Mary Lynde Craig

Mary Lynde Craig (, Lynde; after first marriage, Foster; after second marriage, Hoffman; after third marriage, Craig; March 24, 1834 – June 20, 1921) was an American writer, teacher, and attorney. She moved to California in 1859. She owned property in San Francisco, and was an activist for women's property rights. Craig served as associate editor of the Redlands, California The Citrograph. In 1893, she was one of four women practicing law in California. In 1891, she gave the "Address of Weicome" at the organization of Sequoia Chapter, San Francisco. While attending the National Editorial Association at Chicago with her husband, in May 1893, she also had opportunity to speak to other large audiences—once at the Auditorium, once at the Art Palace, and once at the Woman's Building. She served as president of the Pacific Coast Women's Press Association and historian of the Hastings Law column.

Early years Mary Delano Catherine Lynde was born in Vermont on March 24, 1834. Her parent were Aaron Phipps Lynde and Nancy Melinda (Walker) Lynde. She was of American Revolutionary War ancestry, descended from Lieut. Benjamin Lynde, of the Continental Army.

Career Lynde moved to California in 1859 to take up a teaching post at the Lincoln Primary School on Fifth and Market Streets. By the following year, she was working as the principal and teacher at Denman School. On February 1, 1862, she married Samuel Foster with whom she had her only child, Samuel Lynde Foster (1863–1951). After Foster's death, in 1866, she moved briefly back to Springfield where she taught in the newly created consolidated secondary school, before returning to San Francisco to teach at Lincoln Grammar School and then later at San Francisco Girls' High School. Sometime later, she married Henry Fitz Warren Hoffman, a prominent businessman and benefactor of the city.

Henry died in December 1890 In 1893, she was admitted to the California Bar, as only the second woman in California to practice law. She then returned to college to take the degree of LL.B. Having taught for many years at the San Francisco Girls' High School, Craig retired in 1894. While in Chicago, in 1893, Craig spoke to large audiences, including at the Auditorium, at the Art Palace, and at the Woman's Building. Craig kept a home in San Francisco and Redlands, California. While a widow, she superintended the studies of her son who received a degree from Harvard College.

Death and legacy Craig died on 20 June 1921 at her home in San Francisco. The tens of thousands of dollars that writing and teaching had brought her was spent on others. Hoffman Avenue in San Francisco was named for Craig.

Selected works 1894, Is legislation needed for women? : an address ... read before the Woman's parliament of Southern California, Los Angeles, October 11, 1893. 1901, Country roads and city streets : an address before the Pacific coast women's press association, July 18, 1901