e
Centennial Celebration of the city of Cleveland in 1896. One day was
devoted to the consideration of the advancement of woman in
philanthropy, education, domestic science, etc. Although the speakers
had been requested not to touch upon the question of her political
enfranchisement, three women indirectly mentioned it and these
received the heartiest applause of any brought out in the course of a
whole day of able speechmaking. One of them was not permitted to
retire until she acknowledged in a graceful word or two the enthusiasm
of the audience. The committee having charge of this celebration asked
a woman in each township on the Western Reserve to gather facts in
regard to its early women, and over 200 granted the request. These
papers when published made four volumes of valuable information
respecting the pioneer women of this famous section of Ohio.

In 1896 the Rev. Henrietta G. Moore, a Universalist minister of
Springfield, and Miss Laura A. Gregg of Kansas, visited seventeen
towns and cities in the interest of the State W. S. A. and formed
numerous organizations.

A conference of national and State officers, with several public
meetings, was held at Toledo in the autumn of 1897, Mrs. Fray,
president of Lucas County, making the arrangements. The following
spring Mrs. Harriet Brown Stanton of Cincinnati did the preparatory
work for a two days' meeting in that city, the Rev. Anna Howard Shaw,
vice-president-at-large, and Mrs. Carrie Chapman Catt, chairman of the
organization committee of the National Association, being the
speakers.

In the spring of 1900 Mrs. Harriet Taylor Upton, president of the
State association, visited fifteen principal towns preparing the way
for organization, while in others plans were made by correspondence.
Five persons participated in the campaign made later: Miss Shaw and
Mrs. Chapman Catt as speakers, each contributing two weeks of time;
Miss Harriet May Mills and Miss Mary G. Hay, of New York, national
organizers; Mrs. Upton accompanying the party. The object was to
ascertain suffrage sentiment and to organize the northwestern part of
the State. The next work was done in the southern part, Ohio women
making the arrangements and Dr. Frances Woods of Iowa acting as
speaker and organizer. At the close of 1900 the State had twice as
many members as the year before, with vastly increased interest and
activity. This growth was due to many causes, not least among them
being the work and