Mary Elizabeth Ordway (July 4, 1828 – September 11, 1897), an early advocate for women's suffrage in Washington territory, was one of the first group of young women recruited to become teachers and wives in pioneer Seattle in the 1860s. Despite the expectation that these "Mercer Girls" would marry, Ordway remained single and became a successful teacher, school administrator, and suffrage activist.[1] The suffrage activism of Ordway and some of the other "Mercer Girls" reflected their educational levels, professional status, and the values associated with personal autonomy that promoted their decisions to migrate across the continent to build new lives.
Elizabeth Ordway | |
|---|---|
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| Born | 4 July 1828  |
| Died | 11 September 1897 (aged 69) Seattle |
| Resting place | Lake View Cemetery |
| Other names | Lizzie |
| Occupation | Teacher, suffragist |
Early life
editOrdway received a good education for a woman of her time, matriculating at the Ipswich Academy in Massachusetts. She taught in Lowell Massachusetts before migrating to Washington when she was in her mid-30s.
Teaching
editShe taught first in schools on Whidbey Island and in the lumber communities of Port Gamble and Port Madison on the Kitsap Peninsula. She developed a reputation as the best teacher in the territory, according to author Libbie Hawker,[2] and traveled around the area to turn around problem schools. She also launched and taught in Seattle's first dedicated school building.[3][2]
Suffrage and Public Service
edit
In 1871, Ordway appeared on stage with Susan B. Anthony in Seattle[2] during Anthony's tour of the Northwest promoting the cause of women voting.[4] Ordway became active in the Female Suffrage Association formed after Anthony spoke and served as a delegate to the territorial suffrage convention.[3] Anthony formed the Washington Territory Woman Suffrage Association, a crucial vehicle for suffrage lobbying in the ensuing decades.[5] Thereafter, Ordway returned to teaching in Kitsap County and, in 1881, became the first woman to be elected as a school superintendent in territorial Washington. She served Kitsap County in that position for eight years, solidifying her position as a builder of public schools in Washington territory.[6]
References
edit- ^ Muhich, Peri. "Mercer Girls". HistoryLink.org. Retrieved 9 March 2019.
- ^ a b c "3 Seattle Pioneers You Need to Know". Seattle Met. Retrieved 18 February 2020.
- ^ a b Stevenson, Shanna. "Here Come the Suffragists: The Role of the Mercer Girls in the Washington Woman Suffrage Movement" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 10 June 2017. Retrieved 9 March 2019.
Finding the names of the "Mercer Girls" among those who organized the first Territory-wide suffrage association in 1871, worked for eventual Territorial suffrage in 1883, advocated for reinstatement in 1888, and continued the campaign to the eventual victory in Washington State in 1910—it is evident that far from being just "brides" for the lonely men of Washington, several Mercer Girls were Suffragists as well.
- ^ Warren, James R. (16 October 2001). "Seattle at 150: Ordway, the unwed 'Mercer Girl,' was still well-loved". seattlepi.com. Retrieved 9 March 2019.
- ^ Stevenson, Shanna (2009). Women's votes, women's voices : the campaign for equal rights in Washington. Tacoma, Wash: Washington State Historical Society. ISBN 9780917048746. OCLC 316512873.
- ^ "About Our "Namesake"". Bainbridge Island School District. Retrieved 9 March 2019.