Built By An All Woman
City Government
Built In An Era When Women Couldn't Vote
The Women Were
Elected in the 1901 Election
The Women Were Defeated in the 1902
Election
The election of 1901
brought about a one year change in government in Haddam.
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The women
candidates
had an interesting platform which is shown below.
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1.
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They could
rule their own households so could manage city affairs, |
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2.
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The men had
taken the whole pie and left not a crumb for them. |
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3.
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And, they
wanted to prevent harm to the morals of the boys and girls. |
As the
women could
not vote, wifely persuasion encouraged the men
to vote in a woman mayor
and an all-woman council.
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Their
progress was
reported in the Minutes of the City Council Meetings.
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May 6, 1901
First Meeting
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Appointed a
committee to look into building a new jail. |
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June 4, 1901
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Advertised
for
bids to build a new jail.
Appointment made for drawing up the plans and specifications. |
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June 17, 1901
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Contract
awarded. |
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October 7, 1901
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Accepted
jail
building from contractor. |
The rock for the
jail was quarried locally and a local blacksmith did the iron work.
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The council
then
equipped the jail.
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Handcuffs
$3.50
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Stove
and
Chimney Pipe $3.00
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Blankets$2.98
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Although the
ladies
furnished the jail appropriately, it did not see much use.
Police
Judge Fannie Leibel heard only two cases that year.
Milestones
The
all-woman
council was defeated in the 1902 election.
The last
known
overnight “guest” was in the early 1950s.
The jail
building is located one half block south of Main Street.
A sign beside the
jail reads:
City Jail 1901
Commissioned to be erected
By an all woman mayor & council
Built for the confinement of Haddam's unruly men
More
About the Jail From: Haddam's Hundred Book(Out of Print)
By Dora Hoffman Brown
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Index
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