Leombruno Wants Council To Proclaim March Women’s History Month in Framingham

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FRAMINGHAM – March is National Women’s History Month.

At-Large Framingham City Councilor has submitted a resolution for her fellow Councilors to support tonight, March 16.

Leombruno is one of four women on the 11-member City Council.

“It is important for us to recognize Women’s History Month,” said Councilor Leombruno. “This resolution highlights just some of our outstanding women from the past who have left an unforgettable mark on Framingham.”

The resolution reads:

Whereas, Since Framingham’s founding, women of all backgrounds have left a lasting impact on the fabric of our community; and

Whereas, Sarah Towne Clayes, accused of witchcraft in the Salem Witch Trials, escaped from prison and found refuge on land owned by Thomas Danforth in newly settled Framingham. Her family established in the area now known as Salem End Road, where their house still stands; and

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Whereas, Margaret Knight, often called “the most famous 19th century woman inventor”, changed the way we brought items home from stores with the invention of the flat bottom paper bag. A longtime Framingham resident, Knight is recognized as the first woman to receive a United States patent and was the holder of 87 patents. Her house still stands at 287 Hollis Street; and

Whereas, Josephine Collins and Louise Mayo dedicated their lives to the cause of women’s suffrage. Mayo, teacher and driver of “the barge”, a horse-drawn wagon that took students to school, was arrested and spent 60 days in prison after picketing the White House in 1916. Collins, a businesswoman who owned a Tea Room at the corner of Belknap Road and Pleasant Street, was arrested after protesting President Woodrow Wilson’s visit to Boston in 1919. Her activities caused her business to suffer. Both women are honored by Mayo-Collins Square at the corner of Oak Street and Edgell Road; and

Whereas, Meta Warrick Fuller was a brilliant artist, poet and sculptor who broke down racial and gender barriers. A well-known sculptor in Paris, and later part of the Harlem Renaissance, Fuller was described as one of the “most imaginative Black artists of her generation” who used her mediums to address the traumas of African Americans. Fuller and her husband Dr. Solomon Carter Fuller settled on Warren Road becoming one of the first African American families to join the community. The Fuller Middle School is named in their honor; and

Whereas, Christa Corrigan McAuliffe was America’s first civilian and teacher to venture towards space. Thirty-five years ago, on January 28, McAuliffe lost her life in the Space Shuttle Challenger disaster. She taught us the value of following our dreams, no matter how unattainable they may appear. Her legacy lives on in the McAuliffe Center at Framingham State University, the McAuliffe Branch Library and the Christa McAuliffe Charter School; and

Whereas, Women throughout our community continue to make Framingham a better place for all. We commemorate their recorded and unrecorded important roles in our society and achievements in history, culture, science, education and the arts,

Now Therefore, the Framingham Council declares March 2021 as WOMEN’s HISTORY MONTH in Framingham, and we urge all residents to take cognizance of this event and participate fittingly in its observance.

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