Ellen Martin: Bloomers and Bicycles

Ellen A. Martin, Photograph, LHS Collection, ND.

Ellen Martin is widely celebrated as the pioneering woman who cast the first vote in Illinois in 1891. Born in 1847 in New York, Ellen made history as the first female law student in Chautauqua County. She accomplished her legal education at the University of Michigan, graduating in 1875, and subsequently gained admission to the Illinois Bar in January 1876. Teaming up with her colleague, Mary F. Perry, Ellen co-founded the legal firm of Perry and Martin, headquartered at 143 LaSalle Street in Chicago.

Residing on West Maple Street in Lombard, both Ellen and Mary commuted daily to their modest office in Chicago.

During this era, women lawyers faced severe restrictions, being barred from bringing lawsuits or working in law offices. They were denied the right to argue cases in court due to their lack of recognition as "lawyers" stemming from their status as non-electors," thus depriving them of the right to vote.

Making History

On April 6th, 1891, Ellen Martin, carrying her law book under one arm and a gripsack in the other, boldly strode into the polling place in Lombard, demanding her right to vote as a “citizen.” The judges were dumbfounded, but Ellen pointed out that the Town Charter did not specify gender, stating that "All citizens above the age of 21 years shall be entitled to vote at any corporation election." Ellen and the other fourteen women were adamant about exercising their right to vote and their votes would be counted.

Chicago Tribune (Chicago, Illinois) · 15 Apr 1891, Wed · Page 8.

The Changing Law

Three months later, in July 1891, a law was enacted allowing Illinois women to vote in school elections only. Subsequently, on July 1, 1913, an act was passed granting Illinois women of legal age the right to vote for all statutory offices.

Post-Voting Endeavors

Gibson, Charles Dana, Artist. Scribner's for June. Photograph. Retrieved from the Library of Congress.

Ellen continued her legal career and became vocal on various political issues. One such issue was the controversy surrounding bloomers and bicycles. By the 1890s, bicycles had become a national obsession. Initially reserved for male riders, bicycles offered freedom of movement without the need for chaperones, allowing women to break free from Victorian norms and engage in public exercise.

The adoption of bicycling attire was met with mixed reactions from society, and Ellen addressed this in an article published in the Inter Ocean on June 9, 1895.

The new gymnastics for men, women, and children by Lewis, Dio, 1823-1886; Tyler, Moses Coit, 1835-1900

“If they are to use their physical strength to their best advantage. I think they should. Much of their energy is now used up overcoming the difficulties of long skirts. How much, no woman can realize but one who has tried the short skirt or bloomer. I wore the Dio Lewis gymnastic costume, which is practically a bloomer for about five years in the school room, and then household work and experienced a degree of comfort and freedom in it, I have never known in any other dress.

I could do much more work with far less fatigue. I then became satisfied that there must be a radical change in women’s skirts before She could work to the advantage or have the freedom of movement necessary to the best development. I am hoping for the time when women’s skirts will be cut off at the knee (or put upon men). I don’t wish any luck to men, but I am sure if they could be put into long skirts for three to six months, long skirts would disappear from the earth.” -Ellen A. Martin

It’s interesting to note that Suffragettes embraced bicycles both symbolically and physically. The following year after, Ellen’s article was published, Susan B. Anthony herself wrote “that she thought the machine has done more to emancipate women than any one thing in the world, and that she "rejoices every time I see a woman ride by on a bike."

Churchill Farmhouse, Photogprah, LHS Collection n.d.

Marquardt Building on Park AVE, Photograph, LHS Collection, ND.

Written By: Alison Costanzo, Executive Director