(1880–1969) Leila (Lee) was an active suffragist and educator in New York State, who was also connected to the settlement house and labor movements. She herself never married. Lee was especially active in the final few years of the push for suffrage in NY, chairing the National Woman's Party 3rd district in Albany, NY. She held meetings in Ravena and Voorheesville, NY.

In October of 1917, Lee and other New York suffragists journeyed to Washington to hear a special address from President Wilson, who showed his support and passion towards women's suffrage. However, the suffragists who were present sought to push the President to work harder and to push Congress to actually grant women the right to vote.

Lee was recognized on the National Roll of Honor of the National League of Women Voters in Washington D.C. as a substantial suffragist throughout the movement. Along with 72 other women, Leila Stott's name was inscribed on a bronze tablet that was placed in the national headquarters of the National League of Women Voters. *courtesy alexanderstreet.com

(1830–1904) Dr. Lydia was a physician, suffragist, abolitionist and progressive reformer. She specialized in diseases of women and children. During the years when it was considered rare for a woman to want to be a doctor, she challenged the social conventions of the day, opening doors for other women. Despite her own serious health issues, Dr. Lydia studied with local doctors in NYC ”one of the earliest women to do so."

She brought attention to many social issues, including abolition of enslavement, women's suffrage, the temperance movement and women's dress reform. Dr. Lydia was a speaker at the first New York State women's convention held at Congress Hall in Saratoga Springs.

(1866–1923) Mary was the only African-American woman in her graduating class from Oberlin College. She began a career in education in 1886 at Bethel University in Little Rock, Arkansas, and was named assistant principal of Little Rock's Union High School in 1887.

In 1891, Mary and her husband moved to Buffalo, NY where she helped found the Niagara Movement, a precursor to the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP). In 1915, Mary spoke at the Votes for Women: A Symposium by Leading Thinkers of Colored Women in Washington, D.C, and in 1922 she became the first woman to be awarded the Spingarn Medal, the highest honor by the NAACP. Throughout her life, Mary was committed to improving the social welfare of women and African-Americans.

(1827–1924) Mary was noted in the History of Women's Suffrage as having signed a petition to urge voting against Leslie Russell, NYS Attorney General--who opposed women's rights and whose recommendation was blocking women's rights legislation in New York State. She also appears in a History of Education publication. Mary was censured for criticizing a superintendent of schools.

(1882–1925) Daisy moved to Chicago to study music and perform organ at Quinn Chapel, a congregation within the progressive African Methodist Episcopal faith. It was perhaps during this period that she first became exposed to the politics of gender and race.

She married Green Tapley and moved to New York City in the early 1900s. She was already a budding contralto voice in the national music scene. Even as her career grew, Daisy became engaged in the women's rights movement. This included her attendance at the 1913 convention of the Empire State Federation of Women's Clubs, where she and her fellow delegates would vote in favor of women's suffrage.

Daisy remained active in the organization beyond this initial participation, including acting as the treasurer of the New York chapter. In 1915, while serving in this role, Daisy's name appeared on a resolution for the allocation of funds for a monument to Harriet Tubman. *Courtesy Alexanderstreet.com

(1839–1906) Mary was born in Seneca, Ontario County, New York to Hannah Southwick and Dr. Lester Jewett. She was commissioned as a nurse in the Union Army on November 28, 1863 and served at Hospital No. 8 in Nashville, Tennessee. Following the war, Mary wed Jacob Telford and spent the rest of her life in humanitarian efforts.

In 1883, Mary became a charter member of the Woman's Relief Corps, providing aid to Civil War soldiers and their families, and organization which is still in existence today. In 1894, Mary ran for Lieutenant Governor of Colorado on the Prohibition ticket.

Mary's other post-war activities included being an author of children's stories. She also toured the country, speaking on behalf of temperance for the WCTU, of which she and her sister Catherine were active members. The whole time, she had spinal difficulties and other health problems contracted during her service as a Civil War nurse.

Mary Jewett Telford was nominated for induction into the National Women's Hall of Fame in Seneca Falls, Seneca County. (courtesy of Brighton-Pittsford Post (NY)/Friday, April 9, 2010)

(1842–1925) Catherine ("Kate") was inspired by Lillie D. Blake calling on women to organize for the suffrage cause. Kate served as the first secretary of the Chautauqua County Political Equity Club; the first such organization in New York State. She went on to serve as the treasurer of the New York State Suffrage Association from 1895-1897.

Kate’s husband Norman R Thompson was an educator, school superintendent and held office in Jamestown. By 1900, the couple became residents of Albany where he held a government job. Kate does not have an occupation noted but it is easy to imagine she would be active in this cause during this time.

