March in Ellicott City, complete with costumes, will mark 100 years of women’s suffrage

On Sunday, Ellicott City’s historic district will go back in time as women dressed in period costume march from the Museum of Howard County History to the B&O Railroad Museum before setting up shop at the Little Market Cafe courtyard to deliver speeches from 100 years ago in support of the 19th Amendment, which gave women the right to vote.

The Suffragists March for the Vote in Ellicott City event is part of the Year of the Howard County Woman celebration organized by the Howard County Historical Society in conjunction with several partnering groups. While the coronavirus pandemic has put a damper on many of the planned events, the march and what it represents could not be more important than now, organizers said.

“We picked the date two days before the elections. It is a one shot deal,” said Shawn Gladden, executive director of the Howard County Historical Society. “Obviously, we are trying to do something with a historical aspect and with a little contemporary message — ‘Hey, let’s vote.’ A 100 years ago, women risked their lives to vote. Voting is very important.”

Members of the Historical Society will be joined by members of the League of Women Voters, the Maryland Women’s Heritage Center and Daughters of the American Revolution for the march with participants handing out sashes, buttons and book markers along the route.

“We want community engagement to some extent,” said Gladden, adding that the marchers will be wearing masks and practicing social distancing. “It is a great way for us to bring awareness … and a great way to bring people into Ellicott City.”

This year also marks the 100th anniversary of the League of Women Voters and the 75th anniversary of the League of Women Voters Howard County, said Cynthia Williams, president of the League of Women Voters Howard County, who already has her outfit planned for the march.

“I’ll be there mainly in white, even after Labor Day,” Williams said, laughing. “I am happy they are doing this. I cannot emphasize it enough that this is a right that was hard fought. Democracy is not a spectator sport. Part of democracy is voting.”

Diana M. Bailey, executive director of the Maryland Women’s Heritage Center, said the nonprofit was happy to be one of the sponsors of the women’s suffragist march.

“A lot of stuff happened on Main Street. A lot of meetings,” Bailey said. “Stories at the local level are more engaging, more relevant to the community.”

Gladden, his staff and volunteers did extensive research about the various women who played an important role in Howard County. Since January, they have featured a different figure on the Howard County Historical Society’s Facebook page.

“We found a very vibrant women’s history here with one figure, Laura Byrne, who lived on Main Street, a leading … local suffragist,” Gladden said. All 50 of the women profiled will be featured in an upcoming book published by Arcadia publishing, a publisher of local and regional history books, he added.

“People don’t know the stories,” Bailey said. “These women used their education in a responsible way. They could have sat back and had tea. They had their tea and did work, too.”

After the march, members of the organizations will give speeches, as will Liz Bobo, the honorary spokesperson for the Year of the Howard County Woman and the county’s only female county executive.

“It took 70 years from the start of the [women’s] suffragist movement to ratification,” Williams said. “Some people who started the process didn’t live to see the end of it. One hundred years sounds like a great deal, but … it isn’t that long. It took women so long to get any kind of rights.”

One hundred years years is something to recognize, however, Williams said, especially now, with an election year that has been made even more confusing because of the pandemic.

“Compared to what we are used to, everything is so different,” Williams said. “Go out and vote. It is so important. If you don’t use it, you can’t complain about the outcome.”

Suffragists March for the Vote in Ellicott City will start at 1 p.m. Sunday, Nov. 1, at the Museum of Howard County History, 8328 Court Ave., Ellicott City. It will proceed to the B&O Railroad Museum for photos before going to the Little Market Cafe stage in Lot D for suffragist speeches by living historians.