Sunday I stepped back into the past at the fifth annual Women’s History Tea at the Yuba County Library. Organized by the library and its Friends, the event’s $10 tickets raised money to help the library continue its many excellent programs, and was a fair price to pay for the wonderful history lessons we got. Each table was hosted by a different historical figure (played by Friends and volunteers) — from first lady Eleanor Roosevelt to first American female architect Julia Morgan (who built several homes and public buildings in Marysville) — with teacups and decorations to match the person and the era. Photographer Dorothea Lange was there, acting as a genial emcee, along with Rosie the Riveter, Mother Jones, and even Princess Di. I sat with Ellen Clark Sargeant, suffragette and wife of Aaron, the U.S. Senator from Nevada City who wrote the Constitutional amendment that gave women the right to vote. Of course, it took 40 years for the 19th amendment to pass. (And more than twice as many more for us to have a woman be a serious contender for the presidency.) So, ladies, don’t take the vote lightly! Well, that applies to gentlemen, too!
When I finally got to Marysville two of the first things I did was to get a library card and update my voter registration. There’s another election in June and then the biggie November 4. If you’re not registered, put it on your to do list.
Then bop on over to our library, check out the very special California Room, chock full of local history, and while you’re there, consider joining The Friends. It’s just five bucks a year! Or as Len La Barth would most likely calculate it: just 1.75 lattes.
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