Annie Lorraine Rose Fitch (1868–1940) Annie was born in Flushing, New York. The wife of a prominent lawyer, Joseph Fitch, she was known to be involved in charitable works in her community. Annie served as the Vice President of Flushing's Equal Franchise Association leading up to women earning the right to vote in New York State. Volume six of the History of Woman Suffrage (p. 462) lists Mrs. Joseph Fitch as one of many "capable officials" who in 1915 helped with various activities on behalf of the cause, including canvassing and clerical work. (Courtesy alexanderstreet.com) Joseph died in 1917, the same year New York gave women the right to vote, and any record of Annie Fitch's suffrage activities ends there. As suggested in the Alexander Street document, "she may have lost her energy at that time." Or perhaps we don't know more because it appears she had no grandchildren or great-grandchildren who would document her life on a genealogy site. If you know more about her, you can help us tell her story. Please use our Add a Suffragist form to submit your information. Annie is buried with her husband. Flushing Cemetery ​ 163–06 46th Avenue, Flushing, NY 11358 Queens County Learn More

Martha J. Hadley Stebbins (1837–1921) A lifelong resident of Churchville, NY and an educator, Martha was a member of the New York State Woman's Suffrage Association. Martha wrote letters of support and participated in fundraising for New York State Senators who supported the vote for women. Examples of her work are archived in letters written to Mariana Wright Chapman in 1900. Chapman then served as the president of the New York State Woman's Suffrage Association. These letters are part of the Chapman collection at Swarthmore College. Martha represented New York at the National Conventions during the 1890-1910 time period. At the 1910 state convention, Martha Stebbins was awarded a lifetime membership to this organization through the Mary Anthony Fund. Creekside Cemetery L, lot 253, grave 7 N Main St, Churchville, NY 14428 Monroe County Learn More

Lavinia R. Davis, MD (1862–1945) Lavinia graduated from Oberlin College, the oldest coeducational liberal arts college in the United States, in 1886. In 1896, she graduated from Syracuse University's College of Medicine as a physician. The following year, she established a general practice on Main Street in Oneida, NY, becoming the only female physician in the county. She practiced in Oneida for 47 years. Starting in 1891, Lavinia served as state superintendent of franchise for the New York Woman's Christian Temperance Union (WCTU). She addressed WCTU county and state conventions on suffrage and presented franchise reports. She was a charter member of the WCTU local union in Oneida, and in 1900 became president of the Oneida local suffrage club. The watchwords of the WCTU: Agitate—Educate—Legislate fittingly characterize the activities of Dr. Lavinia Davis. Dr. Lavinia spoke before a New York Senate committee in 1903 and 1904 in support of a legislative measure extending to female taxpayers of third-class cities the right to vote on questions of taxation. She participated on a legislative work committee for the National American Woman Suffrage Association (NAWSA). Dr. Lavinia expressed her reasons for supporting suffrage at state conventions. In 1905, she presented the motto for Oneida: "She who is called upon to people the world should be law-giver as well as life-giver." At the 1908 state convention, she announced that the WCTU and the state Woman Suffrage Association cooperated in bills before the legislature and "a full suffrage measure was introduced but lost though a most enthusiastic hearing was held, women attending from all parts of the state." Her response to roll call in 1915: "Women prepare children for the world, give them the power to help prepare the world for children." From 1891-1918, Dr. Lavinia "sent out hundreds of suffrage leaflets and appeals to the local unions every year." She established the Davis Loan Fund back at Oberlin College in 1923. The fund provided loans to deserving young women. In 1931, a Suffrage Memorial Tablet was placed in the State Capitol Building, Albany, NY by the NY League of Women Voters. It honored eighty-four NY women who had labored to gain woman suffrage. The list of names included Lavinia R. Davis. (Courtesy AlexanderStreet.com) Evergreen Cemetery ​ 9364-9374 County Route 2, Orwell, NY 13144 Oswego County Learn More

