The Evansville Vanderburgh Public Library and the League of Women Voters of Southwestern Indiana are pleased to announce the upcoming unveiling of a marker honoring local women’s suffrage leader Lucia Blount. 

Lucia Blount was a local community leader who advocated for women’s voting rights in our community during the late 1800s. The marker will be dedicated at 1:00 pm on Tuesday, May 10 at EVPL Central. Mayor Lloyd Winnecke, EVPL officials, and leaders of the League of Women Voters will make remarks. A celebratory reception in EVPL Central’s atrium will follow the unveiling. 

“We are honored to partner with the League of Women Voters to dedicate this marker commemorating Lucia Blount,” said EVPL CEO-Director Scott Kinney. “We recognize the importance voting has on shaping our past, present, and future. Thanks to the efforts of suffragist leaders like Ms. Blount, women in our community have the right to cast their ballot.” 

Made possible thanks to the National Collaborative for Women’s History Sites and the William G. Pomeroy Foundation, the marker will be part of the National Votes for Women Trail, which seeks to recognize and celebrate the diversity of people and groups active in the struggle for women’s suffrage. The marker will be installed in a dedication at the corner of Chestnut and Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd, the location of Blount’s home where she held suffragist meetings. 

The National Collaborative for Women’s History Sites is a non-profit organization established to support and promote the preservation and interpretation of sites and locales that bear witness to women’s participation in American history. NCWHS is dedicated to making women’s contributions to history visible so all women’s experiences and potential are fully valued. 

The William G. Pomeroy Foundation is committed to supporting the celebration and preservation of community history; and to raising awareness, supporting research, and improving the quality of care for patients and their families who are facing a blood cancer diagnosis. One of its initiatives is helping people to celebrate their community’s history. The Pomeroy Foundation meets this part of its mission by providing grants to obtain CONTACT: Heather McKinney Writing & Social Media Specialist Marketing & Public Relations 812.428.8200 ext. 1436 hmckinney@evpl.org signage in the form of historic roadside markers and plaques. Since 2006, they have funded over 1,400 markers and plaques across the United States, all the way to Alaska. 

The League of Women Voters of Southwestern Indiana is a nonpartisan, nonprofit civic organization that encourages informed and active participation in government, works to increase understanding of major public policy issues, and influences public policy through education and advocacy. The National League of Women Voters, organized in 1920, is the successor to the National American Woman Suffrage Association, which successfully advocated for the 19th Amendment that guarantees women the right to vote. 

The Evansville Vanderburgh Public Library has served our community for more than a century. With eight locations throughout Vanderburgh County, immediate access to hundreds of thousands of digital resources, and a dedicated team of library professionals, EVPL strives to create opportunities for you to discover, explore, and connect with your library. For more information, visit evpl.org.