(1862–1922) Though originally from Alleghany County, Helen Freeborn Thornton settled in Victor with her husband Charles, and was an active member of the community. She was a member of the Unity Club and the Victor Equal Suffrage Association. In February 1914, she hosted a “suffrage school” at her home that was attended by several local suffragists. The meeting focused on methods to “promote and knowledgeably answer questions about a woman’s right to vote.”

(1891–1975) Beulah campaigned for women's suffrage and later was a member of the Democratic State Committee. She was a founding member of the League of Women Voters of New York State, and was the first President of the League of Women Voters of Rensselaer County.

(1853–1926) Possessing a contralto voice of great natural beauty, Harriet was constantly in demand as a concert singer in addition to acting as soloist in churches. Though her home and family were her chief interest, she found time to take an active part in every movement with which the women of her greater community were identified, and gave active and tireless effort to the cause of women's suffrage.

(1875–1927) Katrina was an 1897 graduate of Bryn Mawr College and a fierce advocate for women's rights—much to the dismay of her husband, Charles Lewis Tiffany. She was not deterred.

Katrina served as president of the New York Collegiate Equal Franchise League for five years. She was the recording secretary of the Woman Suffrage Party of New York. Katrina chaired the War Service Committee of the NAWSA during World War I. Donations of knitted items to sailors was one of their many projects. In 1916, she joined others to welcome President Wilson to the Atlantic City Suffrage Convention. 1917 found her marching down Fifth Ave in Manhattan as pat of a suffrage parade. Katrina was an Executive Committee member of the NY Infirmary for Women and Children as well as the Sunnyside Day Nursery. Carrie Chapman Catt spoke at her memorial service stating " The life of Katrina Ely Tiffany was the best example of what a good citizen should be".

(1878–1972) Margeret was a fearless leader and effective advocate for women’s suffrage. In 1912, she was president of the “Votes for Women Club” in Binghamton, New York. In that same year she attended the New York State Women’s Suffrage Convention in Utica. Due to her intense lobbying efforts, the convention was hosted in Binghamton the following year.

From 1913 to 1915 she and her colleagues, Ida Wales Gitchell, Catherine Bartoo, and Lillian Huffcut, kept the discussion uppermost in the minds of Broome County citizens. Debates (pro and con) and activities were reported in the local press. As a result of their efforts, Broome county voted “yes” on the 1915 referendum to add suffrage to the New York State constitution. It was one of only five counties to approve of the measure.

Unfortunately, the state-wide vote was rejected with 57.49% “No” and only 42.51 percent “Yes.” Even though the amendment was defeated, she remained undeterred. She, along with Ida, Catherine, and Lillian, formed the “The Broome County Woman Suffrage Party.” They raised funds, spoke at meetings, held dances, and parades. They also conducted a Suffrage School, which trained women on how to advocate for women’s suffrage. A newspaper article reported that she was “one of the best speakers of the city.”

Margaret demonstrated her fearlessness at one of Binghamton’s suffrage parades. A male trolley driver deliberately headed right for the marchers. As the leader of the parade, she continued marching straight into the path of the oncoming street car. The trolley driver backed down.

After passage of the 1917 New York State suffrage amendment, Margaret continued to remain active in civic affairs. She served as a Canteen Captain for the Red Cross in Broome County and participated in local social clubs. Margaret died at the age of 94.

(1856–1934) From Rochester Times-Union, Tuesday, February 6, 1934: "Mrs. Tousey was born in Rochester more than 75 years ago and lived her entire life in this city and Pittsford. She was a member of the Irondequoit Chapter, Daughters of American Revolution; of the Rochester Colony of New England Women; Past Matrons Association of Northfield Chapter and was active in Reunion Group 8 School.

For many years she taught 20th Century Women's Bible Class in the Presbyterian Church at Pittsford."

Evan was a charter member of the Pittsford Political Equality Club, which was organized September 6, 1902 in Pittsford, NY.

(1829–1904) George was a rather eccentric wealthy man of many endeavors. Among other ventures, he financed a newspaper published by Susan B and Elizabeth C, The Revolution, dedicated to women's rights. Described by one historian as "one of the strangest and most colorful characters of the era—“a combination of Liberace and Billy Graham." George was always dapper, polished, freshly shaved and scented with cologne; he carried a cane for effect rather than need. He ran for President against Lincoln in 1864, but no votes in his favor were recorded. While running again for President in 1868, he made a trip around the world in 80 days and was apparently the inspiration for the character of Phileas Fogg in Jules Verne's novel, Around the World in Eighty Days.

George claimed to have invented perforated stamps, erasers attached to pencils and canned salmon, but he was also a devoted and effective supporter of women's suffrage and the temperance movement to ban alcohol. Anthony and Stanton found common cause with him (though he believed that African-Americans should not be given the vote until they had been taught to read) and he became the principal funder of their newspaper, mentioned above.

