A new exhibit at the Limestone County Archives pays tribute to the accomplishments of women of Limestone County as this month marks the 100th anniversary of their right to vote.

“Women of Limestone” will be on display in the Archives’ exhibit space through March 31. A companion exhibit, “Women of the Muscle Shoals National Heritage Area,” will also be featured at the Archives through Jan. 31.

“As a woman who grew up in Limestone County, it is inspiring to me to now work daily with the stories of women who came here before me and paved the way for leadership, education, human rights, business success, athletics and more,” said Limestone County Archivist Rebekah Davis. “This exhibit shares the stories of these impactful women of this area to inspire a new generation of female history-makers, and we are delighted to be the first to host it at the Limestone County Archives.”

The Limestone County Poll Tax Record book listing those first pioneering suffragists of the county is one of several of Limestone County’s historic records on display as part of the “Women of Limestone” exhibit.

In addition to highlighting the first women voters, the local exhibit features early pioneering women such as landowner Lucy Bedingfield, singer Patti Malone and entrepreneur Emily Frazer. Educators such as Jane Hamilton Childs, Mary McCoy and Louise Allyn, are also featured, as are leaders such as Bette Anderson, Athens’ first female City Council representative. Every female inductee of the Limestone County Sports Hall of Fame also has her place in this exhibit.

The MSNHA exhibit features Limestone County women Mary Fletcher Wells, Brittany Howard and Tasia Malakasis among the notable women of the six-county area that encompasses northwest Alabama.

University of North Alabama public history student Josh Grigsby and UNA graduates Julia McGee and Lacie Rowe researched and gathered images for the exhibit. The research was pulled together in MSNHA director Dr. Carolyn Barske Crawford’s 2019 exhibit design course in anticipation of the centennial of women’s suffrage.

McGee, who graduated in December 2019 with a master’s degree in public history, developed the companion educator packet for teachers. Free copies of that packet are available at the Limestone County Archives for the first 10 teachers who visit the exhibit. Those who can’t make it in to see the exhibit can visit http://msnha.una.edu/resources/ to find a copy of the educator packet. The packet includes biographies of notable MSNHA women, classroom activities and sources for more research.

The MSNHA, hosted by UNA with offices in Florence, was officially designated by Congress in 2009. The MSNHA spans the six counties of north Alabama’s Tennessee River water basin and was developed to help preserve the history of this region by focusing on three main themes: music, Native American heritage and the Tennessee River. Visit https://msnha.una.edu for more information.

The exhibit is open 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Mondays through Fridays at the Limestone County Archives, 102 W. Washington St., Athens. For more information, email archives@limestonecounty-al.gov or call 256-233-6404.