Category Archives: Ohio Women’s History

Berenice Abbott – Springfield

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A great video through Wild West Women, on YouTube.

Ohio Women's History

I would like to embed this video here but it won’t let me. It is on YouTube, subscribe to Wild West Women. You might be able to go with this link https://youtu.be/3_QyolGSV5M

Berenice, like Natalie Clifford Barney, lived in Ohio for a short time and spent the rest of her life abroad or different parts of the US. She died in Maine in 1991. Like Natalie as well, she never married. Unlike Natalie, she grew up poor with a single mother after her father abandoned them. He took all the children but Berenice.

She was a famous photographer, beginning her career under the tutelage of Man Ray in Paris. A very interesting video of an independent woman who you can tell was strong, stubborn and wise.

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What did Victoria do?

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How friends can learn about building friendships in the face of what Victoria went through.

Ohio Women's History

Victoria Woodhull was shunned by women, in her time period, for being a free thinker. She was shunned for having views that weren’t proper for women at that time. Even though she was a suffrage and worked tirelessly to get us the right to vote, even speaking before the House of Representatives (House Judiciary Committee back then), and almost succeeding – she did not because of her views that differed from other women. While they shared the same suffrage values, they did not share her other values. They made sure SHE was not given credit for giving them the right to vote. Kind of stupid don’t you think? Most women’s arguments are like this: baseless, judgmental, hurtful, insecure and disrespectful. Today, you are expected to appreciate THEIR boundaries, but it doesn’t matter what yours are. Phyllis Chessler, has written an excellent book, that I share all the time. It is…

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Robbins Hunter Museum – Tribute to Victoria Woodhull

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I quite enjoy finding little treasures in unexpected places.

Ohio Women's History

All Photos by Nina Russo. Victoria out at a little after 4pm Granville, Ohio (clock is fast). She looks ready to give a speech to onlookers below.

Last week, I had the pleasure of visiting Granville, Ohio for the first time. My childhood friends, Kelly and Nina were with me and wanted to go to the Avery-Downer House and Robbins Hunter Historical home. (Note: Museum link is not secure). I, of course was delighted to, not knowing about the connection to Victoria. This museum is next to the library and across the street from the Worthington Inn. We first determined to go to the writer’s store, Just Write (which also seems to be the gift shop for the home). Yes, this was an interesting journey. Just Write is run by a lovely lady, Stefanie Lauvray, who is a transplant from California, like myself. We had a great time catching…

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Maria Longworth Storer: Cincinnati

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An article about an amazing woman in Cincinnati history, written by Colonel Constance J. (CJ) Moore. Read more to find out about the book she co-wrote as well.

Ohio Women's History

Maria Longworth Nichols, unknown date but believed between 1880-1885. The American Ceramic Society

Maria Longworth (Nichols) Storer (1849-1932) pushed social boundaries and had a lasting impact on Cincinnati. Maria was a philanthropist and a talented artist who worked in clay to form decorative pottery and tapped beautiful pictures on thin pieces of copper. She was an accomplished pianist who played solos or accompanied other musicians at concerts. She established a successful international business, the Rookwood Pottery Company, in an era when women were to be domestically rather than corporately focused. She became a celebrity because of this enterprise and helped make Cincinnati an art center of the country.

With her second husband Bellamy’s political career, Maria put aside her business. On the national stage, she became a social hostess with close friendships with Presidents McKinley, Roosevelt, and Taft. On the international stage, as an ambassador’s wife, she influenced American diplomatic…

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Why I am a Suffragist: Pauline Steinem

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I think what she has to say is important as it brings insight into what our ancestors were thinking in view of suffrage. I enjoyed her way of expressing herself as a philosophical thinker.

Ohio Women's History

Toledo Blade, Wednesday, October 28, 1914

I believe in woman suffrage because I believe that the perfect equality of men and women is founded on Divine Wisdom.

