‘I’m going to miss her,’ said Lt. Gov. Deidre Henderson of the statue of the first female state senator in the U.S.
Martha Hughes Cannon got a big send-off party on Wednesday night from hundreds of Utahns who gathered outside the Utah Capitol to celebrate her influence on the state and, soon, the nation.
There were multiple organizations on hand with displays and activities for all ages, from coloring pages to period reenactors telling Martha’s story to pioneer-era games on the lawn. There were food trucks, music, gold and purple flags, yellow ribbon roses and, of course, the star of the show, Martha herself, outside on a flatbed trailer, getting her picture taken with everyone who wanted to stand by the larger-than-life, 7-foot-6 statue on her last night in Utah.
Lt. Gov. Deidre Henderson spoke fondly of Martha as she wished her safe travels on her trip across the country. “What’s so remarkable about Martha is not just that she was the fourth wife of Angus Cannon, who ran against him and beat him … it’s not just remarkable that she had (four) degrees by the time she was in her mid-20s. It’s not just remarkable that she fought for women’s rights, for women’s suffrage and then when she secured them, helped women in other states try to get them. What’s remarkable about Martha is that she was the first, but she was not the last.”
Henderson said Martha showed that, when faced with what seems like an intractable brick wall, you don’t have to tear down the whole wall. Sometimes, you can focus on removing a brick or two — or a few — and do your little bit of good, making it easier for those behind you to make it over that wall.
“Martha’s statue does not just symbolize what she has done for us,” said Henderson. “She symbolizes what our state and what our people did for America, and that history has been forgotten. It has been swept under the rug. It is not mentioned, and yet, you cannot talk honestly about the history of women’s suffrage in the United States without talking about Utah. I’m going to miss her.”
This post is an excerpt from a longer article I wrote for the Deseret News. You can find it here.
