote that year. From 1937 until 1941 and from 1944 until 1946 she held office. Along with the "all-woman" city council elected in 1944, she made "Ripley's Believe It or Not." During Mrs. Hartson's mayoralty, the town built a municipal water system, installed street lights, updated the fire department, and kept the city clean. Of her administration she said, "We balanced the budget, and cleaned up the town. Then when everything was under control, I retired."