Ready to tip your hat to a stunning lineup of historical women from West Michigan?  Women's History Month is kicking off here in Grand Rapids with a plethora of interesting programs and activities.  Join in and pay homage to the fearless women who helped carve out our community! 

 

Watch for updates daily via Facebook and Twitter, and get used to checking the website calendar. Begin each week with a live link to virtual history from the Grand Rapids Historical Commission. View anytime at http://www.historygrandrapids.org/. NOTE THAT THE MARCH 1 LINK WAS INCORRECT IN PREVIOUS PRINTED AND ELECTRONIC MESSAGING -- THE CORRECT LINK IS LISTED BELOW. 
 

On Thursday, March 4, Grand Valley State University's Cindy Laug and Connie Ingham will launch "Thursdays at the Ford." The first entry in this series of programs on Grand Rapids women's history will recover the fascinating story of Etta Smith Wilson, "Ambitious Newswoman and Passionate Ornithologist," and cause us to wonder anew how we ever lost track of her. Laug and Ingham have tracked Smith Wilson's history from Holland to Northport, chronicling the Old Wing Mission of one set of grandparents and the Ottawa leadership of the other. Born in 1851 and the inheritor of conflicting cultures, Smith Wilson grew into an accomplished practitioner of Western print culture and a renowned ornithologist inspired by memories of her native forebears. A founding member of the Michigan Women's Press Association, Smith Wilson wrote about society and sports and, finally, the birds of North America.

 

At the end of the week, Saturday, March 6, you can check out an exhibit on the accomplishments of local women at the Grand Rapids Public Library before fueling up on coffee and doughnuts and setting out with historian Marcie Beck on a walking tour of "Legacy Landmarks," a selection of historical landmarks important to women in the downtown area -- the Ladies Literary Club and St. Cecilia's, certainly; but 22 Prospect? Find out why on Saturday! Beck has created a walking tour map and brochure, which will be introduced in a short program at 10:30AM. It's worth coming downtown even if you don't take the walk. But wear your boots, just in case.

Also not to miss, on Tuesday, March 2, at lunch you can help the Grand Rapids Business Journal honor "The 50 Most Influential Women in West Michigan" and later that evening you can honor an influential woman of the past. At 7 pm Tuesday the Cooley student chapter of the Women Lawyers Association of Michigan will hear the story of one of the nation's earliest women attorneys, Elizabeth Eaglesfield. As her amazing life story becomes better known it will change the history of women in the law as we know it.

 

Help us spread the word about these programs, by clicking on the "Forward to a Friend" button at the top of this newsletter. Or, if you've received this as a forward, click on the "Join Our Mailing List" button in the left column and receive the next newsletter directly from us.

 

Join us in saying thank you to our amazing LEGACY 2010 sponsors.  We truly appreciate their commitment to sharing the stories of the women who wore countless hats in their pursuit of personal and community-building passions.

 

We're looking forward to seeing you at the LEGACY programs this week!

 

Best Regards,

Jennifer Marbury Bryant

Kyle Irwin

Marjo Jordan, administrative assistant

Mary Jane Keeler

Helen Kinsworthy

Jennifer Morrison

Maureen Fitzgerald Penn, Communications Chairperson

Pamela Vanden Berg

Jolan Webster