Divine Wisdom, or, in the Greek term, Theosophy, teaches first of all the brotherhood of man without distinction of race, creed, color or sex.

The foundation for such brotherhood lies in the fact that there is but One Life, whatever we may call it, permeating and sustaining the universe. In human beings this life exists in a more highly evolved form; it has become individualized, self-conscious, and we know it as the Ego, the Thinker, the real man.

The body which the man wears is merely a garment, put on today and laid aside tomorrow, the real man is external, like the source from which he sprang, taking on new bodies life after life, for the purpose of gathering that experience which eventually…

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Katherine Wright – Dayton, Ohio

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Ohio Women's History

Katherine Wright, (August 19, 1874 – March 3, 1929; Leo/Hera) was a woman who sacrificed her life for others. It wasn’t until the last few years of her life that she was finally able to have true love, her own life and this was at the cost of her brother abandoning her. Her story is one of dedication to the two famous Wright brothers, Orville and Wilber but also to their lesser known father Bishop Milton Wright.

A graduate of Oberlin College in Ohio, she began her work as a teacher in the classroom. Constantly having positions kept from her, as it appeared her future destiny was being prepared for her. At the same time, her brothers were creating their airplane empire, trying to prove they could make a plane fly and then trying to prove to others it did.


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Mabel Hartzell: Alliance

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Ohio Women's History

I copied the below information on Mabel from the Alliance Historical Society Website. Take some time to peruse their website and learn more about this family, the home and the city. I don’t see any other information about her online but you might reach out the historical society to see what more they have to offer.

Biography of Mabel Hartzell

Mabel HartzellMabel Hartzell was born in Saginaw, Michigan on January 1, 1875 and died in Alliance, Ohio on December 2, 1954.

She came to Alliance with her family when she was eight years old. Her mother died when Mabel was just nine years old. The family was divided and she was adopted by Matthew and Mary Earley, who were friends of the family. The Earleys allowed Mabel to keep the Hartzell name.

Mabel Hartzell was a very well-educated woman and was extremely active in activities in and for the Alliance community.

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Clara Driscoll – Tallmadge, OH – The Real Tiffany’s

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Ohio Women's History

Clara’s “Tiffany” Lamps: Cleveland Museum of Art

Visiting the Cleveland Art Museum with my boyfriend, this past September, was a real treat. Not only was it, sadly, very empty but I also learned about a new Ohio woman. Since there were small numbers, we had the luxury of touring the museum like an after hours wealthy dignitary might do, such as a Louis Tiffany in his time. Without a crowd, we did not have to rush viewing the pieces, reading the descriptions and standing and gazing as long as we wished. My boyfriend was interested in viewing the Tiffany’s collection, that I had not noticed since it was behind us walking in. To my surprise, I quickly learned that there was a woman, from Tallmadge, Ohio, who was the actual designer and creator of Tiffany lamps and eventually the jewelry as well. I found a historical fiction book about her…

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Jerrie Mock: The Newark-born “Housewife” Who Flew Around the World

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An amazing story from the granddaughter of Jerrie Mock.

Ohio Women's History

It began with the dream of a little girl taking her first airplane ride. In 1932, in Newark, Ohio, that little girl understood what her destiny held, even if not the details. “I will fly around the world.”

In grade school, she studied the atlases of the world and found two more dreams for her life: to ride a camel in the Sahara and to ride an elephant.In college, she was the only female in a class of 100 studying aeronautical engineering.

As the years passed, she pursued her dreams as best she could, but Jerrie Fredritz was from a small town, and a girl in the 1940s. When you’re a girl, you drop out of college – if you were lucky enough to start college – to get married. Two years later, you give birth because this is what you do.

Jerrie Mock in the cockpit in her…

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Four Women in Ohio’s History

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This is a practice presentation that I did for the Ohio Local History Alliance a week ago. The live presentation was delivered yesterday at 9am. I actually think I did a better job here because I was more relaxed and not worried about the time. I hope you like it!