Program

National Votes for Women Trail

Subject

Event, People

Location

2 Melrose Dr, Fredonia, NY 14063, USA

Lat/Long

42.35128, -79.32561

Grant Recipient

National Collaborative for Women's History Sites

On Aug. 16, 1891, despite an overcast sky and the threat of storms, large crowds gathered together at the Lily Dale Auditorium to listen to speeches from Susan B. Anthony and Anna Howard Shaw: the topic presented at the spiritualist stronghold? Women’s suffrage.

For those in the audience the decision to brave the weather paid off: by the time “Woman’s Day” commenced, the sky had reportedly cleared while inside the auditorium was decorated with trailing vines, blooming plants and flowers, which sat beneath yellow bunting, colored such to match the adopted hue of Political Equality Clubs across the country. In total, an estimated 5,000 turned out to support Woman’s Day and hear the lectures from world-renowned speakers Anthony and Shaw, as well as talks by Zerelda G. Wallace, Bishop Vincent and Kate O. Peate. The audience was a mix of both men and women, many of whom travelled to hear the line-up of speakers arguing in favor of women’s suffrage.

The first Woman’s Day was heralded a success. The Buffalo Weekly Express reported in its Aug. 20, 1891 issues that, “It is doubtful if so many people ever before gathered at Lily Dale as were within the gates on Saturday. The auditorium this morning was literally packed and dozens remained standing throughout the two hour session.”

The large gathering listened to speeches from the aforementioned Anthony and Shaw throughout the series of talks presided by Elnora M. Babcock, who was the President of the Political Equality Club of Chautauqua County and who would go on to lead press campaigns for women’s suffrage as Press Superintendent at both the state and national level. Along with lectures, Woman’s Day featured music played by the Northwestern Orchestra which was accompanied by a soprano sole and a local choir.

As for the venue: located in Chautauqua County and constructed in 1883, the Lily Dale Auditorium has housed services relating to spiritualism, lecturers, and events since opening, and, as of 2022, continues to do so amidst the Hamlet of Lily Dale. The auditorium sat amidst the Free Association Camp Grounds, and was part of a larger complex, which had developed into a notable gathering space for spiritualists—those who believe in the ability to communicate with the deceased through the use of mediums. The early settlement was described by author and sceptic Sinclair Lewis in an article published in The Buffalo Times on Nov. 23, 1919 as “a mixture of summer resort, spiritualistic camp meeting, and Chautauqua.” The settlement grew and was incorporated as a hamlet in 1879: first as the Cassadaga Lake Free Association, then the City of Light, and finally, as Lily Dale.

The Lily Dale community proved extremely receptive to the women’s suffrage movement. Following the first Woman’s Day held in 1891, the event went on to become an annual celebration, gathering together suffragettes and spiritualists together in Lily Dale.