Upton House honors women’s right to vote

Association prepares for 100th anniversary of 19th Amendment

WARREN -- Today marks the 100th anniversary of Congress passing the 19th Amendment, which gave women the right to vote, and June 16 marks the centennial of Ohio ratifying it.

Congress approved the amendment to the the U.S. Constitution on June 4, 1919. Ohio followed suit 12 days later.

Tennessee became the 36th state to approve the amendment on Aug. 18, 1920, officially meeting the three-fourths requirement for ratification. Then U.S. Secretary of State Bainbridge Colby certified the ratification on Aug. 26, 1920.

Harriet Taylor Upton was Warren's advocate for women's suffrage and used her home at 380 Mahoning Ave. NW as a temporary center for the National American Woman Suffrage Association in 1903. In 1905, the headquarters relocated in the west wing of the new Trumbull County Courthouse and remained there until late 1909, when it was moved to New York City, according to the Upton Association website.

Upton worked closely with Susan B. Anthony in Ohio and served as president of the Ohio Woman Suffrage Association prior to the ratification of the 19th Amendment. She also was a founding member of the National League of Women Voters.

The Upton Association will be holding open houses throughout the summer to honor Upton. The first one was Sunday and showcased Upton as an author. Her books, "A History of the Western Reserve," "The Early Presidents, Their Wives and Children" and "History of Trumbull County" were on display.

Open houses are also slated for July 7 and Aug. 4.

The Upton Association will celebrate Women's Equality Day on Aug. 26 as it's the date the 19th Amendment was adopted. On Aug. 26, 2020, the Upton Association, along with the 2020 Suffrage Centennial Planning Committee, will celebrate the 100th anniversary of its ratification.

"Celebrating the 100th anniversary of the 19th Amendment is important. The sacrifices made to achieve the right to vote were tremendous. However, the general rights of men and of women of all races, religions and sexualities -- be they rights in the home, at work, or elsewhere -- are still quite far from equal," said Dr. Carol L. Robinson, associate professor of English at Kent State University at Trumbull.

Her colleague, Dr. Mary G. Wilson, associate professor in the department of sociology, criminology and justice studies at Kent State University at Trumbull, agreed about the 19th Amendment's importance.

"The right to vote formally established women as full-fledged citizens. The passage of the 19th Amendment was crucial to giving women the right to participate in our democracy. The historical legacy of the Suffragette Movement should not be viewed as limited to the passage of the 19th Amendment but set the stage for women's involvement in the political process that continues to this day," Wilson said.

The Upton House, built by General Simon Perkins, is the third oldest surviving house on Mahoning Avenue in Warren. Tax records indicate the house was completed in 1840, according to the Upton Association's website.

In 1989, a local effort began to save the Upton House from possible demolition because of its prominence with the national suffrage movement. After extensive restoration, the Upton House achieved National Historic Landmark status in 1993. The restoration of the house and gardens continues.

The Harriet Taylor Upton Association is marking its 30th anniversary this year as well and has events planned throughout the summer and fall.

bshiller@tribtoday.com