Women's Voices in Rural Politics in Wadena County: An Oral History Project

The Wadena County Historical Society completed a series of interviews with women who were actively involved in politics in rural Wadena county and others who had first-hand experiences with politically active women no longer available for interviews. The 18 interviews included stories of women with a wide range of political experiences and party affiliations such as township clerk, county attorney, judge, city council, mayor, or behind the scenes committee organizer. The standard requirement was that each had served in an elected position. The common thread among the women interviewed was they loved their job and felt they were making an essential contribution by doing them. Many stressed the importance of the vote. The children of women who served in politics also spoke about how exciting it was for them to accompany their mother to political functions. The narrators also came from a wide range of social backgrounds, from farmers to merchants, country-bred, or townies.