With the patronage of millionaire mentor Cornelius Vanderbilt, two captivating sisters, Victoria Claflin Woodhall and Tennessee Celeste Claflin, opened the first women's brokerage firm in the Hoffman House Hotel, NYC - this week on February 5th, 1870.

The widespread coverage of Woodhall and Claflin, now dubbed "Bewitching Brokers" was overwhelmingly favorable, and included detailed descriptions about their gentlemen customers…and the curious onlookers. Born in Ohio (1837), raised in poverty, and married at 15, the elder by seven years, Victoria divorced her alcoholic husband and embarked on a career as a magnetic healer. Eventually joined by sister "Tennie"-the two women made a fortune as traveling spiritual healers and were outspoken supporters of the 19th century women's suffrage movement. In New York, the female financiers success continued. With stock brokerage profits, they started a newspaper, Woodhull & Claflin's Weekly that printed the first English version of Karl Marx's Das Kapital, and broke the scandalous story about the 'righteous' Minister Henry Ward Beecher's alleged adulterous affair.

Operating for several years, Woodhull, Claflin & Co. closed shop… freeing Victoria Woodhull to continue her advocacy work. This included her being the first woman to both- testify in front of the U.S. Senate- and make a 1872 Presidential run with a former slave Frederick Douglass as the nominated (but not accepted) Vice Presidential candidate.

This Week in Wall Street History

2/4/08