Hopkins County’s trailblazing women
From the early pioneers to modern-day leaders, Hopkins County women have contributed to the growth and success of our area in many ways. Women have served as teachers, nurses, businesswomen, mothers, politicians, and suffragettes, and have often been the glue that held Hopkins County together. Take a look at some of the amazing trailblazing accomplishments of our local women.
Sophia Alice Callahan- 1868-1894. Callahan was a mixed-race Muskogee Indigenous and white American woman born in Sulphur Springs who later moved to Oklahoma in adulthood. She was a devout Methodist, and an activist in both womens and native rights. She penned a semi autobiographical book about her childhood in Sulphur Springs called “Wynema: A Child of the Forest.” She was considered the first indigenous American female novelist.
Mollie E. Crockett– 1856-1941. Crockett was a well-known suffragist and women’s rights activist. She was a leader in the Texas Woman Suffrage Association and played a crucial role in securing women’s right to vote in Texas. Crockett was also active in the community and was a dedicated teacher.
Dr. Ellen Lawson Dabbs– 1853-1908. Dr. Dabbs came to Sulphur Springs as an adult when she married her husband, Joseph Dabbs. After the marriage ended, she studied medicine at the University of Iowa and was a prominent doctor in Sulphur Springs in the 1890s until her death. She served as the very first officer of the Texas Suffrage Movement.
Dr. Grace Danforth- 1849-1895. Dr. Danforth was a private medical doctor who also taught in Black Jack Grove (now Cumby). Along with Dr. Dabbs, she helped establish the Texas Equal Rights Association in 1893.
Mabel Vernon– 1883-1975. Vernon suffragist and women’s rights activist who spent much of her life fighting for equal rights. She was a leader in the National Woman’s Party, and she played a crucial role in the passage of the 19th Amendment, which gave women the right to vote. She was a dynamic and passionate speaker who traveled the country promoting women’s rights. She once interrupted President Woodrow Wilson during a speech, asking “”Mr. President, if you sincerely desire to forward the interests of all the people, why do you oppose the national enfranchisement of women?” She was also arrested during a six-day protest at the White House for the right of women to vote.
There have been hundreds of historically significant women in Hopkins County’s history. The diverse group of women who made significant contributions to the county also left their mark on society as a whole. From famous Hopkins County women to the important women in our own families, local ladies continue to inspire and empower women everyday.
Sources:
Dr. Ellen Lawson Dabbs, Sophia Alice Callahan- Wikipedia commons
Texas Portal of History, firsthand research. John Sellers/ Hopkins County Genealogical Society contributed to this report
“Sufferage Wins!” Todd Kleiboer, Sulphur Springs News-Telegram
Mabel Vernon, University of Oklahoma press online
