Suffragists in North Dakota
Beulah Amidon, Fargo: Picketed Wilson’s White House in 1917.
Elizabeth Preston Anderson, Tower City, Valley City, apt. in Fargo: Elizabeth Preston elected president of North Dakota Woman’s Christian Temperance Union in 1893. Served as president for 40 years. A long-time believer in women’s right to vote, she actively pursued woman suffrage from 1893 until 1920 and was present at the signing of the 1917woman suffrage legislation. With Clara Darrow, she explained the mathematics and politics of the 1914 vote on woman suffrage.
Emma Bates, Valley City and Bismarck: Editor in Chief of Western Womanhood (Dec. 1895 – July 1896) the official newspaper of the ND Equal Suffrage Association and the ND WCTU. Member and speaker for the ND Women’s Suffrage Association 1894-96. ND Superintendent of Public Instruction 1895-96.
Mrs. W. H. Bodenstab, Bismarck: Started Woman Suffrage League of Bismarck in April 1914. 3rd VP North Dakota Votes for Women League (NDVWL), 1917.[i] Married to Dr. W. H. Bodenstab.
Grace Clendenning, Wimbledon: President North Dakota Votes for Women League 1915-1917. She was given the quill pen which the Speaker of the North Dakota House of Representatives used to sign the 1917 Woman Suffrage law.
Louisa A. Conger, Dickinson: President of Equal Suffrage Club 1911.
Clara L. Darrow, 714 8th Street S., Fargo: Member of Fargo Fortnightly Club. Founder of the Fargo Votes for Women League. Presiding officer of the North Dakota woman suffrage convention held in Fargo, June 1912. President, NDVWL 1912-1915. British suffragists Sylvia Pankhurst was a guest in her 8th Street home Feb. 3-5, 1912. Married to E.M. Darrow, physician and surgeon, office: 519 de Lendrecie Building. Mother of suffragists Mary Darrow Wieble and Elizabeth Darrow O’Neil. Served on the North Dakota State Library Commission 1909-1915.
Helen de Lendrecie, 101 8th Street S., Fargo: Constitution Committee for Organizing Meeting of NDVWL 1912,[ii] Treasurer NDVWL 1912. member of Fargo Fortnightly Club. Provided office space for ND Votes for Women League, Suite 329 deLendrecie Building. wife of Onesime J. deLendricie.
Mrs. E. O. Dickinson, Minot: Chairman of the First Congressional District ND Congressional Union 1916.
Cora Smith Eaton King, M.D., Grand Forks: Graduated in 1899 in the first UND graduating class. In 1917 was the attending physician to Miss Alice Paul, President, National Women’s Party, when she went on her hunger strike, after being imprisoned in Washington, DC. After leaving ND, King moved first to Seattle and then moved to Washington, DC around 1912.
Annie Falger, Devils Lake: President of District NDVWL 1914. Writer of Suffrage Advocate Articles 1914. Mrs. William. Falger.
Mrs. W. S. Lauder, Wahpeton: VP Fourth Judicial District NDVWL 1912; 2nd Auditor NDVWL, 1917.
Alma Lutz, Jamestown: Secretary/Treasurer (1914) and Treasurer (1917) of Jamestown Votes for Women League. Alma, born in Jamestown (1890-1973), graduated from Vassar College in 1912, returned to ND 1912-1918, and moved to Boston in 1918. She joined the National Woman’s Party as one of their writers and wrote several books. She became renowned as a women’s activist and historian. Parents, Mr. and Mrs. George Lutz, Jamestown.
Emma Murray, Hebron: 3rd Congressional District Chair NDVWL, 1917.
Alice Nelson Page, 417 South 6th Street, Grand Forks: The first President of the Votes for Women’s Club of Grand Forks (1912). Committee on Resolutions for 1912 Organizing Meeting. Corresponding Secretary NDVWL 1912; Born in Illinois. Owner of printing shop in Grand Forks, member of NDVWL. Moved to ND in 1888 (Larimore) to GF in 1903. Worked for GF Evening Times as society editor then moved to GF Herald for same job. Co-owner with Dan Brennan of Devils Lake Inter-Ocean newspaper for a few months. Owner of The Page Printerie after 1912. Started Grand Forks Independent, a weekly. Died at age 39 of a brain hemorrhage. One son, Cyril Dike Page.
Flora Blackman Naylor, Larimore and Grand Forks: President of the ND Equal Suffrage Association.
Elizabeth Darrow O’Neil, Fargo: Daughter of E.M. and Clara Darrow. 1st Congressional District Chairman NDVWL 1917. President of ND Congressional Union 1916.
Emma S. Pierce, Fargo: Treasurer NDVWL, 1914, 1917. Wrote the history of NDVWL in History of Woman Suffrage, Vol. 6, 1922.
Christine Pollock, 201 8th Street S., Fargo: Member of Fargo School Board 1915 to 1922. Editor – ND White Ribbon Bulletin, WCTU. VP Fargo Votes for Women League 1912. Officer of ND Congressional Union, 1916. wife of Robert M. Pollock.
Fannie D. Quain, M.D., Bismarck: Legislative Chairman NDVWL 1917. First North Dakota woman to earn a Doctor of Medicine Degree (1898, University of Michigan Medical School). Worked to eradicate tuberculosis.
Linda Warfel Slaughter, (1843-1911), Bismarck: Author and teacher. Elected Superintendent of Public Instruction for Burleigh County four times before women could vote in Dakota Territory. Became a suffragist in 1880s and regional officer for National Woman Suffrage Association. Supported Belva Lockwood’s campaign for president.
Enos Stutsman, Pembina: Introduced first woman suffrage bill in Dakota Territory in Dec. 1868.
Mary Darrow Weible, 708 8th Street South, Fargo: Secretary NDVWL 1914, 2nd VP of NDVWL 1917; Member of Fargo Fortnightly Club. Degree in Chemistry from NDSU. Weible Hall at NDSU was named for her in 1963. Wife of Dr. Ralph E. Weible, physician and surgeon.
Kate Selby Wilder, 1119 4th Ave. S, Fargo (1913), 1121 7th St. S, Fargo, (1914 and after): Recording Secretary NDVWL 1912; Active member of NDVWL; Member of Fargo Fortnightly Club; First Woman to serve on the Fargo City Commission 1919-1922.