Permanent Exhibits:

All Our Grandmothers

A visual journey through the lives of women who lived in this region a hundred years ago. Phase One of this exhibit focuses on Native and African American women. Phase Two includes the lives of our Latin American and Asian grandmothers.

Dr. Dawn Marsh Riggs, Curator

About the 85 years of Women’s Suffrage Exhibit

What do you wear to protest at the White House? Well, other than chains, the well-dressed Suffragist of the 1920’s wore a basic khaki uniform of blouse and pantaloons, which for the time, was quite outrageous.

You can see this and other artifacts from that era in our 85 years of Women’s Suffrage Exhibit. It was 85 years ago, on August 26th, 1920, that American women finally won the right to cast their ballot along with men.

According to Museum Historian, Dr. Sue Gonda, “this small museum boasts a large collection of important memorabilia. Among the many suffrage archives, is a khaki outfit from the 1910s worn by a suffragist activist who, according to its oral history, wore it while protesting President Wilson at the White House. We also have a collection of many "votes for women" buttons and badges, some of which even have tiny photos of Susan B. Anthony and Elizabeth Cady Stanton on them.”

There is also a large wool banner, several feet long, carried by suffragists in protest parades. Our archives and the Internet are filled with women carrying such banners as they marched. We also have extensive correspondence between national women suffrage leaders, including dozens of letters from Susan B. Anthony.

“Much of our suffragist archives came from the collection of Alice Park, a fascinating teacher and international activist who moved to California and became a leader in the movement. She saved agendas and handouts from suffrage meetings; pamphlets published by some anti-woman suffrage associations, and lots of other wonderful propaganda items--both for and against women's suffrage. Park was also involved in the vegetarian movement at the turn-of-the-century--the one made popular by Kellogg and Post.

Photographs, books and other memorabilia on display help remind us of the importance of this date in American history.