In Portland, September 8th, 1871 |
But in that article is a nice tidbit about Salem.
"Miss Anthony's success at Salem was as complete as at Portland" September 22nd, 1871 |
A Salem memorial service was silent on any earlier visit April 9th, 1906 |
The 1872 voting effort in Portland came after several years of organizing, which began with suffrage organizations in Salem and Albany. Abigail Scott Duniway, who lived in Albany and later moved to Portland, was a leader during this period and got Anthony to come speak at the Reed Opera House on Aug. 31, 1871.
August 18th, 1871 |
September 8th, 1871 |
September 15th, 1871 |
The exact date is not that big of a deal, but it would be interesting to learn more about how her visit was received. That notice from September 22nd says she talked to Oregon Supreme Court Justices while at the Chemeketa Hotel about her understanding of the 14th and 15th amendments. A later notice claims 2000 people attended the Salem lecture, but the 1870 census gives Salem a population of 2139. I'm not buying 2000, and The New Northwest is running publicity and hype in addition to news, so it would not be surprising to see an exaggerated claim on something like this. Besides, if 2000 people had heard her, you'd think a few old-timers would have been around in 1906 to talk about it at the Memorial Service.
If she visited the State Fair, as the itinerary suggests, she might have come to Salem again, and if more turns up there might be more to say!
February 19th, 1920 |
Addendum, February 22nd
Here's few other items of minor interest....
The September 29th Albany State Rights Democrat suggests the Salem Mercury is the paper to read! I don't even know if that's in the Salem Public Library's holdings, as it does not appear to be in the CCRLS catalogue - or, indeed, if at the new temporary Library location they've even got microfilm readers set up. In Eugene UO appears to have it for sure, though. (That might be something longer-term, but low-priority to investigate. It would be interesting to read a positive, local reception.)
State Rights Democrat, September 29th, 1871 |
State Rights Democrat, September 15th, 1871 |
The lineaments of her face are not softened by a single pleasing expression. A hard, stony earnestness, an ever present look of unyielding earnestness, an ever-present look of unyielding combativeness, a grim stare...They just pile up the ways to say she doesn't smile enough.
O.C., Weekly Enterprise, September 1st, 1871 |
Update, March 8th, 2022
Here we go. The Weekly Statesman of Wednesday, September 20th, 1871, reprints on the front page a note "from Friday's daily" and "the lecture last night." That suggests a lecture date of Thursday, September 14th, 1871.
September 20th, 1871 |
On interior pages, they have a couple more pieces, including the one quoted below in the comment about the SHINE digest.
4 comments:
Ah-ha! Should have checked the "Shine on Salem" historical digest. In the entry for 1871:
'According to a Sept. 17, 1871, The Oregon Statesman report on Anthony’s speech at the Reed Opera House: “People may have expected that a champion of the new movement would be something of a scold, but the tones in which she did her scolding – – for she scold all of mankind at a terrible rate – – were decorous and womanly, so much so that the effect of her lectures was greatly enhanced by the admirable manner and apparent good taste of their delivery.” “…We believe that when the first effect of her appearance wears away, the women of Oregon will realize that while she told many truths and told them well, she treated their own husbands and fathers unfairly.”'
That newspaper date is also more consistent with a date later than August 31st.
Also, consider the persistence of the "scolding" trope. We saw it in 2016 and again are seeing it in 2020.
(Added a few more clips)
The National Votes for Women Trail gives September as the month, also that it was a two-day visit:
"Cyrus Adams Reed, was a founder of Oregon’s Republican Party and first president of Oregon’s Women’s Suffrage Association engaged Susan B. Anthony to campaign for woman suffrage during her first campaign trip to Oregon in 1871. Susan B. Anthony gave two speeches on woman suffrage at the Reed Opera House during her two-day visit to Salem in September 1871. At the evening lecture, Clara Duniway sang the campaign song "Wait for the Turn of the Tide," and Abigail Scott Duniway introduced Anthony."
Since this post, here's another one on Cyrus Reed, "Cyrus Reed of Reed Opera House was also a Spiritualist."
Added a clip from the Sept. 20th Salem Statesman that strongly points to Sept. 14th.
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