Elizabeth Lowe Watson facts for kids
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Elizabeth Lowe Watson (born October 6, 1842 – died October 7, 1927) was an amazing American speaker and leader. She worked hard to improve society, especially for women. She was the president of the California Equal Suffrage Association. This group helped women in California get the right to vote. Elizabeth also supported the temperance movement, which worked against alcohol use, and promoted peace. She even owned and managed a fruit farm in Cupertino, California.
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Early Life and Public Speaking
Elizabeth Low was born in Solon, Ohio, on October 6, 1842. Her family later changed their last name to Lowe. Her parents were Abraham and Lucretia Low. Her father's family came from Germany, and her mother's family was from Scotland. Elizabeth was one of thirteen children in her family.
Her family soon moved to Leon, New York. There, Elizabeth went to a regular school. She quickly became a powerful speaker. She talked about many important topics. These included liberal religious ideas, ending slavery, temperance, peace, and women's rights.
Starting Her Public Work
When Elizabeth was just fourteen, she began her public speaking career. Many people came to hear her talk about religion and how people should act in society. She often answered questions from the audience. Usually, a group would choose the topic for her lecture.
In 1861, she married Jonathan Watson. He was a wealthy oil businessman from Titusville, Pennsylvania. They made their home in Rochester, New York. Their house became a place for important discussions. It was a center for new ideas about thinking, spirituality, and making society better. Elizabeth had four children of her own. Sadly, some of her children passed away when they were young. Only her daughter, Lucretia, lived to adulthood.
For some years after her marriage, she mostly stopped her public speaking. She only spoke at funerals. Later, she gave successful lectures in Chicago and other Eastern cities. Her main work focused on spirituality. She also worked for moral, social, and religious improvements. A big part of her effort was helping women gain more rights and opportunities.
Life in California
In 1878, Elizabeth moved to California. She made a home at a fruit farm called "Sunny Brae." This farm was in what is now Cupertino, Santa Clara County. The farm brought in a good income each year. Mrs. Watson was in charge of running the entire business.
In 1882, she spent four months giving lectures in Australia. Her husband, Jonathan Watson, passed away in 1892. From the 1890s, for about seven or eight years, she lectured almost every Sunday. She spoke at the Metropolitan Temple in San Francisco. This led to the creation of the Religio Philosophical Society, with Watson as its leader. The Temple could seat 1,500 people. It was often completely full with people from all different backgrounds.
Later in her life, Watson moved to Saratoga, California. However, she still owned Sunny Brae. For the last 30 years of her life, she held religious services there. These services took place on the last Sunday of each June. She also started a lending library at the farm. It was called the "Sunny Brae Free Library."
Working for Peace and Women's Rights
For more than 30 years, Elizabeth Watson was a lifelong member of the American Peace Society. This group worked to promote peace around the world. In 1906, she published a book called Song and Sermons. This book included some of her poems and speeches.
From 1910 to 1912, she served as President of the California Equal Suffrage Association. She led the important work that helped women in California win the right to vote. This was a huge achievement for women's rights.
Elizabeth Lowe Watson passed away in Santa Clara County on October 7, 1927. She was 85 years old. She had been ill for two months. She was survived by her two brothers, Eugene and Alvin.
