Wayne County

Anne Snow

Courtesy of Claudia Simpson.

Born and raised in Wayne County, Anne Snow was elected county superintendent of schools in 1912 at the age of 25. She was re-elected in 1914. Anne was appointed as county superintendent again in 1927 and served in that capacity for over 10 years. The state superintendent of schools praised her as “one of the best” superintendents in the state in 1928, a year in which she was the only women in such a post in Utah. She worked as a teacher and administrator in Wayne County schools for over 50 years. 

Frances Grundy Callahan

Frances Grundy Callahan, photo uploaded to FamilySearch by Shanna Callahan Nerdin.

In 1916, Frances Callahan was elected Wayne County Treasurer. She also worked as a teacher in the Loa School. In 1918, Frances served as Wayne County chairwoman in the statewide effort to recruit nurses for the First World War.

Wayne County residents petition for equal suffrage—April 15, 1895

Laura Taylor of Fremont sent a petition to the 1895 Utah constitutional convention asking for an equal suffrage clause to be included in the constitution. This clause would grant Utah women voting rights they had previously enjoyed before Congressional legislation disfranchised them in 1887, but it would also allow women to hold public office for the first time. Taylor collected signatures from 66 other women and men for her petition, which she sent to Wayne county’s delegate, Willis E. Robison. He presented it to the constitutional convention on April 15, 1895.

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