Letters
Region
Obituaries
Abstract Paintings & Tribal Masks Exhibition At New Hampshire Antique Co-Op
Now on view through May 31, 2020
Congregational Church Stays Connected
During the suspension of in-person activities in light of the Covid-19 situation, the Congregational Church of Amherst, UCC has a variety of ways for members and others to connect with church programs. This is especially important during April as Holy Week and Easter are on the horizon.
The most up-to-date information about church activities can be found on the church’s website (ccamherst.org) or by calling the church office at 673-3231. Sunday services are broadcast on FacebookLive and recorded for later on-line viewing. Services are followed by a Virtual Fellowship Hour. Links for these and other events can be found on the website.
The church’s Facebook page is another source of information, including updates and video messages from the pastors. Pastors Maureen Frescott and Kate Kennedy are available to provide pastoral care during this time, and the church welcomes community members to connect with this loving, serving, open and affirming community of faith.
Lorraine Alice Hamilton
AMHERST – Lorraine Alice Hamilton of Amherst, New Hampshire, Beach Haven, New Jersey and Rancho Mirage, California died June 14, 2020 from pancreatic cancer at her home in California. She was 73 years old and a participant in the trial of a new cancer drug at NYU Langone in New York City since April 2019. She hoped that results from the trial would improve care for other patients who develop this cancer. She was with her family when she died and was
Donald Richard Haaker
Donald Richard Haaker, 80, born June 2, 1940, son of Carl E Haaker and Jeanne LaRochelle Haaker of Fitchburg, MA, son, brother, father, grandfather, and great grandfather, peacefully passed away on Sunday, June 7, 2020 at Saint Luke’s Hospital in New Bedford, MA.
Don, as he was affectionately referred to by friends, and Dad or Grandpa by family, was a proud veteran, avid fisherman, former business owner, collector of “As Seen On TV” gadgets, and
Historic Amherst
Woman Suffrage in Amherst – 1920 CONTINUED FROM PREVIOUS PAGE
music teacher; Jennie E. Holbrook (30), town librarian; Mildred E. Hunnewell (24), teacher in Delaware 2019/20; Madeline D. Kingsley (24), public school teacher; Annie J. Parker (29), nurse; Bessie H. Pettingill (22), who had been waiter in nutrition clinic in Boston during past winter; Bertha L. Piper (32), public school teacher (later principal at Brick School); Neva E. Sloan (25), nurse; Belle H. Tarbell (54, married), music teacher; and Miriam E. Wilkins (25), bank clerk for Souhegan National Bank.
There were 11 wives whose husbands had important positions or special occupations: the wife of the Baptist clergyman, Rev. Buzzell; wife of Town road agent Dodge; wives of both grocers and the meat market manager; wives of both railroad station agents; wife of the mail carrier; wife of the undertaker; and wives (mother-in-law and daughter-in-law) of the automobile dealers, Clark father and son. The wife of one of the town’s several butchers was already counted among farmer’s wives.
Ten of those registered women were immigrants: six born in Canada, two from Ireland; and one each from England and Sweden.
There were 11 mother-daughter pairs among them; 9 of the daughters are listed above among the working women. And there were 2 cases of mother-in-law and daughter-in-law both registering.
There were 7 elderly spinsters among those registered; including long-time residents who had inherited their homes: Miss Lucy R. Fletcher (72) in the brick house at 117 Boston Post Road; Miss Priscilla E. W. McKean (82) in the Capt. Prior House at 11 Courthouse Road; Miss Eliza J. Stearns (77) in the old house at 41 Courthouse Road, all in the Village. During that first voting season, the local newspaper editor commented about Milford: “There was nothing about the women’s vote [in the primary elections] which could be criticized by even
the most rabid “anti.” … Instead of increasing the average of faulty ballots the women improved the percentage. … Besides voting accurately, intelligently and in large numbers, the women have contributed good material to the political activities of the town [of Milford].” (Milford Cabinet, 9 Sep. 1920, p. 2; The Observer column.) I’m sure the same could have been said about Amherst’s women voters.
In N.H., Woman Suffrage at School Meetings Since 1878
The women of New Hampshire in general, and Amherst in particular, actually already had experience with voting. Women in N.H. became eligible to serve on school committees in 1871 and won the right to vote in school elections in 1878 (whereas women in Minnesota and Michigan gained this right in 1875 and women in New York in 1880). In Amherst, at the first annual meeting after the town was re-organized into a single School District, in March 1881: “There was a large attendance of the “inhabitants of Amherst qualified to vote in school district affairs” … The score of ladies present joined every ballot, and fell into the ways of the “lords of creation” as easily as could be expected.” (Farmers’ Cabinet, 11 March 1881, p. [3].) Two years later, at 1883 annual meeting of the School District of the Town of Amherst, women’s participation was evidently still considered newsworthy: “There was a large number of ladies present who seemed to enjoy the exercise of their rights of franchise; and we … attribute to their presence the great order and good feeling that prevailed throughout the meeting.” (Farmers’ Cabinet, 30 March 1883, p. [3].)
I haven’t found the statistics for Amherst, but in Milford in 1920 (when the census counted a total population of 3783) reportedly about 450 women were registered on the school check list, which was about 50 per cent of the women entitled to vote in school affairs.
Women Vote at Town Meeting
At the first Town Meeting in Amherst at which women were eligible to participate, in March 1921: “Town meeting was well attended with many ladies exercising their new privileges.” However, the reported maximum number of votes for any amendment was 107 votes. (Milford Cabinet, 10 March 1921.)
Sources and Acknowledgment:
My thanks to Will & Jeanne Ludt of Amherst for sharing their transcription of the names of the women on the Check List of the Legal Voters in the Town of Amherst, N.H. dated 16 Oct. 1920. The original resides at the N.H. State Archives in Concord, N.H.
For further reading, see “New Hampshire and the 19th Amendment” at nps.gov (National Park Service website); and “Timeline_of_Women’s_Suffrage_in_the_United_States” on wikipedia which gives greater context (but is missing date of NH’s school suffrage for women). Also interesting, check out the candidates of the 1920 Presidential election.
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Katrina Holman welcomes comments at HistoricAmherstNH@juno.com
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