Susan B. Anthony ‘Returns’ to Cooperstown
COOPERSTOWN—On February 9, 1855, Cooperstown area residents gathered at the First Presbyterian Church to hear suffragist Susan B. Anthony speak. A little more than a month before, Anthony had embarked on a tour of New York. The particular goal of her journey in the midst of perilous winter weather was to gain sufficient signatures to petition the New York Legislature for a law to secure woman’s right to own property.
To commemorate the 250th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence, the League of Women Voters of the Cooperstown Area has invited “Susan B. Anthony” to return to Cooperstown. On Saturday, June 27 from 2-4 p.m., Anthony, as portrayed by historic re-enactor Linda McKenney, will once again address local citizens.
The LWVCA invites everyone to gather on the lawn outside of the First Presbyterian Church chapel to await Anthony’s 2 p.m. arrival, and stay to hear her message supporting democracy for all. Along with the Susan B. Anthony presentation, an exhibit of Christine Heller’s “Women Vote!: Fifteen New York State Suffragists” will be on display in the chapel. Heller will also speak briefly about “Women Vote!”
Susan B. Anthony (1820-1906) was one of the preeminent leaders of the woman’s suffrage movement. With her colleague, Elizabeth Cady Stanton, she fought not only for the right of women to vote, but also for their right to share the rights that men had—to live freely in society, to control their own finances, and to have an education. Although born in Adams, Massachusetts, Anthony lived much of her life in Upstate New York and taught at a female academy in a Canajoharie.
“As we celebrate this 250th anniversary, what an experience it will be to hear from someone in the past speaking at this historic place, where [Anthony] appeared 171 years ago,” said Laura Wetzel, co-president of the LWVCA. “We will be reminded not only of the importance of this place, the oldest church in Cooperstown, and this individual, a crusader for women’s rights, but also of the length of this struggle and the persistence of this crusader.”
Ashley Hopkins-Benton, senior historian and curator, social history, New York State Museum; Pastor Jessica D. Lambert and Associate Pastor Faith E. Gay, First Presbyterian Church; and Cynthia Falk, deputy mayor of Cooperstown, will be among those welcoming “Miss Anthony” as she returns to Cooperstown.
The event is free and open to the public. Light refreshments will be served.
Officials said Green Toad Bookstore will be onsite offering many pertinent books for sale, and the Village Library of Cooperstown will provide a book display to support the theme and promote the event.
