March 2010 Edition
Posted by Administrator on March 9, 2010 · Leave a Comment
It was during a recent coffee chat with local author and historian, Terri Gay, that I found myself inspired to be a part of March, 2010 and Women’s History Month. We are fortunate to be a part of a community that is so rich in history and so active about preserving and showcasing it, yet I realized how challenging it was to find information about the “fairer sex” that played important roles in our hometown.
For example, as a long time Saratoga County resident and , I had no idea that Susan B. Anthony was a resident of a neighboring county AND that her distant cousin, Sarah Anthony Burtis, was the very first woman to work in a retail establishment in the City of Saratoga Springs. As I poked around some more seeking notable women of history, I took the time to learn more about who Katrina Trask was and her powerful influence on the haven and popular tourist attraction of Yaddo Gardens.
Fast forward to the present, it was that few minutes with Terri, a softer spoken but powerful personality, that opened my eyes to the women in Saratoga making history and shaping the course of Saratoga Springs today. Our Chamber of Commerce, our Economic Development figure heads, our specialty retail store and boutique owners: dynamic women. Creative, passionate and progressive….its very exciting when you look at what is happening behind the scenes.
As career women and moms, we are busy than ever, managing more than anyone ever thought possible, facing struggles that our great-grandmothers would never have dreamed of yet day in and day out, it has been my honor to meet and work along side women who embrace the neighborhood we call home and possess the determination and power of Susan Anthony Burtis and Katrina Trask. It is with hope that I should have the privilege of looking up Women’s History, in 25 years, and see records and memories of the women I’ve come to know in this neighborhood over the past year.
Angela McFarland
Owner and Publisher
