Women of Whitewater: A legacy of earning a seat at the table

Editor’s note: I’ve worked with Whitewater City Clerk Michele Smith at various times throughout my reporting career, and during that time, I’ve come to understand that she’s a researcher at heart. When she contacted me recently, sharing these words: “I dumbfoundedly discovered that Whitewater had a female council member in 1923. I stumbled upon it by accident, incorrectly thinking that Bettijane Partridge was the first council member,” I was not surprised. Her interest was piqued and as she researched, she made further discoveries, among them that Whitewater has been embracing women as council members for decades, and the city’s most recent election continues the trend. Smith dubbed her research “WOW” or “Women of Whitewater.”

By Kim McDarison 

As election results developed on April 5, Whitewater City Clerk Michele Smith, an employee with the city of Whitewater since 1994 and serving in her capacity as clerk since 2000, noticed something somewhat historic: “For the first time ever,” she wrote in an email, “we will have a majority of women serving on the common council.”

As of April 19, with the recent election and installation of Jill Gerber, the council, which is a seven-member board, has four councilwomen. In addition to Gerber, they are Carol McCormick, Brienne Diebolt Brown and Lisa Dawsey Smith, who, during Tuesday’s meeting was elected as council president. 

For Michele Smith, the phenomenon triggered her curiosity: she wanted to know more about Whitewater’s women and when they might have begun serving on the city’s legislative body. 

Poring through old stories found in the Whitewater Register, the city’s historical paper of record, Smith made several discoveries. Among them, she found that the city’s first councilwoman was elected in 1923. Her name was Mathilda Case Fowler. She served the city for two terms. 

Of Fowler, Smith wrote: “I do not intend to research all female council members this close. It is just that I had an incredible curiosity about our first trailblazer.”   

As her research developed, Smith found three more trailblazers, women who were elected to seats on the city council, following Fowler, between 1968 and 1974. 

From Smith’s research, their stories emerge. 

Mathilda Case Fowler

Sharing her discoveries, Smith wrote: “Whitewater’s first female council member, Mathilda Case Fowler, was elected in April of 1923 — pretty progressive for the times. In fact, Mathilda served as council president in 1924 and was reelected one more term.” 

Documentation, offered through various news stories printed in the Register, brings a sense of the woman and the times in which she served as a councilwoman. In January of 1922, the register reported, “a second edition of the Woman’s Number of the Whitewater Register,” known as “Federation Register,” made a “formal bow to the public,” with the editors further noting, “It will be edited by us with a great deal of pleasure and we trust that it will be perused with no little pleasure by our readers. 

“That it will be a great paper needs hardly to be stated. Indeed we may safely say that its like has not appeared since the woman’s paper was presented to the public two years ago.” 

The editor’s promised the new edition would be teeming with “literary gems, unusual cartoons, unusual humor, unusual pathos and many other unusual features.” 

The person revealed as editor-in-chief was Mathilda Case Fowler. She would be aided in her pursuit by several women, according to the announcement. 

In April of the following year, the register was focused on the spring general election, noting in a headline: “Voters Establish a Precedent by Placing a Woman on the Council.” 

The story initially focused on a hard-fought race for the position of mayor, claiming it brought “the biggest vote ever cast in a local election,” and next revealed that a woman who, just 15 months earlier, had been heralded as a harbinger of the unusual, had earned a seat on the city council. 

The Register reported: “Probably the greatest interest outside of the mayoralty contest centered in the second ward where a lady, Mrs. Mathilda Case Fowler was running for alderman in opposition to Albert M. Hanson.” 

The paper offered solace to Hanson, having lost to a woman, and lauded Fowler as not only a novelty in aldermanic office, but someone who was “sure to meet the responsibility with credit to herself and her sex.” Of Hanson, it was reported, “he was a victim of circumstances and that the vote in no way reflects any criticism of the faithful way he has served his constituents on the city council.”  

After Fowler won her seat, the Register noted, the council chamber was populated with “scores” of people, both men and women. They arrived to hear from the mayor, but also to honor Mrs. Mathilda Case Fowler, the first woman to serve on the council. 

“When she took her seat, she found it occupied by a vase filled with roses, a gift of Whitewater ladies, all of whom are her well wishers,” the Register read. 

The news of Whitewater’s first councilwoman even reached the Capital Times. In 1923, an editorial in the paper reported “Whitewater, one of the few communities which gave the conservative candidates a majority in the recent fall election, has come out for clean, progressive politics by electing a La Follette supporter for mayor, and re-electing two La Follette men as aldermen … the honors in the second ward go for the first time to a woman, Mrs. Mathilda Case Fowler, who was elected by a large majority over her opponent.” 

In the two terms that followed, Fowler made her mark on the city. In 1923, she was present at “our informal homecoming,” which a Register story proclaimed, was a success noted by those who were in attendance from Whitewater, Chicago and “elsewhere.” Those who attended had an opportunity to “meet old friends” many of whom came by train, which, the story noted, was late in its arrival. 

