You go, girl!

Contributed by Teresa Douglass, Genealogy Specialist

This week, we feature some little-known Harrison County women who, although their names are not commonly acknowledged in the history books, made their mark in their fields and advanced women in their time.

Julia Fried

Julia Fried taught at various schools throughout Harrison County before moving to Indianapolis to teach. A staunch supporter of education and women’s suffrage, Fried went on to become a well-known and effective public speaker, lecturer, and writer throughout the state and beyond. She held prestigious positions in the Franchise League of Indiana, the Legislative Council of Indiana Women, Purdue University, and the Indiana State Teachers’ Association. In 1906, she married John W. Walker, editor of the Educator Journal. Following her husband’s death, Julia Fried Walker succeeded him as editor and publisher and was the only female to hold this position for some time. She also served as the national president of the organization of educational publications. Julia Fried Walker died in 1917 at the age of forty-one.

Julia Fried, ca. 1905, and with her students at Harrison Township School No. 9, Pitmans-Bickels School, ca. 1896. (The school was located southwest of Corydon near Indian Creek and Heidelburg Road.)

Visit HCPL’s Harrison County Schools collection.

Elva Cunningham

Elva Cunningham was a jeweler and is seen here repairing watches in the shop she and her brother operated in Corydon in 1936. At the time, Elva was reportedly the only female jeweler in Indiana. She went on to become an optometrist and opened a practice in Corydon after graduating from college in 1939. Unfortunately, Elva died in 1942 at the age of twenty-seven due to complications of diabetes.

Visit HCPL’s People at Work collection.

Eleanor and Grace Martin

Eleanor Jane (left) and Grace Neely Martin (right), daughters of Dr. George F. and Anna Neely Martin of Corydon, both pursued advanced degrees and had successful careers in their chosen fields.

Eleanor Martin (1896-1966) earned undergraduate and master’s degrees in art from Indiana University. She became a professional artist and studied in Germany for over two years at the State Academy of Fine Arts and the University of Munich. Eleanor became known for her portrait paintings and depictions of historical events. She and her husband, Dr. Preston A. Barba, a professor of German, lived in Pennsylvania, traveled extensively, and collaborated on many projects and publications. During World War II, Eleanor took courses in mathematics and drafting and, for two years, worked as a draftsman at the Consolidated Vultee Airplane Factory. Her work there included drawings for a pilot’s handbook.

Grace Martin (1896-1982) also attended Indiana University in Bloomington, where she studied German and earned bachelor’s and master’s degrees in 1918 and 1923. She joined the faculty of IU in 1923 and held a scholarship and a fellowship at Bryn Mawr College in 1927-1928 and 1928-1929. Professor Martin continued her career at Indiana University until her retirement in 1961.

Rev. Emma F. Hussung

Reverend Emma F. Seng Hussung (1883-1954) was a leading religious figure in Harrison County during the late 1930s through the mid-1950s. She was born in Louisville, Kentucky, and was inspired by the Salem Reformed Church, where she was raised. Emma quickly assumed a leadership position in the church, established Sunday schools, and eventually developed the Sunnydale Reformed Church. Emma pursued professional training at the Moody Bible Institute, the Presbyterian Seminary in Louisville, and Winona Summer Schools. She was ordained an interdenominational minister in 1932. She married George H. E. Hussung in 1907, and in the late 1930s, they moved their family to Harrison County, where Emma served the Christian churches at Central and Hill Grove. In 1942, she joined the United Brethren Conference and served as pastor at the Ramsey, Crandall, Byrnville, and Potato Run churches. During this period, she was the only ordained female minister holding a pastorate in Harrison County.

Images of Rev. Hussung and the Martin sisters are part of our “People We Know” collection: https://cdm17251.contentdm.oclc.org/digital/collection/p17251coll51

May these women inspire you to pursue your goals and discover what you can achieve.