Tazewell County Photo of the Month

First Woman Juror in Tazewell County

The above document summoned Emma Richmond to jury duty on 8 September 1920. This was the first trial in Tazewell County that contained a women juror. A newspaper clipping stored with the document reports:

"- First Women Jurors for Tazewell County

With equal suffrage granted women they will enjoy other privileges heretofore denied them, and among other rights will be permitted to sit as jurors. This privilege was recognized Monday when a jury was ordered drawn for the county court on Wednesday, September 8, and half of the jury of twelve will consist of women. County judge and county clerk supervised the drawing of the jury and the names of the sixty-four freeholders or property owners were placed in the box and the names of twelve drawn for jury service, half of the jury to consist of men and the other six to be women. The jury will consist of the following: Belle Smallwood, Boynton; Ida Smith, Mackinaw; Anna Hall, Pekin; Ida Cooper, Washington; Belle Kunce, Pekin; Emma Richmond, Boynton; W. H. Woost, Frank Riese, Edward Conathan, W. G. Fair, John H. Shade, Pekin; J. B. Coggins, Hopedale.
The jury will hear the East Peoria drainage matter and the petition of Mrs. Elizabeth Lilly of Little Mackinaw for the discharge of her conservator."

Vince Yeaton writes:

"In the late 1950's, my wife and I rented a house in Palm Harbor, Florida that had been previously occupied by a Emma Richmond that grew up in Tazewell County (apparently born 1877). Because there were no heirs, the home was bought completely as she left it and we kept a few documents that we thought were interesting. These include grade school certificates of accomplishment, a family accounting book of some kind and etc. Of particular interest to us was a newspaper article that lists her as one of six females that in 1920 was selected to serve as the first female jurors in your county. Her jury notice is here as well, sent by T E Soltermann, clerk."

After taking care of these documents over fifty years, Mr. Yeaton has donated them to the society's collection. Besides the newspaper article and the jury summons, the collection included some WW I documents Emma received for selling bonds and serving the Red Cross, and certificates she had received for completing the second and third grade in the 1880's.

There was also a handwritten ledger containing Mattie Richmond's (perhaps Emma's mother?) household income and expenses from 1881 through 1906.

Documents contributed by
Vince Yeaton
The Villages, Florida

If you have a Tazewell County
photo, letter, or document
you'd like to nominate as a "photo of the month",
please contact us.