Who are the notable women who helped make the South Windsor what it is today? Who represented changing times, or added to South Windsor’s unique tapestry of diversity?
We invite you to help us celebrate notable South Windsor women. Several were pioneers, the first women to establish themselves in male-dominated town leadership roles. Three embraced their passion at a young age and made their mark. Some documented their time in history, preserving their memories and observations for generations to come.
As we were putting together this exhibit we realized how scarce original source information was on the women who had helped shape the history of the town of South Windsor, the state of Connecticut and even the United States. The farther back we went the harder it was to identify influential women by name, and if we could, there were scant details about their achievements. Many factors contributed to this void, namely the lack of education for women (and thus their inability to maintain their own records), the perception that a woman’s contributions to history were not as important or noteworthy as men’s, and a simple lack of foresight to understand how the accomplishments or opinions of women might be valued by future generations.
In putting together this exhibit, we hope to inspire more women – more people – to appreciate their familial or local history, preserve the memories and information around them, and to record their own accomplishments and ideas.
As part of our ongoing celebration of the 175th Anniversary of South Windsor, we invite you to remember, learn, appreciate South Windsor’s heritage through these remarkable women.
Doris Burgdorf and the South Windsor Town Seal
Dr. Mary Starr Tudor and Kang Tongbi