Sandusky in Erie County, Ohio — The American Midwest (Great Lakes)
Jury of Erie County Women / Erie County Courthouse
Jury of Erie County Women. "Jury of Erie County Women, First to be Impaneled Under Federal Suffrage" proclaimed the headline of the Sandusky Register on August 28, 1920. One of the first female Court of Common Pleas juries in the nation was impaneled in Erie County on August 26, 1920, moments after the 19th amendment to the Constitution of the United States was declared ratified. On that date, Judge Roy Williams was to conduct a trial and jurors were needed. Out of the ten men he contacted, only one could serve. Frustrated, Judge Williams later told the women, "When I learned shortly after 10:30 this morning that suffrage had been proclaimed, I decided to impanel a woman jury. Twelve women were summoned. Twelve women served."
Erie County Courthouse. The first Board of Erie County Commissioners - Samuel B. Carpenter, Nelson Taylor, and William B. Craighill - was instructed by the Ohio Legislature to hold the county's first term of court in December 1838. As a result, Erie County's first Court of Common Pleas was held in the Academy building on the east side of Columbus Avenue, across from the Courthouse's current location. The Academy building continued to house the Court of Common Pleas until a new Courthouse was built on the current site in 1874 at a cost of $142,026.45. The Art Deco exterior was added when the Courthouse was remodeled beginning in 1936 as a project of the New Deal's Public Works Administration.
Erected 2002 by Ohhio Bicentennial Commission, The Longaberger Company, Board of Commissioners of Erie County, and The Ohio Historical Society. (Marker Number 23-22.)
Topics and series. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Government & Politics • Women. In addition, it is included in the Art Deco, and the Ohio Historical Society / The Ohio History Connection series lists. A significant historical month for this entry is December 1838.
Location. 41° 27.237′ N, 82° 42.667′ W. Marker is in Sandusky, Ohio, in Erie County. Marker is on Columbus Avenue north of Adams Street, on the left when traveling north. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 323 Columbus Avenue, Sandusky OH 44870, United States of America. Touch for directions.
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker. Emmanuel United Church Of Christ (within shouting distance of this marker); The Boy with the Boot (about 300 feet away, measured in a direct line); Sandusky / Erie County (about 300 feet away); “The Early Birds” (about 300 feet away); Erie County Jail / Sandusky Library (about 300 feet away); Adams Street Double House (about 300 feet away); Gold Star Families Memorial (about 400 feet away); Veterans Memorial Park (about 400 feet away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Sandusky.
Credits. This page was last revised on February 29, 2024. It was originally submitted on November 23, 2014, by Denise Boose of Tehachapi, California. This page has been viewed 468 times since then and 30 times this year. Last updated on February 15, 2024, by Carl Gordon Moore Jr. of North East, Maryland. Photos: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5. submitted on November 23, 2014, by Denise Boose of Tehachapi, California. 6. submitted on May 31, 2022, by Craig Doda of Napoleon, Ohio. • J. Makali Bruton was the editor who published this page.