March is Women's History Month and we offer profiles of some of Takoma's notable women from the early years. We also share some ways to reach events via streaming and encourage you to explore our redesigned website at historictakoma.org.
Your continued support is critical as we weather the continuing effects of Covid.
March is Women’s Month, and Historic Takoma is pleased to offer insight into some of the distinctive women, Black and White, who helped create the Takoma Park we know today. Part 1 honors those from Takoma’s early decades. Part 2 will focus on more recent decades.
Creating Takoma Park out of the wilderness meant cutting down trees to lay out streets and build houses. For the first women it meant setting up households and raising children in relatively isolated conditions. Together they established churches, schools, and cultural amenities to make Takoma their home. Historic Takoma’s archives contain images and newspaper clippings that allow us to reclaim the names of many of these women.
This honor roll offers short descriptions. Fuller details can be found on our website.
Pamela Favorite
Mrs. George Favorite was one of the most prominent early residents. She ran the general store, became the town's first Postmistress and began publishing a monthly news sheet in 1892 called "The Favorite."
Alcena Lamond
Alcena Lamond and her husband were already operating a terra cotta tileworks on the District side when B.F. Gilbert arrived. As matriarch of the extended Lamond family, she was a major presence in Takoma's civic and social scene, including the Takoma DC library, and the Citizens Association.
Ida Summy
Ida Summy is credited with suggesting the name “Takoma” (from Tacoma, Washington) to her friend Benjamin Franklin Gilbert. Their house at 7101 Cedar Avenue sits on the Maryland side of the boundary line with the District of Columbia.
Elizabeth "Betsey" Cora Dudley
One of the earliest arrivals, “Betsey” Dudley witnessed 60 years of Takoma's growth. While her husband build many Takoma homes, she raised their four children at 204 Carroll Street NW (CVS parking lot). Her eldest, William Wentworth, was the first child born in the new suburb.
Maggie Gilbert
As wife of Takoma founder B.F. Gilbert, Maggie welcomed newcomers into what was becoming a close-knit community. Her daughter Margaret and friends organized musicals for the enjoyment of all.
Amanda Thomas
The same day Gilbert made his first land purchase, Amanda Thomas bought several lots along Tulip and Maple Avenues. Her husband Isaac opened the first general store, while she joined in planning Takoma's first social events.
Elizabeth Cady
The first meetings of the Trinity Episcopal Church were in Elizabeth Cady'sliving room at 7064 Eastern Avenue NW. She served as president of the church’s Ladies Guild for 17 years. Her children remained in the house until 1973, after which it was extensively restored. Miss Prentiss
We have no record of the first name of this young woman who taught the first elementary school classes in 1886. By 1889, a four-room wooden schoolhouse was opened on Tulip Avenue.
The arrival of the Seventh-day Adventists in 1904 brought two important women to Takoma Park.
Ellen White
As spiritual leader, Ellen White orchestrated moving the Adventist world headquarters to Takoma. She occasionally took up residence here while overseeing construction of the Adventist hospital and the college.
Dr. Lauretta Kress
The second Adventist was Dr. Lauretta Kress, who organized the hospital for its 1906 opening, overseeing staff and nurses as well as her own practice for expectant mothers. She was the first woman licensed as a doctor in Montgomery County and delivered more than 4,000 babies before retiring in 1939.
The names of Black women from our earliest days elude us. These women raised their own families while taking jobs as nannies, housekeepers, laundresses and cooks in the white households. All that remains are a few scattered references of praise from their employers and a few photographs captured by Morris Bien’s camera. By 1915, the women who traveled north as part of the Great Migration began to appear.
One of the first was Olive Mae Warren, whose daughter Helen would end up marrying Lee Jordan in 1935.
Another was Alberta Dawes, whose son Roland currently presides over five generations of the Dawes family.
Thanks to Roland we can also name the teacher in the fuzzy photo of the Blacks-only school on Geneva Avenue. Thelma Wheeler left an indelible impression on him that remains vivid nearly 80 years later. (Our African-American Oral History Project team ls working to recover more of these names.)
Coming Next: Part 2 - Featuring Librarian Ruth Pratt, author Katherine Paterson, organizers Belle Ziegler and Opal Daniels, Roland Dawes’ gymnast granddaughter Dominique, along with activists and politicians.
The Takoma Artery collective continues to brighten our window with a new offering of artwork. Make your choice, access the displayed URL to purchase online, and know that you are supporting local artisans in these dire times.
March 16th - How the South Won the Civil War: Oligarchy, Democracy, and the Soul of America. (Free, 1-2 pm)
Although not directly related to the history of Takoma Park, this event hosted by the National Archives Foundation may be of interest. The online presentation argues that democracy’s blood-soaked victory was ephemeral. The system that had sustained the defeated South moved westward and established a foothold there giving rise to a new birth of white male oligarchy. Register directly HERE.
Did You Miss These Events? - Here's how to find them online.
Takoma Radio's special program from February 23rd on Lee Jordan and African-Americans in Takoma Park can be accessed HERE.
Montgomery History's March 9th presentation told the story of Julius Rosenwald and his crusade to build Black schools, including Takoma Park's Black school on Geneva Avenue. The recording will be posted HERE but only from March 15-21.
Please visit our redesigned website and tell us what you love, what is confusing, and what else you would like to see. We welcome your feedback.
Explore our online resources, including digital newspapers from 1894-1955. You'll find the index and access to the papers HERE. Or, if you are curious about who built your house, you'll find step-by-step instructions for online searching, or contact Jim Douglas via SixMilesFromWashington@gmail.com.
