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0 of 3 Premium Clicks used this month SUBSCRIBE Print + Online Subscriber Activation | Register x Forgot Password | Need an Account? subscribe | newsletter | deals Classifieds Jobs Autos Real Estate FEATURED » NEWS NOW Our View: Learning to survive ... Techtoberfest event was a rousing success ... Jeffrey Gillespie: Hillary Clinton’s big night ... Our View: Learning to survive ... Techtoberfest event was a rousing success ... Jeffrey Gillespie: Hillary Clinton’s big night ... AS IT WAS As It Was: A woman ahead of her time Comment By Margaret LaPlante Southern Oregon Historical Society DailyTidings.com By Margaret LaPlante Southern Oregon Historical Society Posted Aug. 19, 2015 at 5:48 PM By Margaret LaPlante Southern Oregon Historical Society Posted Aug. 19, 2015 at 5:48 PM » RELATED CONTENT • As It Was: Ashland Public Library did not initially have City Council support... • We Regret to Inform You: The untold stories of Ashland’s young men in World War I... • As It Was: William Barnum and the Rogue River Valley Railroad... • As It Was: Ashland's Twin Plunges began as Natatorium • As It Was: The Colver House in Phoenix was one of Oregon's oldest buildings... • As It Was: Drive-In theater was the wonder of its time • As It Was: 'Infidel Hall' in Talent hosted 'Mental Library' • Snakes alive! Must be the end of the parade » Social News A mere two years after women received the right to vote, Mariam B. Towne of Phoenix was elected to the state legislature in 1914. She was the first woman elected in Oregon and only the second elected in the United States. Mariam was born in the mining camp at Sterling, Ore. She moved to Phoenix, where her father operated a mercantile business and was the postmaster for many years. After high school, Mariam went to work as an assistant to the clerk for Jackson County. She was required to read and file copies of all bills passed by the state legislature and concluded that many were written poorly. Mariam was convinced that she could do a better job. In 1914 she ran for state legislature. She did not give speeches as she felt they only pleased the people who were already backing you. Instead she went door-to-door listening to people’s concerns. Her unique approach won her the election. Once in Salem she worked to control government spending, saying that she felt too much government money was being wasted. Mariam served one term, and worked for many other government agencies during her life. She died in Phoenix in 1966. Source: Waldron, Sue. “Mariam B. Towne: Oregon’s First Women Legislator.” Southern Oregon Heritage Today. Vol. 10 No. 2 (March/April 1990): pp. 5-6. As It Was is a co-production of Jefferson Public Radio and the Southern Oregon Historical Society. As It Was stories are broadcast weekdays on Jefferson Public Radio and are available online at asitwas.org . By Margaret LaPlante Southern Oregon Historical Society DailyTidings.com By Margaret LaPlante Southern Oregon Historical Society Posted Aug. 19, 2015 at 5:48 PM » Comment or view comments Reader Reaction » STAY INFORMED Email NewsLetter Sign Up Today Sign up for our newsletter and have the top headlines from your community delivered right to your inbox. Southern Oregon Directory Featured Businesses Loading... Business Name address Location, ST | website.com Find Southern Oregon Attractions Bars Restaurants Beauty Salons Entertainment Doctors Medical Specialists Contractors Education Lawn Services Lawyers Shopping Travel Tanning Used Cars Wedding Services ▼ Add your business here + Events Calendar Connect with DailyTidings.com Facebook Twitter RSS Back to top Reader Services Reader Services home Subscriptions Subscriber controls Contact us Submissions Photos Events Letters to the editor Corrections Alerts Email alerts RSS feeds Text Alerts Advertise Media Kit Home Products and services Ad rates Advertising contacts Propel Marketing Mail Tribune Daily Tidings The Nickel Shop Our Valley Blogs Mobile Site Stay Informed Email newsletter Sign Up Today Sign up for our newsletter and have the top headlines from your community delivered right to your inbox. Your privacy is important, read our privacy policy. © Copyright 2015 Local Media Group, Inc. All Rights Reserved. Privacy Policy | Terms of Service | Local Media Group Publications Original content available for non-commercial use under a Creative Commons license, except where noted. DailyTidings.com | P.O. Box 1108, Medford, OR 97501