She voted, but her ballot in Dover wasn’t counted. She ran for governor of New Hampshire, but had her fee returned by the Secretary of State. Yet, Marilla Marks Ricker’s portrait now hangs on the walls of the State House in Concord.

She was a teacher, an attorney, an author, a humanitarian, a philanthropist. Oh, and one more thing. This woman of the 19th and early 20th century was also a suffragist. The New Durham born daughter of a man described as a “free thinker,” was, while also being cut from the same cloth, a strong woman in a man’s world. She died three months after women were given the right to vote.

It wasn’t until the 21st century that visionaries such as Rep. Renny Cushing, D-Hampton, rallied others to see her portrait hung in the State House. The ceremony was this week and Cushing spoke to Roger Wood about Ricker’s life and legacy.

Northeast Delta Dental is our first underwriter sponsor, and we are proud to have them supporting independent unbiased news for New Hampshire. I’m Roger Wood for InDepthNH.org.