Beyond the Wires: Using Spatial History to Explore the Lives of Fender’s Female Workers

In 1946, Leo Fender founded Fender Electric Instruments Company in a small warehouse in Fullerton, California. The company was small during this time, with about fifteen employees, both men and women. Like many factories, Fender relied on gendered labor in its workplace. During this time, the company relied on a small team of Mexican American women to wire and assemble his signature electric guitars and amplifiers. While some of their contributions are known to scholars, little has been written about their lives. In this paper, I will recast the stories of Fender’s female workforce by examining who they were, not just what they produced. Oral histories, period photography, and census records have been illuminating ways to better understand the lived experiences of these women. Spatially documenting their neighborhoods, communities, commutes to work, and proximity to recreational spots helps us better understand the experiences of Mexican Americans in the de facto segregated landscape of Orange County in the mid-20th century. Thus, I will show how using digital mapping tools can be useful for historians looking to explore underrepresented histories.