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| The Laramie Foundation |
| About The Foundation How To Contribute The 13 Historic Women Memorial House for Historic Women The EnCana Lectures Events |
| 13 Wyoming Women helped to change the world, their nation and their state. |
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| Executive Director of the Foundation, Weldon Tuck, welcomes Vice-President Dick Cheney to the Wyoming House for Historic Women before taking him and his wife, Lynne, on a tour of the house. Lynne Cheney is one of the thirteen women honored by the Laramie Foundation. |
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| Many of the displays in the History House are kept in shadow boxes. This shadow box features items Lynne Cheney has generously donated...including copies of her bestselling children's books, photographs taken of her, and correspondence. These shadow boxes highlight the work and significance of the honored women. |
| The Wyoming House for Historic Women is located in the Johnson Lummis Hunkins Plaza and features exhibits, artifacts, and memorabilia collected to highlight the lives and triumphs of the Thirteen Women honored by the Laramie Foundation. The address is 307 Second Street in historic downtown Laramie, Wyoming. |
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| "The Franchise" by John Baker. The title "The Franchise" refers to the recognition and bestowal of the right of women to vote under full civil equality with men. In 1869, Wyoming became the first state or territory to grant this right. This act was inspirational to both the women's suffrage movement and to the cause of civil rights throughout the nation. The nineteenth amendment to the United States Constitution would not be ratified until 1920 - fifty years later. 70 year old Louisa Swain became the world's first woman voter when she cast her ballot one block from this site on the morning of September 6, 1870. This memorial commemorates and celebrates that historic event. (As printed on the plaque that stands at the feet of the Louisa Swain memorial in the JohnsonLummisHunkins Plaza outside of the History House.) |
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| Upon walking into the History House the first thing visitors will see is the John Baker portrait of Louisa Swain entitled "The Franchise". |
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| Laramie artist John Baker was commissioned to create the bronze sculpture of Louisa Swain and the portrait of her famous ballot casting. Both works are entitled "The Franchise". John Baker also created the busts of Eliza Stewart and Martha Symons Boies. These works are on display within the Wyoming House for Historic Women. |
| Martha Symons Boies bust that is on display in the History House. |
| Eliza Stewart bust that is on display in the History House. |
| The Memorial House for Historic Women contains displays on the thirteen honored women and is the site of various conferences and lectures pertaining to women's history and issues. |
| The Memorial House for Historic Women |
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| The Nellie Tayloe Ross Collection is extensive and features several shadowboxes with personal effects on display. Also featured is a portrait of Mrs. Ross as well as a collage of birthday cards created by Wyoming schoolchildren on Mrs. Ross's 100th birthday. |
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The Sandra Morar Rohde Room The room honors three Laramie women who made world-wide history in 1870. Louisa Gardner Swain ,the first woman in the world to cast a ballot with full equality to men; Eliza Stewart, the first woman in the world to be subpoenaed to serve on a court jury; and Martha Symons Boies, the first woman in the world to be appointed as a bailiff. The room was made possible by the generosity of Bruce Rohde, a prominent American business leader, in honor of his wife, attorney Sandra Morar Rohde. |
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The First Interstate Bank Room This room honors a group of "Wyoming Women of Distinction" who have made state and/or national history through their achievements. The room is made possible by the generosity of the First Interstate Bank located in Laramie, Casper, Cheyenne, Jackson and Sheridan. |
Visitors enter the History House and walk into the Spiegelberg Reception and Conference Room. Off of this room are two distinct rooms that feature exhibits comprised of shadow boxes, portraits, sculpted busts and displays that honor the Thirteen Historic Women. |
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