Program

National Votes for Women Trail

Subject

Event, House, People

Location

2987 NY-34B, Aurora, NY 13026, USA

Lat/Long

42.7624, -76.62163

Grant Recipient

National Collaborative for Women's History Sites

During the decades long fight for women’s right to vote, women’s suffrage meetings were held at Opendore, the family residence of reformers William, Hannah, and their daughter Isabel Howland, located in the hamlet of Sherwood in Cayuga County, New York. William Howland (1823-1905) was a Quaker, businessman, public servant, and advocate for equal rights, and also the brother of notable New York suffragist Emily Howland. The April 21, 1905 edition of the Genoa Tribune included a number of tributes to William shortly after his February 23rd death, made at a meeting of the Sherwood Equal Rights Association. One such tribute read in part:

William Howland’s character is well known … He was interested in the anti-slavery movement. He took a great interest in educational matters. He was a believer in the movement to give political rights to women and when a member of the State Legislature he used his influence and cast his vote in favor of bills promoting it. …

William’s wife, Hannah (Letchworth) Howland (1829-1902) held membership in the National American Woman Suffrage Association and was a leader of the Sherwood Equal Rights Association. Their daughter, Isabel Howard (1859-1942) was a founding member of the Sherwood Equal Rights Association and held suffrage meetings at Opendore from 1891 to circa 1919. Isabel became a national advocate for women’s right to vote and during her years of suffrage activism, she served as president of the Cayuga County Political Equality Club, corresponding secretary of the New York State Woman Suffrage Association, and as a delegate to the National American Woman Suffrage Association.

As of 2022, Opendore was owned by the Howland Stone Store Musuem, which had undertaken an extensive restoration of the historic property.

Links

• Howland Stone Store Museum/Opendore