Mary Edwards Walker, MD (1832–1919) The only woman ever awarded the Medal of Honor—the US military's highest decoration—was a gender-queer Civil War surgeon named Dr. Mary Edwards Walker. Mary was a suffragist, a veteran and POW, and a talented doctor who challenged convention in every way. Turned down in her attempts to join the Union army, Mary volunteered at first. She finally got a contract, and proved able and unflappable—but still couldn't get a formal commission. The American Medical Association tried hard to block her, both with outright sexism and more veiled critique of her training in "eclectic" or what today we'd call alternative & homeopathic medicine. In the 1850s traditional medical schools wouldn't admit women, so the distinction between credentialing & sexism was a thin line. Dr. Mary was a committed suffragist who used her public profile to advance the cause. She is the first woman known to try and vote in New York, in her hometown of Oswego. It was 1867, early in what became known as the New Departure, a strategy of voting as civil disobedience. She campaigned for dress reform for decades, before and after the war and as a longtime officer of the Dress Reform Association. She was very close to Belva Lockwood, landmark lawyer and presidential candidate, and they worked together for suffrage through the 1870s. Dr. Mary's contributions to the movement were all but erased from the historical record by Stanton and Anthony, who were threatened by her and uncomfortable with her gender-bending. She was arrested repeatedly for her clothing, and charged with disorderly conduct and disturbing the peace in both New York City and Baltimore. At that point she was still wearing long hair and a mid-calf dress over pants. By the 1870s, Walker cut her hair short and wore unambiguously male clothing for the rest of her life. She sat for photos and had portraits painted in those years—in top hat & dinner jacket, Dr. Mary wanted to be seen clearly for who she was. There are two children's books about Dr. Walker: Mary Walker Wears the Pants and Mary Wears What She Wants. But the most fitting tribute is Washington DC's Whitman-Walker Clinic, named for Walt Whitman and Mary Walker. The clinic has been serving the health and well-being of LGBTQ in Washington for more than 40 years. (Biographical info from Dr. Mary Walker: An American Radical by Sharon Harris.) Bio by Rachel B. Tiven. Rural Cemetery ​ 242 Cemetery Road, Oswego, NY 13126 Oswego County Learn More

Anna Sands McAvoy O'Shea (1852–1937) Anna was an activist and suffragist from the age of sixteen until women won the right to vote in 1920. Her most notable participation in the suffrage movement came from her work in New York City with the St. Catherine's Welfare Association, a Catholic women's organization. Anna played a major role in establishing the group and organized the first meeting, held on Jan 7, 1911 at the Covenant of Peace, 225 West Fourteenth St. in New York City. She served as the organization's vice-president in 1917. Anna actively engaged in the group's effort to spread the support of enfranchisement to women. The women of St. Catherine's Welfare Association rejected the general policy of the Catholic Church opposing women's enfranchisement, instead viewing it as their mission to change that policy. Kensico Cemetery ​ 273 Lakeview Avenue, Valhalla, NY 10595 Westchester County Learn More

Harriett Newell Austin, MD (1829–1891) Harriett graduated from Mary Gove Nichols American Hydropathic Institute in 1851. Because mainstream medical schools did not admit women, she and the other women physicians of the era had to seek training at such irregular institutions. Harriett and her contemporaries saw the water cure as the basis for a larger reform movement. They were attempting to expand the role of women in society and improve their status in the public sphere by bolstering their health, through hygienic regimens and reformed modes of dress that minimized restriction of movement for women. At Our Home, female patients wore an American costume that Austin designed: a tunic or shortened dress, with hem landing at the knee, worn over loose pants. It was called American costume as a rhetorical contrast with the fashionable, restrictive French costume that the dress reform movement sought to eradicate. The garments were designed to minimize restrictions on women's movement and promote health and hygiene. Green Mountain Cemetery Jackson lot 10071 Greenmount Avenue, Dansville, NY 14437 Livingston County Learn More

