Biography of Clarinda Irene Howard Nichols Excerpted from "Collections of the Kansas State Historical Society, 1911-1912", Edited by Geo. W. Martin, Secretary. Vol XII., State Printing Office, Topeka, Kansas 1912. submitted by Teresa Lindquist (merope@radix.net); (copyright) 2001 by Teresa Lindquist ----------------------------------------------------------------------- KSGENWEB INTERNET GENEALOGICAL SOCIETY COPYRIGHT NOTICE: In keeping with the KSGenWeb policy of providing free information on the Internet, this data may be used by non-commercial entities, as long as this message remains on all copied material. These electronic pages cannot be reproduced in any format for profit or other gain. Copying of the files within by non-commercial individuals and libraries is encouraged. Any other use, including publication, storage in a retrieval system, or transmission by electronic, mechanical, or other means requires the written approval of the file's author. ----------------------------------------------------------------------- MRS. CLARINDA IRENE HOWARD NICHOLS was born in Townshend, Vt., January 25, 1810. Her early efforts were directed in the cause of education, and she became a teacher in public and private schools, and founded a young ladies' seminary at Herkimer, N. Y., in 1835. Her second husband being an editor, she was brought prominently into the newspaper field in her native state. She came to Kansas in 1854 to look at the country, with a view of finding a home for her children, and moved here in 1855, settling at Quindaro, Wyandotte county, in the spring of 1857. In territorial days her voice was ever ready to help for the freedom of Kansas. In 1871 she moved to California, where she resided until her death, which occurred at Potter Valley, January 11, 1885. She left four children, Mrs. Frank Davis, Cavendish, Vt.; C. H. Carpenter, Kansas City, Kan.; A. O. Carpenter, Ukiah; and George B. Nichols, Potter Valley. In Susan B. Anthony's "History of Woman Suffrage," pages 171, 172, is the following tribute to Mrs. Nichols: "To Clarinda Howard Nichols the women of Kansas are indebted for many civil rights they have as yet been too apathetic to exercise. Her personal presence in the constitutional convention of 1859 secured for the women of that state liberal property rights, equal guardianship of their children, and the right to vote on all school questions. She is a large- hearted, brave, faithful woman, and her life speaks for itself. Her experiences are indeed the history of all that was done, in the above-mentioned states" (Vermont, Wisconsin, Kansas, Missouri). Mrs. Nichols is quoted as follows : "From 1843 to 1853, inclusive, I edited the Windham County Democrat, published by my husband, George W. Nichols, at Brattleboro. Early in 1847 I addressed to the voters of the state a series of editorials setting forth the injustice and miserable economy of the property disabilities of married women. In October of the same year Hon. Larkin Mead, of Brattleboro. 'moved,' as he said, 'by Mrs. Nichols' presentation of the subject' in the Democrat, introduced in the Vermont senate a bill securing to the wife real and personal property, with its use, and power to defend, convey and devise as if 'sole.' The bill, as passed, secured to the wife real estate owned by her at marriage, or acquired by gift, devise or inheritance during marriage, with the rents, issues and profits, as against any debts of the husband; but to make a sale or conveyance of either her realty or its use valid, it must be the joint act of husband and wife. She might by last will and testament dispose of her lands, tenements, hereditaments, and any interest therein descendable to her heirs, as if 'sole.' A subsequent legislature added to the latter clause moneys, notes, bonds and other assets accruing from sale or use of real estate. And this was the first breath of a legal civil existence to Vermont wives. "In 1849 Vermont enacted a homestead law; in 1850 a bill empowering the wife to insure in her own interest the life or a term of the life of her husband, the annual premium on such insurance not to exceed $500; also, an act giving to widows of childless husbands the whole of an estate not exceeding $1000 in value, and half of any amount in excess of $1000, and if he left no kin the whole estate, however large, became the property of the widow. Prior to this act the widow of a childless husband had only half, however small the estate, and if he left no kindred to claim it the remaining half went into the treasury of the state, whose gain was the town's loss, if, as occasionally happened, the widow's half was not sufficient for her support. "In 1852 I drew up a petition, signed by more than 200 of the most substantial business men, including the staunchest conservatives, and taxpaying widows of Brattleboro, asking the legislature to make the women of the state voters in district-school meetings. "Up to 1850 I had not taken a position for suffrage, but instead of disclaiming its advocacy as improper I had, since 1849, shown the absurdity of regarding suffrage as unwomanly. Having failed to secure her legal rights by reason of her disfranchisement, a woman must look to the ballot for self-protection. In this cautious way I proceeded, aware that not a house would be open to me did I demand the suffrage before convicting men of legal robbery through woman's inability to defend herself." (Included with the article "The Founding of the State Normal School", page 94-95)