the historic Putnam County Courthouse will be lit in yellow, white and purple on Wednesday, August 26 to mark the 100th anniversary of the 19th Amendment to the Constitution, which gave women the right to vote

Putnam County Executive MaryEllen Odell announced that the historic Putnam County Courthouse will be lit in yellow, white and purple on Wednesday, August 26 to mark the 100th anniversary of the 19th Amendment to the Constitution, which gave women the right to vote.

“If not for the brave women who fought long and hard for suffrage, women would have no voice in the political arena, much less the opportunity to run for and hold elective office,” County Executive Odell said. “All of the rights we, as women, hold today stem from that first battle. As Putnam’s first female county executive, I am proud to ensure that our courthouse is lit in remembrance of and gratitude for the suffragettes who led the way.”

After years of protest marches, civil disobedience and lobbying led by women like Elizabeth Cady Stanton, Lucretia Mott and Susan B. Anthony, the 19th Amendment was ratified on August 18, 1920. It was certified on August 26, 1920 and that is the day that is celebrated as Women’s Equality Day.

“Here in Putnam County, the Suffrage Movement was led by a mighty group of women – rich and poor – who worked tirelessly, to further the equality and rights of women locally and nationwide,” said Jennifer Cassidy, of the Putnam County Historian’s Office. “They are names we still recognize today—Addison Hopkins, Edith Diehl, Helena Fish, Marjorie Addis, and so many more.”

The colors of the Suffrage Movement were yellow, white and purple.