Sarah Black was the first Mail Carrier in 1845 in Charleston, Maryland

 

The first known woman to be appointed as a mail carrier was SARAH BLACK in April of 1845. She lived in Charleston, Maryland and her annual salary was $48 per year.

Mrs. Linn, a post mistress in St. Louis states that great exertions are making in that city to secure the appoitment of Mrs. Linn, the widow of the late Senator Linn, as PostMistress of St. Louis. Her petition is signed by nearly all the Democratic members of the State Legislature.

   In 1862 the United States Post Office recorded five women who had been appointed postmasters directly by the President of the United States (not uncommon at that time).

They were Ann Gentry PM of Columbia, Missouri

Maria Hornbeck of Allentown, Pennsylvania

Ann L. Ruthrauff PM at Lebanon, Pennsylvania

Mary Berard PM at West Point, New York

Margaret Sillyman, Pottsville, Pennsylvania.

 

[Usps.com/who-we-are-/postal-history/women-postmasters.pdf, accessed 4/8/21]

   It was especially challenging for black women to find jobs with the post office. In the free north before Emancipation and even after Emancipation they could find it to be difficult. Postmaster General Joseph Habersham was apparently

working toward being an equal opportunity employer. On the USPS web site [about.usps.com/who-we-are/postal-history/african-american-workers-19thc.pdf] I found this quote from Postmaster General Habersham:

 

 In the North, and even in some areas of the South, blacks, including slaves, were being used as mail carriers by the post office. However, in 1802 Congress actually banned African Americans as mail carriers due to an unfounded fear that the slaves may be planning a rebellion.

 

The Ban in 1802 read:

 

…after the 1^st day of November next, no other than a free white person shall be employed in carrying the mail of the United States, on any of the post roads, either as a post rider or driver of a carriage carrying the mail.”

 

Finally, in March of 1865, after the end of the Civil War and after Emancipation, Congress passed legislation that read:

 

“no person, by reason of color, shall be disqualified from employment in carrying the mails”, [13 Stat. 515]”

This has been an excerpt from "In Her Likeness" https://amzn.to/3SurXip

Alice Austen Has a Museum in Staten Island, New York

 

1.     ALICE AUSTEN

Born 1866 in New York

Died 1952

 

Born Elizabeth Alice Munn. A photographer, Austen lived in poverty until the Staten Island Historical Society published some of her photographs in the book “Revolt of Women”, 1950.

 

·         Museum: Alice Austen House Museum, 2 Hylan Blvd,  in Staten island NY

·         School: Alice Austen PS 60 in New York

·         Gravesite: 2205 Richmond Road, the Moravian is the largest and oldest active cemetery on Staten Island, having opened in 1740

 

   This has been an excerpt of the book "Statues of Real Women" available for purchase in the sidebar: or via this link: https://amzn.to/3rmpFGe

 

www.aliceausten.org

Accessed June 28, 2019

https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/7955241 offers a grand and detailed obituary

Accessed July 11, 2019

Alice Allison Dunnigan Has a statue in Pennsylvania

 

1.     ALICE ALLISON DUNNIGAN

Born 1906 in Kentucky

Died 1983  

 

First black American woman correspondent to receive White House credentials. First black female member of the senate and House of Representatives press galleries. Also the head of the Associated Negro Press Washington bureau for 14 years.

 

·         Statue: located at the Newseum, 555 Pennsylvania Ave, NW, Washington, DC

·         Statue: Alice Dunnigan Memorial Park in Russellville, Kentucky

·         Statue: at the SEEK Museum, 511 East 6^th Street, Russellville, Kentucky

·         HISTORICAL MARKER: Park Square, E. Jefferson Davis Hwy, Russellville, Kentucky

·         PARK: Alice Dunnigan Memorial Park is located in the Russellville Historic District

 

   This has been an excerpt of the book "Statues of Real Women" available for purchase in the sidebar: or via this link: https://amzn.to/3rmpFGe

http://www.wkms.org/post/newseum-display-statue-kentuckys-dunnigan-first-african-american-woman-cover-congress

Accessed July 10, 2019

http://www.kywomenshistoryproject.com/alice-allison-dunnigan/

Accessed July 10, 2019

https://www.literaryladiesguide.com/trailblazing-journalists/alice-dunnigan-trailblazing-african-american-journalist/

Accessed July 11, 2019

https://www.seekmuseum.org/

Accessed July 11, 2019

Agnes Hamilton Has a Statue in Indiana

 

1.     AGNES HAMILTON

 

Born 1868 in Indiana

Died: 1961

 

Founded a local YWCA. Hamilton also opened the first library in Fort Wayne, Indiana

 

·         Statue: Headwater Park, Fort Wayne, Indiana

 

  This has been an excerpt of the book "Statues of Real Women" available for purchase in the sidebar: or via this link: https://amzn.to/3rmpFGe

https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/57743761/agnes-hamilton

Accessed July 8, 2019

Sarah Goddard and Mary Katherine Goddard

 

1792

 

   Sarah Goddard and Mary Katherine Goddard were known female Postmasters in the 1700s. The post office archives goes on to mention Ann Clay, postmaster in New Castle, Delaware. Elizabeth Creswell postmaster in Charlestown, Maryland and in 1792 postmaster Sarah DeCrow in Hertford, North Carolina.

 

   As we moved into the 1800s the number of women applying for postal jobs decreased, citing the low pay. The number of women employed by the post office and their pay scale seemed dependent on the man at the helm as Postmaster General and his personal views.

   Benjamin Franklin held the job only until 1789 when he was replaced with Samuel Osgood followed by Postmaster General Gideon Granger in 1814. P.M.G. Granger questioned the legality of appointing women in these jobs at all. The rise and fall of the number of women in postal jobs also would change during war time.

 

   But women persisted and continued to break through the barriers.

This has been an excerpt from "In Her Likeness" https://amzn.to/3SurXip

Lydia Hill and Molly Gill

 

According to the United States Post office web site, [usps.com/who-we-are/postal-history/women-postmasters.pdf] there were two women, Lydia Hill and Molly Gill who worked as Postmasters throughout the mid 1700s in Massachusetts.

This has been an excerpt from "In Her Likeness" https://amzn.to/3SurXip

Adele Goodman Clark Has a Statue

 

1.     ADELE GOODMAN CLARK

Born 1882 in Alabama

Died 1983

 

Artist and Activist. Along with several other women founded the Equal Suffrage League. Served as first chair of the League of Women Voters in the year 1920. She became president of the League in 1921.

1922: was appointed to the Commission on the Simplification of State and Local Government.

1926: appointed to the Liberal Arts College for Women Commission.

 

·         Statue: Virginia State Capital, Capitol Square, 1000 Bank St, Richmond, Virginia

·         Historical marker: Brook Rd, Richmond, Virginia

·         Grave site: Emmanuel Episcopal Church Cemetery, Brook Hill, Virginia

 

 

 This has been an excerpt of the book "Statues of Real Women" available for purchase in the sidebar: or via this link: https://amzn.to/3rmpFGe

http://www.lva.virginia.gov/exhibits/destiny/notable/clark.htm

Accessed July 8, 2019

https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/35124173/adele-goodman-clark

Accessed July 8, 2019

https://www.hmdb.org/marker.asp?marker=47379

Accessed July 8, 2019

http://womensmonumentcom.virginia.gov/index.html

Accessed July 8, 2019