Inspired by an article in The Chronicle about local political women written by Diana Palmer, a new initiative is underway to celebrate the remarkable women of Glens Falls through a beautifully illustrated book designed for middle school readers.
The project started when Elizabeth Little Hogan reached out to Diana Palmer after seeing the the April 25, 2024 article, realizing a shared passion for recording women’s history. Motivated by the idea of creating a lasting resource to inspire younger generations, the two spearheaded efforts to bring the stories of 50-100 notable local women to the public.
After receiving enthusiastic support from historical and women’s groups, an initial brainstorming meeting was held in October 2024, gathering volunteers from the community. The group reached a consensus to produce a book featuring short profiles—300-500 words each—of pioneering, barrier-breaking, and otherwise remarkable women tied to Glens Falls. The book will feature both living and deceased women.
“We envision a book that is as visually engaging as it is informative, with professional illustrations bringing these stories to life,” said Hogan. The selection process is very difficult. Palmer noted, “We know there are many remarkable women in our community's history, and this will not be an exhaustive list. We hope this project will grow and more women can be featured on the website or in subsequent volumes.”
The Folklife Center at Crandall Public Library, the Warren County Historical Society, and the Chapman Museum have partnered with the group. The Folklife Center is offering its blog as a central hub for the project’s development. Plans are also underway for a companion website that will feature expanded entries for those who want to dive deeper into the stories, and for teachers and students to discover additional resources.
The group is currently seeking grant funding to hire an illustrator and editor. Volunteers will research and write the profiles, with a target of completing the project within two years.
“The public is also invited to submit names of pioneering, barrier-breaking and remarkable women with a tie to Glens Falls. We are especially interested in women from the fields of science and the military as women from those backgrounds are less known to our group. Please submit names for consideration on the Folklife blog post,” said Hogan. The group is thrilled by the support they have received so far and cannot wait to bring these stories to the next generation.
For more information or to get involved in this exciting project, please come to our information session on Wednesday, March 19, 2025 at Noon in the CLM Community Room of Crandall Public Library, 251 Glen St. Glens Falls, NY. (See Women's History Month 2025 flyer below.)
If you cannot attend the information session, simply comment the name of a Glens falls woman you think we should include, as we already anticipate a need for a second volume!
Subscribe to the Folklife Center Blog to receive the latest updates on this exciting local history project!
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