Collections
| Back New Search Tips |
Motie, Marguerite
| Last Name: | Motie |
|---|---|
| First Name: | Marguerite |
| Dates: |
*1895 (Date of Birth)
*1982 (Date of Death)
|
| Biography/History: | Marguerite Motie, born in 1895 in Odebolt, Iowa, was the sixth of eight daughters. The family moved to Spokane in 1907 when her father's store in Odebolt was destroyed by fire. Friends entered Marguerite Motie in a 1912 Spokane Advertising Club contest for an attractive young woman to promote the city. The 17-year-old beauty found herself acting as Miss Spokane for over 20 years. Dressed as a stereotypical Indian princess, Miss Spokane acted as hostess and official representative of the region, and symbolized the bountiful and burgeoning city of Spokane. Even after Motie married her high school sweetheart, Walter Shiel, and moved to Seattle, she returned for appearances until a new Miss Spokane was chosen in the late 1930s. By 1977 the Miss Spokane program had ended. Originators chose to dress Miss Spokane in Native American attire to represent the region’s native history and culture. Several Miss Spokanes were adopted into local tribes, whose members helped create authentic ceremonial gowns. Miss Motie’s mother designed the Miss Spokane costume in muslin. Local furrier Bodnick & Jacobs made it out of leather, and Mrs. Motie beaded the dress. |
| Related Objects: |
2962.25A (Dress, Miss Spokane Dress, 1912)
L2003-14.260 (Photograph, Marguerite Motie, the First Miss Spokane)
|