While traveling together on a speaking tour in Kansas the three became great friends and Anthony found his limitless energy a source of personal strength and inspiration. She credited him with the 9,000 votes in support of a women's suffrage amendment (that was a lot of votes in the sparsely-populated new state).

The first issue of their newspaper was distributed on January 8, 1868. In its pages, Anthony, Stanton, Train and a few other writers imagined and advocated for a world entirely different from the cruel one outside of their New York City office door. They all shared frustration over the apparent limits of what had been accomplished in the wake of the Civil War. “Men talk of reconstruction on the basis of 'negro suffrage,'” wrote Stanton, “while multitudes of facts on all sides. . . show that we need to reconstruct the very foundations of society and teach the nation the sacredness of all human rights.”

(1856–1924) Mary “Minnie” was elected one of the vice- presidents of the Pittsford Political Equality Club at their first meeting in September 1902 and attended the state suffrage convention in Buffalo that year. The Club’s second and third meetings were held in her home at 42 Monroe Avenue.

Minnie’s involvement with suffrage reflected the close ties between suffrage and temperance. The first suggestion to form the Club was made at a meeting of the Woman’s Christian Temperance Union.
Women particularly suffered from alcohol abuse when it contributed to domestic violence. Women had no legal recourse and no right to custody of their children, their own wages, or to own property. The right to vote was seen by many as a way to establish legal protections for women and their children. Although Mary died in Washington, D.C., she was buried in Pittsford, NY.

(*courtesy of www.townofpittsford.org/19thAcentennial)

(1845–1915) On September 6, 1902, the first meeting of the Pittsford Political Equality Club was held at the Main Street home of Louise Meyer Van Buskirk, daughter of German immigrants.

The Pittsford Club members felt a strong connection to the national and global movement. The following year the Club again met in the Van Buskirk home on February 13, 1903, “on account of a desire to make the February meeting an anniversary (in so far as we could) of the 83rd birthday of “The Grand Woman” Susan B. Anthony... The day is celebrated by Suffrage Societies throughout the world, on either Saturday or Monday. In large cities and towns they were to do some fine things, raise money, &c. to help the cause so dear to Miss Anthony’s heart, and for which she has toiled through a long life of self-denial...”

(1880–1966) Gussie was a leading New York suffragist and a co-founder of the New York State League of Women Voters. She was Chairman of the 24 and 25 Congressional Districts of the New York State League of Women Voters in 1918-1919. In 1919, Gussie was elected as State Chairman of the NYS League of Women Voters. She also recruited Eleanor Roosevelt to join the League of Women Voters board of directors, having previously worked with her on wartime relief projects; they were friends.

Gussie helped found the Scarborough School, the the first Montessori school in the U.S., with her husband, Frank Arthur Vanderlip. During World War I, Gussie served as Chairman of the War Service Committee of the NYS Woman Suffrage Party.

(1844–1928) “Fanny" was an American women's suffrage campaigner, pacifist and a co-founder of National Association for the Advancement of Colored People. She was the daughter of prominent publisher and abolitionist William Lloyd Garrison and the wife of railroad tycoon Henry Villard. She founded the Women's Peace Society in 1919.

(1806–1886) Two years prior to the Seneca Falls convention, six women petitioned the New York State Constitutional Convention to grant women their God-given equal rights. Eleanor was one of those women.

A 1997 publication by the University of Chicago Press, "1846 Petition for Women's Suffrage, New York State Constitutional Convention," provides the details that follow. "These women were neither prominent nor wealthy. Their level of education is unknown. Eleanor Vincent had ten children. Lydia Williams was married with five children. Susan Ormsby never married and lived with Lydia Osborn. Amy Ormsby was Susan's sister-in-law. Anna Bishop immigrated to the area from Connecticut and was about 56 years old. Their petition was simple and eloquent. They were seeking "rights which have been ungenerously been withheld from them, rights which they as citizens of the state of New York may reasonably and rightfully claim."

(1867–1940) Born to an affluent family in Cincinnati, OH and raised in Rochester, NY, Lillian was afforded many educational opportunities. Instead of marrying and continuing her comfortable lifestyle, she moved to New York City and entered the New York Hospital School of Nursing. Along with her colleague, Mary Brewster, she opened the Nurse's Settlement House on Henry Street in 1895—the start of public health nursing—offering sliding scale for payment to ensure everyone could access medical treatment.

Lillian also supported the suffrage movement. She campaigned for the 1915 state referendum and was named an honorary chair of the New York State Women's Suffrage Party. A pacifist, Lillian encouraged President Wilson to mediate rather than enter World War I. She continued to support Democratic ideals and was a friend of Eleanor Roosevelt. Her last political campaign occurred in 1936 when she co chaired the Good Neighbor League. Lillian's work has had a lasting impact far beyond New York.