Grace Niebuhr Kimball, MD (1855–1942) A missionary and humanitarian with the American Medical Missionaries during the persecution of Armenians during the Hamidian Massacre in Turkey, Grace arrived at Vassar College in 1896 to serve as assistant physician. She left after four years. In addition to her private practice, Grace was the head of the Poughkeepsie YWCA for 41 years. In 1917, as part of the YWCA, she was involved in the creation of the local "League for Women's Service” that supported the war effort. She was the only woman in the state to lead a county's Military Census. She was a member of the Dutchess County Defense Council. In 1909, Grace attended a pro-suffrage meeting in Poughkeepsie and emerged as a visible leader as reported in the Poughkeepsie Eagle News. Poughkeepsie Rural Cemetery Section E 342 South Avenue, Poughkeepsie, NY 12601 Dutchess County Learn More

Eveline Ballintine, MD (1852–1921) Dr. Eveline was one of a number of prominent early female physicians mentioned in the History of Women’s Suffrage.In January 1887 the Provident Dispensary was opened for business. It provided free medical care for women and children and was operated solely by women physicians. The clinic was located on Front Street in the city of Rochester by the Genesee River. Rochester City Council supplied Provident Dispensary with three rent free rooms and a $100 budget. The rest of their funds came from private donors. During this time, dispensaries were founded to meet the needs of urban, working poor families. Dispensaries held clinic hours and made home visits. Beyond medical needs, they met the social needs of their patients, helping them find employment, providing food and clothing, and teaching about hygiene and sanitation. Unlike other dispensaries, Provident Dispensary was founded specifically to serve women and children. Provident Dispensary was established in conjunction with the Practitioner’s Society, a medical society for women in Rochester. Women physicians during this time period were largely excluded from practicing in hospitals. Provident Dispensary gave women the chance to practice medicine, maintain their skills, and care for poor women and children, a core value of their mission. The founders of Provident Dispensary were: Drs. Sarah Dolley, Mary Stark, Anna Searing, Harriet Turner, Eveline Ballintine, Frances Hamilton, Lettie Woodruff, Sarah Perry, Mary Brownell, Marion Craig, Mary Slaight, and Minerva Palmer. Mount Hope Cemetery Section E Lot 9 W½ 1133 Mount Hope Avenue, Rochester, NY 14620 Monroe County Learn More

Sarah Lamb Cushing, MD (1818–1919) Dr. Sarah was the first woman doctor in Western New York. She voted at a school meeting of the first district of Lockport, NY, following the passage of the bill to prevent disfranchisement in 1885. Dr. Sarah also endowed the Cushing Fund on Dec. 31, 1910, providing Lockport City Hospital with the income "for the benefit of poor and deserving women, young and old, who are residents of Niagara County who shall be in need of hospital care." Cold Springs Cemetery Section K. Lot 19 4849 Cold Springs Road, Lockport, NY 14094 Niagara County Learn More

Annetta E. Barber, MD (1859–1945) Though born along Lake Champlain, Dr. Annetta Barber spent much of her medical career in Glens Falls, NY where she was active in local, state, and national medical associations, women’s clubs, and civic organizations. She was active in the Glens Falls Political Equality Club from 1902-1917, and was elected treasurer of the club in 1903. She also served on the Meetings and Programs committee in 1914, and on the Membership committee in 1915. Dr. Annetta presented a number of papers to the club based on some of her medical research including one titled “What the World Owes to the Scientific Discovery of Medicine and Surgery”. She was a charter member of the local Zonta branch, as well as both the Tri-County & Glens Falls Associations for the Blind. Dr. Annetta retired to and is buried in her hometown of Chazy, NY. Bio by Tisha Dolton. Riverview Cemetery ​ US Route 9, Chazy, NY 12921 Clinton County Learn More

Lydia Hammond Strowbridge, MD (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. Cortland Rural Cemetery Section S, Lot 40 110 Tompkins Street Cortland, NY 13045 Cortland County Learn More

