Abby Crawford Milton facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Abby Crawford Milton
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Mrs. George Fort Milton, Pres. Tenn. W.S.A.
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Abby Crawford
February 6, 1881 Milledgeville, Georgia, US
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| Died | May 2, 1991 (aged 110) Clearwater, Florida, US
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| Alma mater | Chattanooga College of Law |
| Occupation | Suffragist |
| Spouse(s) |
George Fort Milton
(m. 1904–1924) |
Abby Crawford Milton (born February 6, 1881 – died May 2, 1991) was an important American leader. She worked hard to get women the right to vote. This movement was called the suffrage movement.
Abby was the last president of the Tennessee Equal Suffrage Association. She traveled all over Tennessee. She gave speeches and helped start groups that supported women's voting rights.
In 1920, Abby, along with Anne Dallas Dudley and Catherine Talty Kenny, led a big effort in Tennessee. They worked to get the Nineteenth Amendment approved. This amendment would give women across the country the right to vote. On August 18, Tennessee became the 36th state to approve it. This was the final state needed for the amendment to become law!
After women won the right to vote, Abby Milton kept working for change. She became the first president of the League of Women Voters of Tennessee. This group helps people understand elections and vote. She also helped create the Great Smoky Mountains National Park. This beautiful park is a national treasure.
In 2016, a special monument was built in Centennial Park in Nashville. It honors Abby Milton and other brave women. These women include Carrie Chapman Catt, Anne Dallas Dudley, Juno Frankie Pierce, and Sue Shelton White. The monument celebrates their fight for equality.
Abby's Early Life
Abby Crawford Milton was born in Milledgeville, Georgia. Her father, Charles Peter Crawford, was a newspaper publisher. Her mother was Anna Ripley Orme.
In 1904, Abby married George Fort Milton Sr. He was an editor for the Chattanooga News newspaper. This newspaper supported women's right to vote. While George worked, Abby went to school. She studied law at Chattanooga College of Law. She earned a law degree but never worked as a lawyer.
Abby and George had three daughters: Corinne, Sarah Anna, and Frances. George also had a son from his first marriage, George Fort Milton Jr. He became Abby's stepson. After George F. Milton Sr. passed away in 1924, Abby and her stepson took over the Chattanooga News. They ran the newspaper until it was sold in the 1930s.
Later in her life, Abby Crawford Milton moved to Clearwater, Florida. There, she started writing books and poems. She wrote "The Magic Switch," which was poetry for children. She also wrote "Caesar's Wife and Other Poems," "Lookout Mountain," "Flower Lore," and "Grandma Says."
Abby Milton lived a very long life. She passed away on May 2, 1991, in Clearwater, Florida. She was 110 years old. She is buried in Sylvan Abbey Memorial Park in Clearwater.
