Katherine Wright – Dayton, Ohio

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

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

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

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

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!

Biographical Sketch of Eliza Archard Connor | Alexander Street Documents

Ohio Women's History

Thank you Cora B. Arney for allowing me to share this! Click on the link to read the article there or you can read it below.

Source: Biographical Sketch of Eliza Archard Connor | Alexander Street Documents

Biographical Database of NAWSA Suffragists, 1890-1920

Biography of Eliza Archard Connor, 1838-1912

By Cora B. Arney, Public History Consultant, Cincinnati, Ohio.

Women’s Rights Journalist

“Author, Traveler, Scholar.” These are the terms etched into a New Richmond, Ohio headstone to describe 19th century journalist, Eliza Archard Conner. Archard was born in 1838 in the abolitionist town of New Richmond, Ohio and died in 1912 in New York City. She was tough, highly opinionated, and a radical in her time. She seized any opportunity to prove herself as a prolific journalist, and to influence other women to live up to their full potential. These qualities were no doubt seeded by spending her formative years…

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Ohio Local History Alliance Virtual Meeting October 1-3

Ohio Women's History

Hello fellow readers. I wanted to make you aware of this meeting October 1-3 and let you know that if you sign up, you will hear Ohio Women’s History Project as one of the first presentations on October 1st from 9am – 10am.

http://ohiolha.org

The title of the presentation will be Transformed Women Who Brought Us to Where we are Today.  There will be several other presentations and a guest speaker during these three days. I hope you will be able to attend and while it is virtual, you will be able to ask questions via Chat that I will be able to answer at the end. I look forward to seeing you!!

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Sojourner Truth: Ohio Women’s Right’s Convention, Akron

Ohio Women's History

Sojourner Truth was born Isabella “Belle” Baumfree sometime in 1797 in Swartekill, NY (died 11/26/1883 at 86). She was an abolitionist, an author and a human rights activist. She escaped slavery in 1826 with her infant daughter. She was the first black woman to get her son back in court two years later. Ms. Truth helped bring black troops to the Union for the Civil War and she also helped freed blacks to receive land grants. In the latter she was unsuccessful. She also narrated several pieces that have been published, her talk in Akron was not want of them. Today there are quite a number of memorials in her name around the country.

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Helen Beatrice Jenkins Davis: Columbus, OH

Ohio Women's History

Ms. Helen Beatrice Jenkins was born July 28, 1894, in Columbus, Ohio, the 12th of 13 children of Sallie and William George (Billy) Jenkins. Helen’s father was born into slavery in 1849. After the end of the civil war and slavery, William Jenkins moved to Jamestown, Ohio where he met and married Sallie.

Ms. Jenkins grew up on Spring Street, in an area that is presently part of Martin Luther King Drive. Helen graduated from the Columbus Normal School, in the top five percent of her class; and continued her education at Ohio State and Capital Universities. Discriminatory practices within the public educational system caused a delay of approximately two years before Davis’ appointment to a teaching position in the
Columbus Public Schools in 1918. She was among the first Black teachers, in the first integrated Columbus Public School, Spring Street Elementary. Helen B. Jenkins Davis’ teaching career spanned over…

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The Declaration of Independence, 4th of July 1776

As we celebrate the 244th anniversary of our independence from Great Britain and our right to exist as free peoples without fear of the King’s rule. Here are the actual words and a photograph of the document itself. Also, a little known fact of women’s history.