Worcester, MASS--“I was blown away at the large number of women in a very small city who achieved really incredible things,” Anne Marie Murphy said. 

However, if you look at history books written about influential people from Worcester, Murphy said you most likely won’t find them.

“There’s a shelf across the room here that has this many books on it. Directory of important, famous, productive people of Worcester and essentially, it’s a shelf full of men,” Murphy said. 

With help from the Worcester Women’s History Project at Museum of Worcester, Murphy penned a book highlighting the untold stories of 20 women. They range in age, backgrounds, and professions but all are from Worcester and achieved what was once thought to be impossible.

“I’m not talking about local accomplishments. I’m talking about global accomplishments,” Murphy said. “These are gold medal winners. These are NAACP Image award winners. These are people on the global and national stage.”

Murphy includes well known women like Esther Howland and Frances Perkins but also uncovers lesser told stories like that of South High graduate Martha Henshaw. She worked as a telephone operator during World War I.

“She was a 19-year-old woman who headed down to New Jersey for some training, got on a ship and spent almost two years in France with bombs and planes overhead,” Murphy said. 

Worcester’s Zara Cully is also highlighted. She was the first African American to graduate from the Worcester School of Elocution and went on to become a famous actress.

“She was Mother Jefferson on one of my favorite shows growing up, I still sing it to this day,” Museum of Worcester chief operating officer Barbara Guertin said. “When I think of Zara Cully, I think wow.”

Guertin said these women prove growing up in Worcester means you can achieve anything. Using grant funding, the museum donated 100 copies of the book to local youth organizations. 

“For a 7th grade girl to be coloring this book and read about something she knows nothing about, a career path or an inspiration, that could change the path of her life,” Guertin said. 

Murphy said her book is meant for everyone regardless of age or gender because it inspires people to take risks and chase their dreams.

“None of these people were gifted these achievements,” Murphy said. “They had a long, slow sequence of training or adversity and you know, here they are. In a book.”

Murphy worked on ‘Amazing Women of Worcester’ with nine local female artists. They range in age from 13 to 30 and represent tattoo artists, book illustrators, video artists and muralists.

The book is available for purchase at Museum of Worcester, Tidepool Bookshop and C.C. Lowell Art Supply Co.