First licensed woman dentist to practice in Kansas

In December 1867, Lucy Hobbs Taylor relocated to Lawrence, Kansas, where she opened a dental practice that would define the remainder of her long career. She quickly became known throughout the community as "Dr. Lucy," earning the distinction of being the first licensed woman dentist to practice in the state of Kansas.

By this point, Hobbs had already achieved a series of historic firsts: she was the first woman to be recognized by a statewide dental society (Iowa, 1865), the first woman in the world to earn a Doctor of Dental Surgery degree (1866), and the first woman to present original scientific research to a state dental society (1866). Her move to Lawrence marked the beginning of a stable, decades-long practice in a single community, where she would become a widely respected and beloved figure.

It was also in Lawrence that she met and, in 1867, married James Myrtle Taylor, a railway conductor whom she trained as a dentist; the two practiced together as partners, with Lucy Hobbs Taylor as the senior and more publicly recognized professional—itself an unusual arrangement for the era.

Her Lawrence practice, which she maintained until her semi-retirement in 1886 and full retirement in 1907, became a cornerstone of the local community. She later became active in civic life, joining fraternal organizations and participating in women's suffrage efforts, hosting rallies with Susan B. Anthony. Her four decades in Lawrence cemented her legacy as a trailblazer whose influence extended well beyond dentistry alone.