When one thinks of the suffragettes, the decades-long struggle for women to gain the right to vote, pioneers like Susan B. Anthony and Elizabeth Cady Swanton come to mind. So does Inez Milholland of Lewis on her white horse leading over 8,000 marchers in the 1913 Washington, D.C. parade. One also thinks of such locations as Seneca Falls, New York, where the women’s rights movement was launched in 1848

As of Sunday, Aug. 7, with the dedication of a new historical plaque, it’s time to add Keene Valley to that list. The Notman House, located adjected to the Keene Valley Library, was the headquarters for the eastern Adirondack effort to pass an amendment to guarantee women in New York state the right to vote.

Then-owner Katharine Notman, joined by her assistant Miss Louise Taylor and others, hit the roads covering at times 90 miles in a day as they knocked on the doors of any house hold they could find in their efforts to convince the male voters in the region to vote for their cause. In July and August of 1914, they covered over 1,500 miles of county roads in their efforts.

Mrs. Notman, quoted in the Aug. 30 issue of the New York Tribune, said: “I use my own automobile for that as it’s the only way we can get around. Do I travel every day, dear no. You see, my machine must rest some days when its carburetor won’t work or when its tires are inconsiderate.”

In many respects, Susan B. Anthony sowed the seeds for this effort. She toured the Chaplain Valley twice, urging women and their supporters to get active in 1855 and again in 1894. As always, her message was to knock on doors, hold rallies and parades, and make speeches urging men to support women’s equal right to vote.

Notman took that message to heart. A woman of means, and a seasonal resident of Keene, she had no hesitation in her willingness to talk to anyone and everyone she could reach, urging her co-organizers to do the same. Failure to win the vote in 1914 did not diminish Notman’s spirits. In August 2016, she hosted National American Women Suffrage Association (NAWSA) President Carrie Chapman Catt at her Keene Valley home.

Notman redoubled her efforts in 1917, covering more miles than in 1914, hitting as many as four remote towns and hamlets in a day. The results showed. A slim margin of Essex County voters and enough in other counties helped pass the amendment providing women the long-sought right to vote that year. This vote was critical as New York was the first eastern state to guarantee women the right to vote, setting a precedent for others to follow. For Notman, her only disappointment was that the vote failed in Keene by four votes.

In 1920, Notman’s name was added to the NAWSA Honor Roll and, in 1931, to a bronze memorial tablet honoring women suffrage pioneers unveiled at the state Capitol in Albany. And on Sunday, Aug. 7, a historical marker was installed in front of the family homestead, the result of the combined efforts of the Keene Historical Society and the Essex County Historical Society.

The crowd gathered outside Katharine Notman’s home included many of her descendants, the Prince and Hyson families, and members of the Keene and Essex County historical societies.

“The Keene and Essex County historical societies, with the Town of Keene’s support, applied with the William G. Pomeroy Foundation,” said town of Keene Historian Peter Slocum. “The Foundation, in partnership with the federal Women’s Suffrage Centennial Commission, has installed over 250 historical plaques all over the country for a special project called “The National Votes for Women Trail.” We thought we deserved recognition, they agreed, and the town installed the plaque.”

Keene Town Supervisor Joe Pete Wilson, Jr. said that the town is known for the many artists, writers and philosophers who have lived in the community over the years. He said the plaque underscores the political and social activism that has also played an important role that continues to this day. Wilson thanked the many volunteers who helped to make this plaque possible and the many Notman descendants who came to join in this dedication and host this public acknowledgment of their family’s role in Keene’s addressing this critical issue.

During the dedication, Keene town Historian Peter Slocum said in the Notman House women were provided coaching in public speaking, how to go door to door seeking votes, and were urged to organize teas and other informal events to help allay fears and make the case for women’s right to vote. He said they understood that while demonstrations and parades were important, getting out and knocking on doors was critical.

“It’s important to remember that the 19th Amendment only gave white women the right to vote,” said professional historian Mable Rosenheck. “A lot of women worked hard to get it passed, but it only guaranteed that white women could vote. Many other movements had to happen to give Native American women, black women, Asians and others the right to vote; even so, many people are disenfranchised today. So as important as this sight is, it’s important to remember that fight continued on and continues to this day.”

“Looking at this plaque and remembering the photograph taken right in front of the building with Mrs. Notman and her car full of women, I wish they were here,” said Margaret Bartley, recently retired president of the Adirondack History Museum. “They are here, and they’re watching us. It’s cool that we are here in the same space they once were.”

Even though they were just summer people, the plaque is a reminder of the vital role they played in the history of the community and the development of rights for more people,” said Catherine Prince Roth. “It’s a bit hard to imagine this rich woman going around in her fancy car and knocking on everyone’s door to convince them this was the right cause and ask them to vote in favor.”

Important to remember that in 1922 there was a nearly successful effort to repeal the 19th amendment. Rights can be taken away once won; thus, staying engaged remains essential no matter the cause.

For those wishing to learn more, The Adirondack History Museum in Elizabethtown has on display “100 Years of Votes for Women,” a multi-media exhibition that traces the movement’s history for women to gain the right to vote. Participants can even take a selfie of themselves as a suffragette.