b'Nevada City Suffragist Ellen Clark SargentEllen Clark SargentFought for Womens Right to VoteLocal couple played key role in 19th Amendment historyBy Judith Hurley Prosserevada City resident Ellen Clark Sargent never gotBroad and Pine streets. They paid 50 cents to join and a fee of to vote in a national election. But she helped shape25 cents a month - a significant sum at that time, especially for the very first legislation calling for a constitutionalwomen. Throughout her life, Ellen Sargent presided over similar amendment that would give women the franchise. Herorganizations and at conventions that gathered women and life-long fight for the vote and her work with leaders of theencouraged them to continue fighting for the vote.suffragist movement helped push through the 19th AmendmentThe Sargents had been living and raising a family in Nevada to the United States Constitution.City for many years. Aaron Sargent had come to California with It took nearly five decades. And, itthe Gold Rush and arrived in Nevada City in 1850. He had built a all started with a train ride. house at the top of Broad Street before going back East to marry BLAME SNOW ON Ellen. Back in Nevada City, Aaron Sargent owned and operated a newspaper, the Nevada Daily Journal, became an attorney and THE TRACKS moved into politics. Today, a InlateDecemberof1871,plaque is posted at the location womenssuffragecampaignerof the original homestead, in SusanB.Anthonygotontothethe front garden where it can UnionPacificRailroadtrainbe seen from the street. By the inOgden,Utah,headedfortime the Sargents met Anthony Washington,D.C.Thetrainwason the train, Aaron Sargent was packedtocapacity,butshewasserving his third term in the U.S. abletoshareasemi-privateHouse of Representatives.compartmentwithEllenClarkSusan B. Anthony What happened next led to Sargent and her husband, Aaron a lifelong friendship between Sargent, then a U.S. representative from California. They madeAnthony and the Sargents that Anthony feel welcome, sharing the food and tea they hadwould change the course of brought with them. Ellen knew of Anthonys work, and Aaron,history. Nevada County resident too, supported womens right to vote.and New York Times best-selling Ellen Sargent already had been working for womens rights.Aaron A. Sargent author Chris Enss describes that In 1869, she had founded the first womens suffrage group injourney in her book, No Place Nevada City. It was the same year that Anthony and ElizabethFor A Woman: The Struggle for Suffrage in the Wild West.Cady Stanton had established the National Woman SuffrageAnthony kept a daily journal, and her notes covered the next Association in New York. Members of the Nevada City groupten days of their trip. It took longer than usual because of heavy met in the Library Hall of the Brown & Morgan Building, atsnow on the tracks. The conversation between Anthony and(Library of Congress/Harris & Ewing Collection)This 1914 photograph shows American women insisting on their right to vote.6Business 2020'