A special car was provided to carry officers from the Whitewater-Chicago Club, the organization credited in the story with the “idea of coming back in a body,” and while those passengers were an hour late, “the crowd stuck.” 

Once the passengers arrived, conversations began, the band played, and an auto parade assembled to convey guests to a picnic. 

“Thanks to Mrs. Mathilda Fowler, upon whom devolved the responsibility of getting the townspeople and lunches together at the proper time and place,” the Register reported, adding that “lunch was served cafeteria style and the various groups consumed what they could, seated on the ground under the trees.” 

In yet another Register story, published in 1923, Mrs. Mathilda Fowler was credited with scoring a scoop for her Beloit paper. The story noted that “Alderman and Mrs. J. H. Dunham have in their possession a lemon tree that is a rare specimen in this locality.” The tree, according to the story, was then 25 years old. 

Reporting the success of the gardener, the story noted: “It has been a custom to house the tree  winters in the basement, but this season, Mr. Dunham has placed it on exhibition in his place of business.” 

The exploits and successes of Mathilda Fowler did not end there. In a story published in the Register in 1924, it was reported that Mrs. Fowler, the only woman member of the council, was elected as the body’s president. 

In April of 1924, the Register reported, Whitewater two months earlier, had come into some luck: “At a meeting of the National Parks Highway association … it was decided that the route of the National Park Highway should pass on Route 12 through Whitewater.” 

With new travelers likely heading to town, there was talk of becoming prepared with a “modern tourist camp.” 

Thinking ahead, according to reports in the Register, Mathilda Fowler was already making plans: “Working very happily with that situation is the undertaking of Mrs. Mathilda Fowler to make a small park and perhaps camping spot on the tract of playground property back of the Old Stone Mill.” The land reportedly belonged to the Whitewater Play Ground Association. Association officers had expressed their willingness to turn the property over to the city for park purposes, the Register reported, and Fowler, the report continued, was preparing a resolution to bring before council “providing for just that move.” 

In February of 1925, the Register reported: “‘They say’ that Will Fricker is to run for Alderman against Mathilda Fowler…” 

The paper later reported: “Mrs. Mathilda Fowler is apparently to go back to council from Ward 2 without a struggle.” 

There was some opportunity, the paper had earlier reported, for Fowler to meet with competition for her seat, but then, the paper confirmed, “the unexpected” occurred when a last minute candidate emerged for mayor: William Fricker, whom, the paper had been supposing, “was aiming at supplanting Mrs. Mathilda Fowler on the city council.” 

In a story published in 1925, it was reported that Fowler was reelected to a second term.

For Whitewater, having the first woman serving on council in the area was a source of pride. A story in the Register offered an item it had picked up from the Walworth Times, which noted that there was reporting in the Janesville Gazette that Mrs. Emma Manning was the only woman alderman in the state. The Times reported: “Whitewater refused to tolerate this misinformation … Mrs. Mathilda Case Fowler is Alderman from the second ward and has not only served an entire term, but was re-elected.” 

In March of 1927, according to the Register, Fowler announced that she would not seek a third term. 

The paper reported: “That much is definite at least and will bring joy to those who found her difficult to manage and sorrow to those who have followed her unselfish effort to do at all times what was best for this community.” 

In 1928, it was reported that Fowler had written “a readable column covering the high spots in Whitewater’s 1927 history” which was published in the Beloit New Year’s edition. 

In 1929, Fowler was chosen as City Federation of Women’s Clubs president. Fowler, it was reported, was also a member of the Emerson Club and a graduate of the University of Wisconsin, class of 1904, and “thereafter taught English in the West Division High School, Milwaukee, until she married H. A. Fowler and moved to Whitewater.” 

Bettijane Partridge 

As her research developed, Smith wrote: “No more female council members for around 40 years, until in 1968, Bettijane Partridge, who lived in the Hamilton House on West Main Street, was elected to Council.  Bettijane was a short-time council member, serving only a couple of months. Her husband was offered a job in Florida and they left Whitewater in early fall of 1968.”

On April 3, 1968 the city’s board of canvassers announced that a woman, Bettijane J. Partridge, won her race for a seat in the city’s Fourth Ward. She defeated her opponents by no small margin, garnering 299 votes of the total 722 votes cast within the city’s Fourth Ward. Her opponents, all of whom were men, each earned 21, 23, 66, 92, and 221 votes respectively, with Paul E. Miller, as her closest contender. 

Elizabeth Wright

Smith wrote: “Whitewater’s third councilwoman was Elizabeth Wright.  ‘Lizzy,’ as she was called at that time, lived at the corner of East Milwaukee and Dann streets.  She was well known for her ‘East Gate Garden,’ which, during that time period, was unusual and something to behold. Gardening and flowers were not as plentiful in those days. Lizzy was a local historian and was regularly the subject of newspaper articles.”  

