Almost there...we're so close to the end now I can taste it. W is for Whitesbog Village and Women's History in this final lap of my A-Z Challenge, a tour of my home state of New Jersey.
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| Cranberry bog at Whitesbog Village |
I couldn't decide between telling you all about Whitesbog Village, which is an important part of NJ history, or Alice Paul, a New Jersey native who was instrumental in Women's History. I couldn't decide between the two, so I am telling you about both.
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| Whitesbog General Store, back in the day |
First up, Whitesbog. Whitesbog is an important part of NJ history, and is listed both on the State and National Registers of Historic sites. In the early 1900's, Whitesbog was the largest cranberry farm in New Jersey. Its founder, Joseph J. White, was a nationally recognized leader in the cranberry industry. In 1916, Elizabeth C. White collaborated with Dr. Frederick A. Coville of the US Dept. of Agriculture and successfully developed the first cultivated blueberry at Whitesbog. Today, you can come visit for a living history tour or shop in the Whitesbog General Store, take a guided tour or go off on your own on to bike, hike, kayak, fish or explore the surrounding 3,000 acres of cranberry bogs, blueberry fields, reservoirs, sugar sand roads and Pine Barrens forests.
Now, who was Alice Paul and why was she so important to Women's History? Alice Paul was the creator of some of the most outstanding political achievements on behalf of women in the 20th century. She was born to Quaker parents on January 11, 1885 in Moorestown, NJ. The Alice Paul Institute in Mount Laurel is a wonderful stop on my tour of NJ. Not just for NJ history, but for women's history as well. Ms. Paul dedicated her entire life to the single cause of securing equal rights for all women. As a mother of three girls, making a stop and visiting the Alice Paul Institute to learn more about this incredible woman, was a must. But how do these two tie together on my tour of NJ?
This year, in celebration of New Jersey's 350th Anniversary, Whitesbog Village happens to be hosting a special Women's History Trail exhibit that features legendary Jersey women and historic sites that celebrate their work. This will, of course, include an exhibit of none other than, Alice Paul.
My favorite Alice Paul quote of all is short and sweet, "Deeds, not words."
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| Outside the Alice Paul Institute |
I highly recommend both a visit to the Alice Paul Institute, as well as a visit to Whitesbog Village. Why not check them both out and learn more about New Jersey and it's rich history at the Women's History Trail Exhibit in Whitesbog this summer?
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| The girls and I saw this tricked out bus sitting in the parking lot of Alice Paul Institute |
That's great her legacy lives on.
ReplyDeleteWhitesbog sounds like a great place to stop.
Whitesbog is a lot of fun. Tons to do- mostly outdoors stuff so winter I don't generally visit as much.
DeleteSo, do they walk through those bogs like they do in the commercials?
ReplyDeleteHere's the thing about Alice Paul and the whole Suffrage Movement: It really wasn't that long ago. When I stop to think about how recent all of that was, it boggles the mind.
Actually, it would really piss people off if you crossed through their bogs out here. As usual, what you see on tv is not quite like what happens in "real life". LOL
DeleteAnd you are so right Jay. Alice Paul only died in 1977, yet she had seen and experienced so much for women's rights.
It's exciting to read about our amazing history in America. I had heard of Alice Paul but didn't know she was from New Jersey. Wyoming 's (and America's) first woman governor was Nellie Tayloe Ross serving 1925 to 1927.
ReplyDeleteCool fact! You are making me more and more curious about visiting Wyoming.
DeleteI've always wanted to visit a cranberry farm. And yay for Alice Paul! There are so many great women we rarely hear about when learning about history, and I really think we need to hear about them more.
ReplyDeleteI always try and empower my three girls, and knowing your history is a HUGE part of that.
DeleteI love that quote!
ReplyDeleteMe too! Priceless.
DeleteI hope it's a free-range cranberry farm :-) It's amazing to consider the strength that important women like Alice Paul had - not only did they see that something was wrong, but they battled against men - who didn't - to change it.
ReplyDeleteAnnalisa, writing A-Z vignettes, at Wake Up, Eat, Write, Sleep
I love teaching my girls about women like Alice Paul. They need to know who to thank for their right to vote.
DeleteThat cranberry bog is beautiful! Alice Paul sounds like an amazing woman.
ReplyDeleteThe bogs are a fun place to visit. Really cool things to do there to. Alice Paul was a woman who stood by and lived by her convictions. I love that.
Delete"Deeds, not words." - such a powerful quote.
ReplyDeleteIt's one of my favorites! Thanks Jackie.
DeleteThat's a great quote. That cranberry bog looks like such a cool place to visit, and Alice Paul sounds like quite a remarkable woman.
ReplyDeleteThe bogs are always fun to go hang out in. Fresh cranberries are awesome, and I am one that's all for outdoor activities.
DeleteThat's a very interesting place to visit.
ReplyDeleteVery cool and tons to do.
DeleteI love cranberries. Alice Paul sounds like a remarkable woman.
ReplyDeleteSunni
http://sunni-survivinglife.blogspot.com/
Hey Sunni! Yes, she was quite remarkable. And I am a huge fresh cranberry fan. I love to pick them up out at Whitesbog. My daughter makes the best cranberry scones, muffins and all kinds of goodies out of them.
DeleteGlad you were able to squeeze both of them in. Very informative post!
ReplyDeleteThanks Steph. It's getting harder and harder. Only a few days left!!
DeleteI have never heard of Whitsbog Village, but then that shouldn't surprise you. It sounds like a fun and interesting place, as does so much of the New Jersey you have exposed us to.
ReplyDeleteAs for Alice Paul she sounds interesting too. I am all for women having rights and being protected by those rights, but I must admit that I do believe the feminist movement in general, has done a lot more harm than good. And as for the 'New World Order', I as a woman and a human being want no part of that whatsoever.
I don't think many residents of NJ know about Whitesbog either, lol. It's kind of a blip on the map.
DeleteAlice Paul was the kind of woman who lived by her convictions and I have mad respect for that. She didn't just talk the talk, she walked the walk. It was not easy, but she stood strong for what she believed in and was able to bring about change because of it. That's the kind of woman I want my girls to look up to. Being a mom to three girls, I tell them all the time they can do whatever they put their brilliant minds to, and I really believe that. So, whenever I can introduce my daughters to women in history that accomplished what Alice Paul accomplished, against all odds, I'm all about it.To be perfectly honest, I do agree with you that some of the feminist movement has done more harm than good in certain circumstances and I am not fond of a lot of what's come about because of it. But not in the case of Alice Paul or what she stood for.
I'll nod to your knowledge of Alice Paul, as I didn't know about her before this. I will agree that many of the early pioneers in Women's Rights were way different that the feminists of today. So different in fact, that I expect most of them are rolling in their graves to think of what they started, has turned into.
DeleteI agree! With so many things in life, what started out as a good thing get's quickly soured and not at all what an initial pure intention was trying to bring.
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