Sarah Read Adamson Dolley, MD (1829–1909) Dr. Sarah was a woman of rare distinction. In 1847, one year prior to the first Woman’s Rights convention in Seneca Falls, she was already breaking gender barriers. In that year, she began her studies for a medical degree at Central Medical College in Syracuse, NY. She became the second woman in America to become a doctor and the first woman to complete a hospital internship. After graduation, she became Rochester’s first female physician. It was there that she became friends with Susan B. Anthony. When Susan voted illegally in the 1872 federal election, Sarah and 13 other women voted illegally alongside her. In 1881, Dr. Sarah was president of the “Ignorance Club," a group of prominent women who met to learn about issues of interest to them. More than just a social club, these women intended to learn about and agitate for social reform on important matters. They advocated for inclusion of women on the boards of Rochester’s schools and the Western New York House of Refuge. They also sought the appointment of a woman as matron for the Rochester City Jail. These reforms were enacted due to their efforts. In 1893, Dr. Sarah became a founding member of the Women’s Educational and Industrial Union, an organization whose mission was to address women’s unique needs for better working conditions in factories, job training, education, nutritional support, and legal advocacy. That organization is still active today and is known as the Rochester Legal Aid Society. Mount Hope Cemetery Section I, Lot 107 1133 Mount Hope Avenue, Rochester, NY 14620 Monroe County Learn More

Mary Putnam Jacobi, MD (1842–1906) American physician, writer, and suffragist, Dr. Mary Jacobi was considered to have been the foremost woman doctor of her era. She was the first female graduate of the NY College of Pharmacy in 1863. Mary was an esteemed medical practitioner and teacher, a harsh critic of the exclusion of women from these professions, who frequently disputed medical claims that women should not vote, attend college, or work due to mental and physical deficiencies, and a social reformer dedicated to the expansion of educational opportunities for women. She was also a well-respected scientist, supporting her arguments for the rights of women with the scientific proofs of her time. Green-Wood Cemetery Section 61, Lot 13850 500 25th Street, Brooklyn, NY 11232 Kings County Learn More

Rosina Flanly (Flannelly, Flanelly) (1863–1937) Rosina (Rose) along with her sister, Fanny, was a member of the St. Catherine Welfare Association, a Manhattan-based Catholic organization of young women advocating for suffrage that grew out of the work of the Catholic Committee of the New York City Woman Suffrage Party. Rose and Fanny were listed in the History of Woman Suffrage: 1900-1920 among several members who "helped [promote suffrage] unceasingly by writing, speaking and in many other ways." Calvary Cemetery ​ 49-02 Laurel Hill Boulevard, Woodside, NY 11377 Queens County Learn More

Amanda Sanford Hickey, MD (1838–1894) Amanda is one of the female physicians listed in the History of Woman Suffrage. A prominent physician in Auburn, NY, she helped form the Auburn Political Equality Club. Amanda also organized the Cayuga County Political Equality Club, whose members consorted with the likes of outspoken suffragists such as Susan B. Anthony, Elizabeth Cady Stanton, and Amelia Bloomer. Amanda's obituary declared her, “an ardent believer and earnest worker in the cause of universal suffrage.” Her dedication to the advancements of women’s health and her advocacy for equality were important and will continue to inspire those headed down the same path. Evergreen Cemetery ​ Union Springs, Cayuga, NY 13160 Cayuga County Learn More

Fannie Flanly (Flannelly, Flanelly) (1859–1948) Fanny, along with her sister, Rose, was a member of the St. Catherine Welfare Association, a Manhattan-based Catholic organization of young women advocating for suffrage that grew out of the work of the Catholic Committee of the New York City Woman Suffrage Party. Fanny and Rose were listed in the History of Woman Suffrage: 1900–1920 among several members who "helped [promote suffrage] unceasingly by writing, speaking and in many other ways." Calvary Cemetery ​ 49-02 Laurel Hill Boulevard, Woodside, NY 11377 Queens County Learn More

Watch WATV on PBS! WATV will air on American Public Television stations this fall through Election Day 2022. Check your local PBS station listing for broadcast times in your hometown! Contact us about in-person or virtual screening opportunities of WOMEN AND THE VOTE. Contact your local public media stations about upcoming broadcasts in your area.

