Nancy Kelsey | |
|---|---|
 Nancy Kelsey photographed by Carleton E. Watkins | |
| Born | Nancy Roberts August 1, 1823 Barren County, Kentucky, U.S. |
| Died | August 10, 1896 (aged 73) Cuyama, California, U.S. |
| Occupation | California pioneer |
| Known for | 1st white woman to overland from Missouri to California |
Nancy Kelsey (August 1, 1823, in Barren County, Kentucky – August 10, 1896, in Cuyama, California) was a member of the Bartleson–Bidwell Party. She was the first white woman to travel overland from Missouri, seeing Utah and Nevada before crossing the Sierra Nevada mountains into California on November 25, 1841. Wife of Benjamin Kelsey, and the mother of eight surviving children, she is sometimes referred to as the "Betsy Ross of California" for her role in creation of the original Bear Flag from which Bear Flag Rebellion got its name.