Read Part One HERE
In this post I continue to focus on a woman named Abigail Norton Bush She lived from 1810 - 1898.
In 1849 or 1850, after years of suffering business losses, Henry headed west to join the California Gold Rush and to make a life there. By the early 1850s, the whole family had settled in California, where Abigail lived for the rest of her life.
In 1878, she sent a congratulatory letter to the National American Women Suffrage Association, which was then holding a convention in Rochester to celebrate the 30th anniversary of the first Women's Rights Convention at Seneca Falls and the second at Rochester.
When Frederic Douglass passed through Rochester during his escape from slavery the Bush family helped him. In 1883, some forty years later, Abigail wrote to Frederick to find out if he remembered her and asked for his photograph. The answer came with a promptness that at once evidenced his recollection of a regard for the writer.He expressed his great pleasure to hear from the one who had befriended him in days when friends were scarce.He spoke of his present position and future plans as he would to his most trusted friend and in lieu of a photograph sent a cleverly exectuted pencil picture of himself, together with a copy of his address on the 21st anniversary of slavery Emancipation.
In 1898, at the National American Women Suffrage Association 50th anniversary convention. Abigail and other founders of the movement were honoured at a Pioneers Evening. But she would not live to see what they started come to a triumphant conclusion in 1911 in California and nationally in 1920. Abigail died on 10th December, 1898 at the age of 88.
Read Part Sixty-Six HERE
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