Good Afternoon Forest County Residents!
This week’s featured local history female is Lulu Shaw, the first female mayor in the state of Wisconsin! In fact, Lulu’s mayoral election was such a momentous occasion it was mentioned in a New York City newspaper in 1923(New York Evening Telegram). Lulu Parnell Shaw was born in the town of Omro in 1866 to Samuel and Louise Shaw. She became well educated in business and law. Ms. Shaw was one of the early publishers of the Forest Republican in Crandon (The Wisconsin State Journal). She spoke at the 5th annual convention of the North Central Wisconsin Union Young Peoples Society of Christian Endeavor in Stevens Point on the subject of Sunday school work (Stevens Point Journal). Lulu fought for the vote when she organized a women’s suffrage club in 1914(Madison Wisconsin State Journal). In April of 1923 she was elected the mayor of Crandon over her opponent Otto A. Bock. Shaw died October 21, 1937 after a brief bout of pneumonia (The Oshkosh Northwestern). I encourage everyone to come to the library to view the display next to the Children’s Room. The case features photos of Lulu as well as the book of the Common Council Proceedings where she signed many of her mayoral decrees.
