Rochester to honor first woman elected in the area with statue

ROCHESTER - Amelia Witherstine made history here when she was first elected to the local school board in 1911. She later became president of the board, leading it for almost a decade. And she was the first woman to serve on a jury in Olmsted County.

At a time when women were fighting for the right to vote, Witherstine was an elected official, paving the way for more women to get involved in Rochester’s public sphere.

Witherstine and women like her who have changed Rochester for the better are set to be honored later this year with a statue and pavers at Central Park as local groups led by Mayor Kim Norton pay homage to the women who came before them.

“We’re really excited to not only have found a wonderful first, the first elected woman here, but also someone who still has family here,” Norton said.

It took almost two years of work to get this far. Norton presented the idea of honoring Witherstine during her 2024 State of the City address, and updated residents earlier this month. The idea came from a pitch she heard at a conference about a global initiative called Statues for Equality, which aims to place more statues of women around the world to honor their work.

The initiative is spearheaded by Australian artists Gillie and Marc Schattner, who work primarily in public art. They founded Statues for Equality after finding women were vastly underrepresented in public statues around the world — about 5% of statues globally.

Several groups, from the local League of Women Voters to the Greater Rochester Arts and Cultural Trust, gathered to determine how Rochester would honor its own female pioneers. Residents with Mayo Clinic connections like Mary Alfred Moes, the nun who founded St. Marys Hospital, were considered.

Organizers zeroed in on Witherstine after considering upcoming milestones: The History Center of Olmsted County and the local Rotary Club celebrate centennial anniversaries this year; and the 19th Amendment granting women the right to vote was passed in 1920, making this the 105th anniversary of its ratification.

Witherstine, the wife of a former mayor and an ardent activist in her own right, was president of the local chapter of the Women’s Christian Temperance Union, which supported women’s suffrage in the years leading up to the 19th Amendment’s passing. Her son Glenn later changed his name to Withers; the family later owned and operated the Rochester Post-Bulletin newspaper.

“She was the first woman elected to an office in Olmsted County. That’s kind of a remarkable thing,” said Judy Hickey, director of the Greater Rochester Arts and Cultural Trust. “We felt it was important to the community to remember these steps in history.”

Organizers have spent more than a year researching and solidifying plans for a statue of Witherstine, which Gillie and Marc (their professional name) will create. Local historians tracked down photos of Witherstine and pieced together her life through census data and other records.

They’re also fundraising to bring Witherstine’s statue stateside when it’s finished later this year, along with a bonus statue of a goose to mark Rochester’s history with Canada geese. The statues are set to go up in Central Park, also home to the Heritage House Victorian Museum.

Workers will also install pavers featuring prominent women in Rochester’s history, while Witherstine’s statue will have a plaque with online links to information on her life compiled by local author and historian Virginia Wright-Peterson.

Organizers are still raising money, seeking a total of about $60,000. The Rochester Parks and Recreation Board recently approved $10,000 for the project. And the statue may be included in a future walking arts trail program for residents to learn more about downtown Rochester’s public art.

Norton said the project showcases the impact women have had in the area, and she hopes it inspires more women to get involved in public issues.

“It’s really exciting to be able to do this,” she said.