The general spring election, held April 7, 1970, according to the Whitewater Register, brought four new faces to the city council, one of which belonged to yet another woman, Mrs. Elizabeth Wright. She, the story noted, was the curator and former president of the Whitewater Historical Society and had previously served on the Whitewater School District Board of Education. 

According to the story, newcomer Wright earned 137 votes against her opponent, also a newcomer, who earned 75. Both were running for a seat representing the city’s First Ward. Her opponent was Charles. E. Boelkow, an owner of Boelkow Construction Co.

Among the many things Wright might have become known for, a story in the Register presented within the “It Must Be So” column written by C.B. Coe, told a fishy story: it read: “Would you believe — that on the opposite end of our city the high water impounded back of Councilman Elizabeth Wright’s has sported several carp on occasion and one of the big lunkers frolicked in the deeper portions with a balloon attached to his dorsal fin that said, ‘Keep Smiling.’” 

Rosemary Green 

Introducing the fourth councilwoman, Smith wrote: “The next councilwoman was Rosemary Green. Rosemary is alive and well and lives at Blackhawk Manor … She remembers the city attorney calling her ‘girlie’ on a regular basis.  After reading some of the Whitewater Register articles, it seems like Rose may have had some tough times being a female on council.  Rose recalls the most controversial subject of those times being the Vietnam war.” 

Green held a council seat for one term, between 1974 and 1976. 

In 1974, a Register headline noted: “Coburn, Green, Loizzo, Keshemberg On Council.” 

The story placed for the record the exploits of that year’s election, noting that incumbent James Coburn and three newcomers, Rosemary Green, Samuel Loizzo, who was a University of Wisconsin-Whitewater student, and Claude Keshemberg would serve the public as councilmen for the next two years. 

The story noted that about 26% of the city’s registered voters arrived at the polls, some 1,514 in all. In the Fourth Ward, Green won narrowly, defeating Daniel O’Sullivan, 160-149, according to the report. 

During Green’s tenure, in Whitewater, campus-related issues arose. A 1974 Register headline read: “Student Grievance Aired Before Council Thursday.” The story told of a special session called by Coburn and Green. The topic, the paper proclaimed, “involved city police in a UW-Whitewater dormitory. 

“It was alleged at the meeting that city policemen had ordered a resident assistant to open a locked room in Lee Hall so that a suspected article of contraband could be removed.” 

According to the account, the resident assistant called another student and then complied with the police officers’ request. Removed by officers was a McDonald’s pennant. While some consternation developed about whether the city police had an ability to confiscate property from within a campus building, the Register reported, having interviewed City Police Chief Don Simon independently, that while he responded with “no comment on the matter,” he did say “that the investigation would continue into the possibility that the pennant confiscated on October 17 was stolen.” 

In 1974, Among projects Green supported was an addition to the city’s library. Council was considering a $400,000 addition “in the near future,” the Register reported, which would house a council room and court chambers. 

In a meeting that followed, however, the Register reported that council support for the project was “eroding.” 

“A changing economy was a factor” in at least one councilman’s decision to vote against the concept, the Register noted, further describing Green as one of the library’s “strongest proponents.” 

Even as support waned, Green was reported to have said that she was “still convinced that an addition would be in the best interest of the community,” and she was quoted as saying: “The library is more popular during hard times.” 

In 1974, zoning issues also were on the city council agenda. In a story in the Register, a lede read: “The chances for McDonalds Corporation to build a restaurant in Whitewater were apparently ended Tuesday night when Council voted against a rezoning of the Miller property at 1041 W. Main Street.” 

Green was among council members voting against the rezone. She was joined in that decision by Council President Thomas McLeRoy and Clarence Haize. The required three-quarters majority needed to pass the rezone fell short by a single vote, the Register reported.  

Council today

Today, along with newly elected councilwoman Gerber, a majority of decision-makers who are women are comprised on council by McCormick, Diebolt Brown and Dawsey Smith, all of whom were last elected to seats, serving in Aldermanic Districts 1, 3, and at-large, respectively, in 2021. Their terms expire in 2023. Gerber holds a seat in the city’s Aldermanic District 4, which was previously held by Lynn Binnie. The seat will next come due in 2024. 

Men on the council include Lukas Schreiber and Jim Allen, both of whom were reelected as incumbents on April 5. Schreiber serves in the city’s Aldermanic District 2 and Allen serves at large. Both seats will next come due in 2024. Gregory Majkrazek, who serves in Aldermanic District 5, will face reelection in 2023. 

As she prepared for the April 19 council meeting, during which members elected on April 5 were installed and the historic Whitewater event of having a majority of women seated on that body took shape, Michele Smith wrote in an email to council members: “Congratulations Jill Gerber, Lisa Dawsey Smith, Carol McCormick and Brienne Diebolt Brown for being members of the first Whitewater council managed by a majority of women. As they sang in the commercials when I was approximately 12 years old, ‘You’ve come a long way, baby.’ 

“Enjoy your seat at the table.”