St. Petersburg in Pinellas County, Florida — The American South (South Atlantic)
Votes for Women
Road to the 19th Amendment
— National Votes for Women Trail —
Photographed By Tim Fillmon, May 22, 2023
1. Votes for Women Marker
Erected 2022 by William G. Pomeroy Foundation. (Marker Number 179.)
Topics and series. This historical marker is listed in this topic list: Women. In addition, it is included in the National Votes for Women Trail series list. A significant historical date for this entry is March 4, 1919.
Location. 27° 46.268′ N, 82° 38.492′ W. Marker is in St. Petersburg, Florida, in Pinellas County. Marker is at the intersection of Central Avenue and 6th Street South, on the right when traveling west on Central Avenue. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 590 Central Avenue, Saint Petersburg FL 33701, United States of America. Touch for directions.
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker. S. H. Kress and Co. Building (about 500 feet away, measured in a direct line); Our Heroes of the World War (approx. 0.2 miles away); Pinellas County Veterans Memorial (approx. 0.2 miles away); The United States Veterans Memorial (approx. ¼ mile away); John C. Williams (approx. ¼ mile away); Merchant Seamen World War II Memorial (approx. ¼ mile away); Brigadier General Thaddeus Kosciuszko
this page online
Regarding Votes for Women. On March 4, 1919, suffragists gathered at Sixth Street and Central Avenue in the city of St. Petersburg in Pinellas County, Florida to march in support of women’s right to vote. The suffrage marchers made up the women’s suffrage section of the Kermess Parade. That day’s edition of the Tampa Bay Times projected that thousands of people were to take part in the Kermess Parade that evening. The March 5 edition of the Tampa Bay Times put the number of marchers in the women’s suffrage section of the parade around 350, with suffragists representing 25 different states, along with Canada, New Zealand, and England. It was reported that the suffrage marchers were under the direction of the suffrage department of the Pinellas County Federation of Women’s Clubs. The Tampa Bay Times provided a description of the women’s suffrage section:
A novel feature of this section was a group of boys carrying a banner which read “Votes for Mothers.” A mother wheeling her baby attracted much attention as did the few men in the section. Florida was represented by a
Photographed By Tim Fillmon, May 22, 2023
2. Votes for Women Marker
Three months later, on June 4, 1919, the United States Congress passed the Nineteenth Amendment which stated that the right to vote could not be denied on account of sex. This was the culmination of a decades long fight for women’s right to vote. After it was passed by Congress, the amendment went to the states for ratification. Despite the efforts of Florida suffragists, the state did not vote on the amendment. However, by August 1920, the necessary 36 states had ratified the Nineteenth Amendment, securing women’s right to vote across the United States, including in the state of Florida.
-Please note at the time of this event, the Tampa Bay Times was called the St. Petersburg Times.-
Credits. This page was last revised on July 29, 2023. It was originally submitted on July 29, 2023, by Tim Fillmon of Webster, Florida. This page has been viewed 144 times since then and 40 times this year. Photos: 1, 2. submitted on July 29, 2023, by Tim Fillmon of Webster, Florida.
