Maritime Madams: Mary Becker Greene

Womanica

Acast Creative Studios

History, Society & Culture, Education

4.3 • 920 Ratings

🗓️ 21 July 2025

⏱️ 10 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

Mary Becker Greene (1867-1949) was a steamboat pilot and captain who began her career in the late 1800s. A pilot for over 50 years, she was the only licensed female steamboat captain on the Ohio River. Along with her husband Gordon C. Greene, she also co-owned Greene Line Steamers, one of the most important steamboat companies of its time. She passed away at age 80, onboard the Delta Queen, the Greene Line's most famous passenger ship.

For Further Reading:

Mary B. Greene: The Ohio River's Leading Lady (Part 1) and (Part 2)
Captain Mary Becker Greene
Mary Greene took charge of steamer line
Mary Greene, Female River Pilot

This month, we're talking about Maritime Madams. Whether through scientific study, aquatic exploration, or legendary prowess, they harnessed the power of the bodies of waters that cover our earth.

History classes can get a bad rap, and sometimes for good reason. When we were students, we couldn't help wondering... where were all the ladies at? Why were so many incredible stories missing from the typical curriculum? Enter, Womanica. On this Wonder Media Network podcast we explore the lives of inspiring women in history you may not know about, but definitely should.

Every weekday, listeners explore the trials, tragedies, and triumphs of groundbreaking women throughout history who have dramatically shaped the world around us. In each 5 minute episode, we'll dive into the story behind one woman listeners may or may not know–but definitely should. These diverse women from across space and time are grouped into easily accessible and engaging monthly themes like Educators, Villains, Indigenous Storytellers, Activists, and many more. Womanica is hosted by WMN co-founder and award-winning journalist Jenny Kaplan. The bite-sized episodes pack painstakingly researched content into fun, entertaining, and addictive daily adventures.

Womanica was created by Liz Kaplan and Jenny Kaplan, executive produced by Jenny Kaplan, and produced by Grace Lynch, Maddy Foley, Brittany Martinez, Edie Allard, Carmen Borca-Carrillo, Taylor Williamson, Sara Schleede, Paloma Moreno Jimenez, Luci Jones, Abbey Delk, Adrien Behn, Alyia Yates, Vanessa Handy, Melia Agudelo, and Joia Putnoi. Special thanks to Shira Atkins.

Original theme music by Brittany Martinez.

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Transcript

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0:00.0	This is an IHeart podcast.
0:04.2	This is history's heroes, people with purpose, brave ideas, and the courage to stand alone,
0:11.3	including a pioneering surgeon who rebuilt the shattered faces of soldiers in the First World War.
0:17.4	You know, he would look at these men and he would say, don't worry, Sonny, you'll have
0:21.1	as good a face as any of us when I'm done with you. Join me, Alex von Tunzelman, for History's Heroes.
0:29.3	Subscribe to History's Heroes wherever you get your podcasts. Open AI is a financial abomination,
0:36.2	a thing that should not be, an aberration, a symbol of rot at the heart of Silicon Valley. And I'm going to tell you why on my show Better Offline, the rudest show in the tech industry, where we're breaking down why Open AI, along with other AI companies, are dead set on lying to your boss that they can take your job. I'm also going to be talking with the greatest minds in the industry about all the other ways the rich and powerful are ruining the computer. Listen to Better Offline
0:57.8	on the IHot Radio app, Apple Podcasts, wherever you happen to get your podcasts.
1:05.5	Hello, from Wonder Media Network, I'm Jenny Kaplan, and this is Womanica.
1:14.8	This month we're talking about maritime madams, whether through scientific study, aquatic exploration, or legendary prowess.
1:21.6	These women harness the power of the bodies of water that cover our earth.
1:27.4	Smoke billows from the stacks of a looming steamboat as it meanders its way down the Ohio River.
1:34.1	Passengers hang about the deck, enjoying their journey from Cincinnati to Pittsburgh and all that
1:39.0	lies in between.
1:40.8	At the steamer's helm stands the captain.
1:43.5	Just five feet tall, she can barely see over the pilot wheel.
1:47.0	But she leads the rig with confidence.
1:49.6	She's the only licensed female pilot on the Ohio River.
1:53.6	Mary Becker Green.
2:00.4	Mary was born in 1868 in a small town on the Muskingham River near Marietta, Ohio.
2:06.9	From a young age, she was interested in the river she lived on and would study weather patterns and river conditions.
2:13.4	Mary also spent time on her father's boat, which he used to run produce from his general store to Marietta.
	...

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