(April 18, 2022) The Talbot Historical Society, the Maryland Women’s Heritage Center, and the William G. Pomeroy Foundation will unveil a new historical marker honoring Mary Jenkins and Mary Bartlett Dixon, Talbot County’s two most prominent suffragists. The event will be held on Saturday, May 14, at 1:00 PM in the Gardens at the Talbot Historical Society at 25 South Washington St. in Easton.
Mary Jenkins and Mary Bartlett Dixon led Talbot County’s historic Just Franchise League from 1909 to 1919. Jenkins was Maryland’s representative at state suffrage conventions and was seen as a faithful Talbot County leader for the cause. Dixon was a noted grassroots activist for the Suffrage Movement and organized “porch and parlor” meetings, pamphleteering, marches, and petition drives throughout the state.
Download Marker Dedication Program
- Robert Willey, Mayor of Easton
- Addie Eckardt, Maryland State Senator
- Maria Darby, President of Maryland Women’s Heritage Center
- Diana Bailey, Executive Director of Maryland Women’s Heritage Center
- Steve Bodnar, William G. Pomeroy Foundation
The commemorative marker is being donated by the William G. Pomeroy Foundation and is one of 200 that are being dedicated to prominent suffragists in various locations around the country.
Space is limited so please RSVP to the Talbot Historical Society at 410-822-0773 or [email protected]
For information about the Talbot Historical Society: www.TalbotHistory.org
ABOUT MARYLAND WOMEN’S HERITAGE CENTER
The Maryland Women’s Heritage Center, a 501(c) (3) non-profit organization, was established to preserve the past, understand the present, and shape the future by recognizing, respecting, and transmitting the experiences and contributions of Maryland women of diverse backgrounds and from all regions of the state. The Center is an outgrowth of the Maryland Women’s History Project that began in 1980 as a collaborative venture between the Maryland Commission for Women and the Maryland Department of Education.
For more information: www.mdwomensheritagecenter.org
ABOUT THE WILLIAM G. POMEROY FOUNDATION
The William G. Pomeroy Foundation® is committed to supporting the celebration and preservation of community history; and working to improve the probability of finding appropriate donor matches or other life-saving treatments for blood cancer patients. Established by Trustee Bill Pomeroy in 2005 to bring together his two greatest passions, the Pomeroy Foundation is a private, philanthropic organization located in Syracuse, N.Y. As the nation’s leading funder of historic roadside markers, the Pomeroy Foundation has awarded nearly 1,700 grants for markers and bronze plaques in 44 states. To learn more about the Pomeroy Foundation, visit wgpfoundation.org.
ABOUT THE COLLABORATIVE OF WOMENS HISTORY SITES/VOTES FOR WOMEN TRAIL
A project of the National Collaborative for Women’s History Sites, the Trail links places that tell the rich story of the long struggle for women’s voting rights in America. The National Votes for Women Trail highlights how the women’s suffrage movement took hold in the cities, towns and rural areas of America. Women (and some men!) from myriad backgrounds and cultures, ordinary as well as leading figures, dedicated years of their lives to the cause of “votes for women.” They faced fierce opposition both in the popular culture and in the state legislatures, but, ultimately, they succeeded, when the 19th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution was ratified on August 26, 1920. A century later, scores of dedicated community historians have created the National Votes for Women Trail to document the suffragists’ victories and defeats along the path to the 19th. Like their suffragist foremothers they are volunteers, and they are passionate about uncovering untold stories that give us a rich and fuller view of our past.
The National Collaborative for Women’s History Sites has partnered with the William G. Pomeroy Foundation to make the National Votes for Women Trail a physical reality, with over200 roadside markers across the United States. The “virtual trail” of more than 2,200 sites can be found online at NVWT.org. Our goal is that the story of women’s suffrage gives all Americans a renewed dedication to American democracy and its promise of full equality for all.
