Abby Crawford Milton

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Woman suffrage leader Abby Crawford Milton became involved in the suffrage movement after marrying newspaper publisher George Fort Milton, moving from Georgia to Chattanooga, and giving birth to three daughters. Milton received a law degree from the Chattanooga College of Law, and although she never practiced law, she believed that legal training improved her mind and gained her credibility with the courthouse crowd. She was the last president of the Tennessee Equal Suffrage Association and the first president of the League of Women Voters of Tennessee. Like many dedicated suffragists, Milton traveled across the state giving speeches and organizing suffrage leagues in small communities.

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https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Abby_Crawford_Milton

Abby Crawford Milton (6 February 1881 – 2 May 1991) was an American suffragist. She was the last president of the Tennessee Equal Suffrage Association. She traveled throughout Tennessee making speeches and organizing suffrage leagues in small communities. In 1920, she, along with Anne Dallas Dudley and Catherine Talty Kenny, led the campaign in Tennessee to approve ratification of the Nineteenth Amendment to the US Constitution. On August 18, Tennessee became the 36th and deciding state to ratify the amendment, thereby giving women the right to vote throughout the country.

After the Nineteenth Amendment was ratified, Milton became the first president of the League of Women Voters of Tennessee. She also worked toward the creation of the Great Smoky Mountains National Park and attended Democratic national conventions as a delegate-at-large. In 1924 she gave the seconding nomination speech for William Gibbs McAdoo as he ran for the Democratic presidential nomination. In the late 1930s she ran as a New Deal Democrat for the Tennessee State Senate, but lost.

On August 26, 2016, as part of Women's Equality Day, a monument by Alan LeQuire was unveiled in Centennial Park in Nashville, featuring depictions of Milton, Carrie Chapman Catt, Anne Dallas Dudley, Juno Frankie Pierce, and Sue Shelton White.

Personal life

Abby Crawford Milton was born in Milledgeville, Georgia to newspaper publisher Charles Peter Crawford and Anna Ripley Orme.

In 1904, Abby, married George Fort Milton Sr., an editor of the Pro-Suffrage Chattanooga News, this was George's second marriage. While George was busy with the newspaper, Abby went to school. She attended Chattanooga College of Law where she received her law degree but never practiced it. Together, George and Abby had three daughters; Corinne, Sarah Anna, and Frances. When George's first wife, Caroline Mounger McCall died in 1897, she left a son behind, George Fort Milton Jr. He became Abby's stepson when she married George. When George F. Milton Sr. died in 1924, Abby and stepson George took over the Chattanooga News until it was sold in the 1930s.

Later, Abby Crawford Milton moved to Clearwater, Florida where she began to write. She published "A Report of the Tennessee League of Women Voters," "The Magic Switch," poetry for children; "Caesar's Wife and Other Poems"; "Lookout Mountain"; "Flower Lore"; and "Grandma Says".

Milton died on 2 May 1991 in Clearwater at the age of 110.

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Abby Crawford Milton was born to a prominent political family in Georgia. She was born in 1881. When she married George Fort Milton, Sr, she moved to Chattanooga.

In 1904, Abby married George Fort Milton, Sr. She was his second his second wife. George was born in Macon, Georgia in 1869. His family moved to Chattanooga and it was here that he received his education. He continued his education at the University of the South at Sewanee. After finishing school, George entered into the banking business. He left the banking business to become editor and manager of the Taxpayer, a monthly publication devoted to tax reform and political issues. In 1895, he moved to Knoxville to edit the Knoxville Sentinel. He continued with this position three years and then was appointed to first lieutenant in the Sixth United Volunteer Infantry to fight in the Spanish - American War.

In 1899, George returned to Knoxville after the war and bought 2/3 interest in the Sentinel. In 1901 he bought the rest of the company. In 1909, George purchased 2/3 of the Chattanooga News. He managed both papers for three years and then sold the Knoxville Sentinel and returned to Chattanooga.

George continued with his political work campaigning and working on tax reform. He died, April 24,1924 in Murfreesboro, while campaigning for Democratic presidential candidate William G. McAdoo.

While George was managing the newspapers, Abby had her own agenda. She received her law degree from the Chattanooga College of Law but never practiced. She went on to fight for women's right to vote, suffrage. During the suffrage time frame, 1913-1917, she managed to give birth to three daughters.

Abby Crawford Milton spearheaded the suffrage movement in Chattanooga. She was the youngest of the suffrage leaders. Abby was involved in the recruitment of Chattanooga. She recruited from all of the women's clubs in town. In 1917, she helped Lookout Mountain's Suffrage League secure the local enfranchisement for women. The first female voter on Lookout Mountain was the wife of Newell Sanders, Corrine Dodd Sanders.

Abby was the last president of the Tennessee Equal Suffrage Association and the first president of the Tennessee League of Women Voters during the ratification of the Nineteenth Amendment campaign of 1920. She was 38 when the amendment passed.

After the passing of the amendment she returned to Chattanooga. Abby began to lobby for reforms to benefit women. She also worked to secure the creation of the Great Smokey Mountains National Park. She attended the Democratic national convention as a delegate- at- large and in 1924, the same year her husband dies, she gave the seconding nomination speech for the same man, William G. McAdoo.

After George F. Milton dies, Abby and her stepson, George Jr. managed the Chattanooga News until it was sold in the 1930s.

In 1930, Abby ran unsuccessfully for the Tennessee State Senate. She took a stand to support the Tennessee Valley Authority.

She later moved to Clearwater, Florida and began to write. She wrote books of poetry, her memories of the suffrage movement, and other books.

Abby Crawford Milton dies in 1991, at the age of 110.