IRVINGTON — Visit the Irvington Historical Society at the Bona Thompson Memorial Center (5350 E. University Ave.) on Saturdays & Sundays, Nov. 7 – Dec. 6, 1 – 4 p.m. to see “Securing the Vote: Women’s Suffrage in Indiana,” a traveling exhibit from the Indiana Historical Society (IHS) marking the 100th anniversary of the Nineteenth Amendment, which recognized a woman’s right to vote. The exhibit explores how women across the state labored for suffrage through countless meetings, campaigns and other grassroots efforts. Despite many defeats and setbacks, they persisted toward the goal of full citizenship and the power to make change through voting.
The traveling exhibit covers the first Indiana Woman’s Rights Convention held in Dublin, Indiana, in 1851, and follows the fight through Indiana’s ratification of the Nineteenth Amendment in 1920. Along the way, it delves into stories of change at the local level, such as the first woman elected to the Indianapolis School Board in 1909. The exhibit also follows the evolution of state groups, such as the Legislative Council of Women and the work of Irvington resident, Grace Julian Clarke.
While in the neighborhood, stop over at 115 S. Audubon to see the new plaque commemorating the efforts of Grace Julian Clarke in front of her home. The marker was recently installed during a special ceremony memorializing her accomplishments.
“Securing the Vote: Women’s Suffrage in Indiana” is a project of the Indiana Women’s Suffrage Centennial, catalyzed by Indiana Humanities, the Indianapolis Propylaeum, the Indiana Historical Society and the Indiana Historical Bureau, with support from Lilly Endowment Inc.
Admission to the Bona Thompson Memorial Center is free; a donation is appreciated.