Stratford’s Women Aren’t Shy

Former Town Historian, Lewis Knapp, wrote in 1989: “From its founding, Stratford did not raise bashful women. The feisty Blakeman widows in 1665; Mary Silliman, who moved her children from Fairfield to North Stratford when the British fired the town and there gave birth to another son; Anna Oliver who became the first woman Methodist minister in spite of male prejudice; the abolitionist and temperance women; the group turned down for membership in the Congregational Church in 1871; all these women fought for their beliefs.”

Stratford’s men were always behind their women. It appears that Stratford was the only town in Connecticut where the men fought for the women being enfranchised with the right to vote. Stratford women are that amazing! The Bridgeport Evening Farmer recorded the following remarks after attending an organizing meeting of the Stratford Equal Suffrage Association July 20, 1912: An amusing remark by an old horseman, who was present, was a fair indication of the sentiment among the conservative men present. This old stager of the track said “I never bet very heavy on wimmin’s rights but I tell you these wimmin are thoroughbreds. I’m going to sign up for them.”

Stratford’s history is replete with amazing women. We’d like to highlight the lives of just a few women who had a significant impact on the town. Sadly, we lack pictures of many of these remarkable ladies.

Nettie Filmer has the distinction of being the first female Registrar of Voters in the State of Connecticut. She was appointed in 1921, along with Sally Wells, who also lived in Stratford. Mrs. Filmer and Miss Wells would have been the first two female Registrars in the United States had New York State not appointed their first female Registrar just days before. Mrs. Filmer served the Stratford Equal Suffrage Association as President, on the Executive Committee, and as Delegate to the state convention.  She served on Stratford’s Board of Education. Nettie’s home was on East Broadway.  Nettie was born in 1871 and passed away in 1936.

Edith Hastings was Stratford’s best known Suffragette on a local, state, and national level. She is memorialized with a plaque on Academy Hill. Her nearly constant companion in all things “suffrage” was Miss Maude Hull. Miss Hull lived near Miss Hastings on Elm Street. She served in the Stratford Equal Suffrage Association as Treasurer, Delegate to the National Suffrage Convention, and on the Executive Committee. She traveled with Miss Hastings to all the State and National Suffrage Conventions. She was born in 1879 and died in 1954.

Augusta Wheeler (1836-1919) was the daughter of Captain Isaac Wheeler (1800-1867) and his wife Catherine (1803-1882). Isaac was the son of Samuel Wheeler, Jr. (1777-1858) and Annie Curtiss (1772-1831). This Wheeler line is descended from Moses Wheeler (1598-1698) of England, New Haven, and Stratford. Augusta served as Second Vice-president, Treasurer, and on the Executive Committee of the Stratford Equal Suffrage Association. She was very active in the Women’s Christian Temperance Union and the local Orphan Asylum. Augusta was described by George Waldo, Junior, in 1917, “Miss Augusta Wheeler ….. is also an ardent supporter of the cause of woman suffrage and was among the founders of the Woman’s Suffrage Association in Stratford, of which she has been treasurer…”

Any discussion of remarkable Stratford women would be incomplete without an acknowledgement of Mary Hardy’s contributions to our town. Mary Hardy’s name is nearly inseparable from the Sterling House Community Center, of which she was Executive Director for many years.

Mary was born November 26, 1916, and passed away January 9, 2018, at the age of 101. By the time she graduated from Stratford High School in 1935, she had already become a familiar face at Sterling House Community Center, where she began work as a part-time unpaid volunteer in 1933, just one year after the agency was founded. 

She was always eager to tackle any job, including office work, painting, program assistance, child care, plays, dances, musicals, art exhibits, socials, senior citizen open house programs, as well as flower growing and arrangements. 

In 1953, after 20 years in various positions of service at Sterling House, Mary was appointed Executive Director, and her dedication, caring, influence and leadership for the next 34 years positively affected thousands of people in many ways until her retirement in 1987.

The building that houses the present Helen King Reynolds Private School was built in the 1890’s as a private residence. It is also now listed on the National Register Of Historic Places. Helen King Reynolds, who had established a private school on Main Street in 1931, purchased the property at 868 East Broadway in 1943 and operated her private school here for grades K-8. Mrs. Reynolds was head of the school for 28 years.  She had a great influence on the lives of many Stratford youngsters, including Todd Lovell, former Historical Society President and one time owner of Lovell Hardware.

Gladys V. Jubb has been recalled many times over the years for her leadership roles in Stratford’s education system. She was a longtime history teacher and student counselor at Stratford High. Many former students remember Ms. Jubb as the principal of Wilcoxson School, but she also was principal at Center School. She was praised as a wonderful neighbor, and friend. She was an active volunteer for many organizations in Stratford and Bridgeport. Ms. Jubb served several years in Stratford’s Teachers’ Education Association. She was born in 1904 and passed away in 2000.

Like Miss Jubb, Miss Ruby Wheeler was a beloved educator in the Stratford School system. She was a direct, lineal descendant of Stratford’s first ferry man, Moses Wheeler. She was an accomplished photographer and left behind a treasure trove of photos of Stratford events, places, and people. Miss Wheeler was born in 1903 and passed away in 1970.

We could go on and on, but, for now, we’ll leave you with these remarkable examples.