Lady Vermonters Fondly Remembered Locally and Nationally

Author: Meghan Michelson

Vermont has been the home of many historically significant individuals, including Calvin Coolidge, the 30th president of the United States, who was born in Plymouth, Vt., and John Deere, the inventor and manufacturer of agricultural machinery, who was born in Rutland, Vt. Many of the most notable achievements in Vermont's history, however, have been made by women.

National Women's History Month, which is celebrated in March, is a nationwide effort to recognize women who have made an impact on the political, social and economic systems of the past. Many of the United States' most powerful women lived right here in Vermont.

Myra Colby Bradwell, of Manchester, Vt., was the first documented female attorney in the United States and played a crucial role in the fight for women's rights and suffrage in the late 19th century.

The Vermont Women's Suffrage Organization was founded in 1883, led by Vermont men and women affiliated with the American Women's Suffrage Association.

In 1907, the group changed its name to the Vermont Equal Suffrage Association under the leadership of Burlington, Vt., native Annette W. Parmelee nicknamed, "Annette the Suffragette."

In 1917, Vermont became one of the first states in the East to permit women to vote and hold office at the local level, which was reinforced on the state level by the ratification of the 19th amendment in 1920.

Ann Story, who built a home in Salisbury, Vt., is known as the "Mother of the Green Mountain Boys" for her support of the independent militia during the American Revolution. She gained a reputation as a national heroine for her efforts in the struggle for Vermont independence, which was ultimately achieved by patriots Ethan Allen and the Green Mountain boys in 1777.

Ida May Fullard, a Vermont widow, was the first woman to receive a Social Security benefits check in the amount of $22.54 in 1940. Vermont's Act 218 amended regulations governing aid to widowed or deserted mothers and granted child support to widows, which in 1921 amounted to $2.00 a week.

Edna Beard, the first woman elected to the Vermont General Assembly in 1920, sponsored Act 218.

To pay respects to these women and others, local museums have exhibits on display honoring the women who have instigated changes and impacted Vermont history.

At the Henry Sheldon Museum in Middlebury, there is an exhibit that draws attention to the female mill workers of the 1800s.

According to Liz Shattuck-Bless, curator of collection at the Henry Sheldon Museum, "Middlebury was an industrial boomtown, not the quaint New England village it is now. Most of the work force was made up of mill girls, and our exhibit pays tribute to them."

The Museum also has historical women's attire on display, including undergarments hung up in the women's restroom. "The women's clothing survives better than the men's, which tends to wear out," said Shattuck-Bless.

There are portraits honoring women, including Abigail Wainright, the wife of the owner of a large iron works, and Elizabeth Dulong Rockwell, the wife of a successful sheep farmer in Addison County.

Tracing the history of Vermont women is relatively easy, thanks to the many surviving written accounts. "Women were important in keeping the family history alive. They tended to write letters to maintain a connection with people," explained Shattuck-Bless.

In addition to written and visual artifacts, the Vermont Folklife Center in Middlebury, an organization that specializes in documenting the traditions, cultures and folklife of Vermont, has an abundance of preserved oral history relating to women.

"Part of the nature of oral history is reaching people who are not covered in history books, for example those active in rural life and farming. Women are well represented in this area," said Andy Kolovos, archivist for the Folklife Center.

Shattuck-Bless stated the overall significance of women in Vermont, "Without women, we wouldn't have anything."