Clemence Sophia Harned Lozier, MD (1813–1888) As New York State barred women as physicians in hospitals, in 1863 Dr. Clemence Lozier founded a medical school exclusively for female students, the New York Medical College and Hospital for Women, which was staffed and supervised by the College’s male faculty. In 1860, prior to opening the school, Dr. Clemence began a series of lectures from her home on anatomy, physiology, and hygiene as these topics were regularly neglected in women’s education. Seeing high demand for the lectures and tired of seeing qualified women get turned away from medical school, Dr. Clemence, with the help of Elizabeth Cady Stanton, was able to persuade the New York State legislature to grant her a charter for a women’s medical college. In 1863, the New York Medical College for Women opened with seven female students in the inaugural class, and a faculty of eight doctors, four men and four women. Over the next twenty-five years, the school grew and placed more than 200 female graduates in medical practice throughout the U.S. and abroad. The school’s hospital was the first place in New York where doctors of their own gender could treat women, and its clinic attracted up to 2,000 female patients each year. Dr. Clemence was President of New York Woman’s Suffrage Society from 1873-1886, and very active in other suffrage organizations. She gave the commencement address at the medical school’s 25th graduation ceremony in 1888 and passed away two days later at the age of 74. Green-Wood Cemetery Section 152, Lot 19173 500 25th Street, Brooklyn, NY 11232 Kings County Learn More

Theresa Stitch (Stich, Stick) (1899–1981) Theresa was born in New York City to Russian immigrants. In 1919, she was one of fourteen participants in an anti-Wilson march held in Manhattan. Organized by Alice Paul, these women protested Woodrow Wilson and the Democratic Party's inability to pass a constitutional amendment guaranteeing women the right to vote. Theresa's participation in the March 1919 demonstration is detailed in "6 Anti-Wilson Suffragists Are Arrested Here," New York Tribune, 5 March 1919, p. 4. There is no other record of Theresa's involvement with the National Women's Party or any suffrage activities. The 1940 US Census states that Theresa was then working for the city Department of Welfare as a social investigator. Perhaps this was the avenue she used to help other's obtain their rights. If you know more about her, you can help us tell her story. Please use our Add a Suffragist form to submit your information. Mount Lebanon Cemetery 13-17-REAR-1 78–00 Myrtle Avenue, Glendale, NY 11385 Queens County Learn More

Susan B. Anthony Didn't Do It Alone. WOMEN AND THE VOTE NEW YORK STATE provides a growing suffragist directory and gravesite map to help you explore New York's rich and influential suffragist history. You'll find famous individuals and those you've never heard of whose grassroots efforts resulted in passage of milestone legislation including the 19th Amendment (1920), the Civil Rights Act of 1964, and the Voting Rights Act of 1965. The Equal Rights Amendment (ERA)—proposed in 1923—remains one state shy of ratification to this day. On Election Day, we hope you’ll cast your vote and then visit suffragists gravesites in your community wearing your “I Voted” sticker to show your gratitude for their tireless work. Our filmmakers will be at many cemeteries asking visitors how the past and the fragility of suffrage inspires them to honor Susan B. Anthony's call to continue the work for a just and equitable society for all. Inspired by the Indigenous way of life. Long before Europeans set foot in what is now New York state, the Haudenosaunee considered women sacred. They created space for women to walk alongside men and share equally the burdens and the blessings of carrying forth a community. For EuroAmerican women who legally had no voice, no rights, and belonged to their fathers or husbands, this Indigenous model of democracy inspired dreams of freedom and equality. ​ Some early suffragists in Upstate New York, including Elizabeth Cady Stanton, Matilda Joslyn Gage, and Lucretia Mott, befriended their Haudenosaunee neighbors. Witnessing democracy based on equity, not power over another, shaped the women's thinking and inspired their writings throughout the suffrage movement.