Susan B. Anthony's trial marked at Ontario County Courthouse

CANANDAIGUA — Susan B. Anthony had no intention of parting with her money, not for this, anyway.

On trial in Canandaigua for voting illegally, the Rochester suffragist and civil rights activist took advantage of the opportunity to speak before federal Judge Ward Hunt and the jury at the Ontario County Courthouse in 1873.

“... I shall never pay a dollar of your unjust penalty,” said Judith Wellman, quoting Anthony during a short re-enactment of Anthony’s trial, to Ontario County Historian Preston Pierce, portraying the judge.

The re-enactment was part of a ceremony Saturday, June 18 – the 149th anniversary of Anthony's guilty verdict -- unveiling a historical marker at the courthouse, noting the significance of an event that spread far beyond the city of Canandaigua, Pierce said.

Her trial for attempting to cast a ballot energized a movement that eventually led to the passage of the 19th Amendment giving women the right to vote, although Anthony would not live to see it as she died in 1906.

The new historical marker notes Anthony was tried for illegal voting in federal court here on June 17-18, 1873. A judge directed the jury to give a guilty verdict, and Anthony was fined $100, the marker reads for all to see.

The marker, which was funded and produced by the William G. Pomeroy Foundation, is part of a series marking significant sites on the road to the 19th Amendment.

“We’re very lucky to have this,” Pierce said.

Allison Hinman, deputy director of the Susan B. Anthony Museum and House in Rochester, said not only is the museum’s mission to share the vision and life of Anthony, but also to inspire and challenge visitors to make a positive difference today, as this marker will help those who read it do.

The marker also serves as a reminder of the courthouse and Canandaigua’s connection to Anthony and her mission.

"We cannot tell her important story without it,” Hinman said.

The marker is the latest recognition of Anthony at the courthouse.

A bust and portrait already have prominent spots inside the courthouse. Outside, Canandaigua City Councilman Dan Unrath and Canandaigua City Supervisor Rich Russell led an effort to rename the one-way street at the courthouse to Susan B. Anthony Lane on the 100th anniversary in 2020 of the passage of the 19th Amendment giving women the right to vote.

Canandaigua Mayor Bob Palumbo said he is proud to have the marker in the city, as another reminder of its rich history.

“I’m proud it’s still recognized in Canandaigua,” Palumbo said.

Reflecting on Anthony’s powerful speech during the trial, Wellman said her words stress the importance of voting as a citizenship right, and challenges Americans to think about the future of democracy and what people need to do to protect it.

“It must have been energizing for people in the courtroom to hear her because she was so passionate,” said Wellman, noting that Anthony was well aware that for women, voting was a crime for too long. “She absolutely knew exactly what she wanted to say and I think it speaks to us today as well as it did to people in 1873.

“We study the past not because it’s passed but because it affects us now. It gives us some understanding of where we’ve come from and challenges us to think about where we want to go.”

This article originally appeared on Rochester Democrat and Chronicle: Susan B. Anthony's trial marked at Ontario County Courthouse