Seneca Falls, NY

“My girls are sluggers—they’re awesome!” declares peewee baseball coach Kim Nicandri. “They’ll hit it out of the park.”

On Cayuga Lake’s northern shore, girls wrestle and play co-ed lacrosse, and women head the tourism board, business association, and chamber of commerce. And why not? It was in Seneca Falls, N.Y., that two native daughters launched the women’s rights movement.

In 1848, Seneca Falls temperance worker Amelia Bloomer introduced Susan B. Anthony to a neighbor, Elizabeth Cady Stanton; soon Bloomer’s temperance newspaper was a major voice for women’s advocates, whose goals included comfortable dresses and knee-length underwear (later named for the crusading publisher). A statue of Stanton meeting Anthony, erected in the heart of Seneca Falls in 1998, marks the 150th anniversary of the first Women’s Rights Convention—organized by Stanton, who became a powerful speaker and key contributor to the struggle for women’s rights.

The scenic Finger Lakes town of 9,347 honors that heritage with Convention Days, a three-day, mid-July event. Supporting organizations include the state’s Urban Cultural Park, the Women’s Rights National Historic Park, and the Women’s Hall of Fame, all in Seneca County. “It takes all year to plan,” says Deborah Buchwald, team leader at Cady Stanton School, three doors from its namesake’s former home. “Kids re-enact the original convention, run by a local theater group, playing delegates.”

Ironically, the Finger Lakes region that Bloomer’s advocacy for temperance made famous today has more vineyards than any U.S. county except Napa in California—and women run nearly every tasting room. Cindy Peterson co-owns 15-year-old award-winning Swedish Hill Vineyards. Feeling no discrimination in a historically male industry, she notes the impact of tourism: “We’re all involved—the wineries, hall of fame, and the park. The famous feminists bring a lot of people.”

Residents are “incredible in their knowledge of local history and willingness to make the area a better place to live and bring tourists,” says Kelly Husby, who chairs the Seneca County Chamber of Commerce Board. Among 400 members, women are well-represented on chamber committees.

Joyce Sinicropi, co-owner of Sinicropi Florists, prizes the people and smallness of her village. “We don’t have a rush hour—we have a rush minute,” jokes the head of the Seneca Falls Business Association. “Women have prominence here: they run the historical society, museums, and Women’s Rights National Park, and study at NYS Chiropractic College, with many women on the faculty.”

Diana Smith, elected last March to the village board in her first campaign—currently the only woman on that board—hopes to “preserve our friendly atmosphere and encourage participation in local government.” The full-time computer teacher grew up in Seneca Falls and volunteers at the hall of fame. “I celebrate history because our community revolves around it.” While glad to see women in traditional men’s groups such as Kiwanis and Rotary, Smith, nevertheless, says she’s waiting for “true equality” to reach Seneca Falls.

For instance, when Suzanne DuVall’s custom jewelry store opened in 1986, “Men would come in and ask to speak to the owner, not realizing a woman could own a jewelry store,” recalls DuVall, a trained goldsmith, silversmith, and hand engraver. DuVall now owns the quaint 1830 building and says attitudes are improving.

A single mom, she enjoys evening strolls along the new canal front promenade, “a very pretty brick pathway with trees and dock space where boaters can tie in and spend the night,” she says. County tourism director Mo Koch notes the natural beauty of the area. “I love the four seasons, especially around the lake. We’re on the Northeast flyway and get all the migratory birds.”

And the spirit of Bloomer and Stanton lives on. Nicandri, a nurse who arrived in 1981, savors Seneca Falls’ small-town atmosphere and safety. For the mother of two daughters, “the feminist legacy reminds us of how far we’ve come. Girls can do anything today.”

Carol Milano is the author of Hers: The Wise Woman’s Guide to Starting a Business on $2,000 or Less.

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