A new exhibit honoring the women of Owensboro and Daviess County who fought for the right to vote was unveiled Tuesday at the Owensboro Museum of Science and History.
“Voices of Women: Owensboro and the Struggle for Women’s Equal Rights” opened on Women’s Equality Day, marking the 105th anniversary of the certification of the 19th Amendment. The exhibit explores the long struggle for suffrage through photographs, archival materials, and firsthand stories — connecting the efforts of local women from more than a century ago to the responsibilities of today’s citizens.
The unveiling was held in the museum’s Mammoth Lobby and coincided with a community celebration hosted by the Owensboro branch of the American Association of University Women (AAUW), the Daviess County Bar Association, the City of Owensboro, and Daviess County Fiscal Court. The exhibit will remain on display through the end of the year.
Lissa Rae, operations director at the museum, said the project was both professional and personal. She collaborated with Museum Director Isaac Settle and summer intern Ruby Robinson to research and assemble the materials. Rae then designed the exhibit’s large-scale panels and signage.
“(They) did a lot of the research that you see on these panels here, and then I had the pleasure of getting to design all of that,” Rae said. “I’ve also never seen something I designed printed this large. I’m used to seeing my designs on business cards or flyers, but to see it on a sign that’s as big as I am was really cool.”
Most of the photographs and artifacts featured in the exhibit came directly from the museum’s collection. Rae said she personally scanned many of the black-and-white images, giving her a deeper appreciation for the history she was presenting.
“It’s cool getting to not only design it, but also put your hands physically on these parts of history — something that’s so significant 100-plus years ago, but also feels very relevant and significant today,” she said.
Among the artifacts is a set of original ballot boxes from the era, which still contain papers from the time.
“We didn’t even realize we had three ballot boxes until we went digging,” Rae said. “That was very fun to pull out from that time period.”
The AAUW played a critical role in assisting with research. One focus of the exhibit is ensuring women are identified by their actual names rather than simply “Mrs.” followed by their husband’s name — a common historical recordkeeping practice.
“They were able to provide names for us and help us track down first names, which is actually more difficult to do than you would think for women 100 years ago,” Rae said. “We made a point in this exhibit to as much as possible call these women by their actual names.”
For Rae, the exhibit carries personal weight. She brought her 6-year-old daughter to see the panels on opening day.
“I was actually explaining to her the impact that women haven’t always been able to vote,” Rae said. “She has a vague idea of what elections are and voting and how that works, but getting to explain to her is a big deal. This is something we didn’t always have, but we advocated for ourselves, and we fought for ourselves, and our ancestors did this so we can have a voice today.”
During the celebration, AAUW Owensboro President Debbie McCoy reminded the audience of the amendment’s historical significance and Kentucky’s role in the movement.
“By 1921, there were 500-600 members of the Daviess County Women’s Suffrage Association, including the men,” McCoy said. “’Voices of Women: Owensboro and the Struggle for Women’s Equal Rights’ honors the fight for suffrage in Owensboro and Daviess County.”
McCoy also noted that the local AAUW branch has worked to preserve that legacy in other ways, including a self-guided tour of the graves of nine suffragists buried at Elmwood Cemetery. Brochures and QR codes connect visitors to stories of the women’s lives.
In appreciation of the museum’s efforts, McCoy presented a $105 donation — symbolizing 105 years since the 19th Amendment was certified.
Kelsey Hayes Cootes, principal of Blue Dot Consulting and a community organizer, delivered the keynote address. She said the suffragists’ struggle was a reminder that democracy is not static but something citizens must continually protect and strengthen.
“Today we gather not just to unveil an exhibit, but to honor a revolution of courage,” Cootes said. “The suffragettes were ordinary women who did extraordinary things, who stared down ridicule, arrest, and violence because they believed in something bigger than themselves — that women’s voices deserve to be heard in the halls of power.”
She emphasized that the exhibit is not just about history but about inheritance.
“The right to vote, the right to shape our democracy, the right to stand equal — these are gifts that we have received because others refused to give up, and our responsibility standing here today is to carry that torch forward,” she said. “… The suffragists fought for decades for a single vote. We dishonor them if we treat our democracy as something to be consumed rather than protected.”
