Hats And Helmets

The museum had a couple of displays in our parlor area that introduced you to what else could make its way along the Erie Canal, connecting to New York's observation of the centennial of state-level women's suffrage in 1917 as well as the United State's entry into World War I.

Here's a brief look at these exhibits in case you didn't get a chance to check them out over the summer:

While the right to vote at the national level wasn’t earned until 1920 with the passing of the 19th Amendment, there were state-level victories and New York women earned the vote at the state level three years before at the national level - November 6, 1917.

New York was home to the birth of the movement, with the Women’s Rights Convention held at Seneca Falls in 1848.

Part of the efforts to increase awareness of their efforts, suffragists took to wearing sashes and hats made special for their cause. This display ranges from the beginning of the Progressive Era with some examples of  smaller versions of 1890s hats, and end with an example from the 1920s when the flapper style was making its way to the forefront of women’s fashion. The Erie Canal was a significant ally for the suffrage campaign, as well as various other movements such as abolition and temperance.

For a musical number to help you learn some women's suffrage history, check out this video created by Soomo Publishing!

Also at the Museum, Acknowledging another Centennial

The U.S.A. entered into World War I in 1917, with Waterford sending several men to fight - ultimately three times more than required for the area - as well as nurses to aid our solders. Locals were also involved through projects like the war gardens, which came to be known as "victory gardens" and took root across the country to help deal with famines in Europe resulting from all the fighting and the lack of farmers. Many continued to maintain these gardens after the war's end, with a reemergence during WWII when commercial crops were again redirected to military overseas and transportation focused more on moving troops and munitions rather food.

The Erie and Champlain Canals - and later the Barge Canal System - operated in this capacity of transporting vital materials and boats from across the country. The Matton Shipyard was involved in these efforts, constructing large canal barges and deck barges for the U.S. Army during both World Wars.