Influential womenWomen's History TourDowntown Birmingham

Marion Clizbe (center) with her school chums around 1905.

Marion was the only daughter of W.D. Clizbe, prominent village politician at the turn of the 20th century, and as the wife of mayor Harry Allen, became ‘first lady’ of Birmingham in the 1920s. Marion struggled to help their son James overcome polio and become a successful lawyer and politician in the 1950s. In 1969, Marion sold the Allen House and property to the city as a historical park and public resource.

Sarah, Margaret, and John West Hunter’s graves at historic Greenwood Cemetery.

Three sisters married into the Hunter and Hamilton families and were the first settlers in Birmingham in 1818. The three faced difficult frontier lives and the loss of children, but helped build the early community. Margaret was married to John West Hunter and lived in this house. Olive Hamilton died in 1845, Margaret in 1856, and Sarah Hunter in 1865. All are buried in Birmingham’s Greenwood Cemetery.

Alice Fouracre with her children outside the Hunter House, c 1918.

Alice Fouracre came from England in 1911 to join her husband Albert here, narrowly escaping death on the Titanic when she changed her ticket at the last minute. She was a skilled seamstress and he worked on
Birmingham’s DUR trolley. The family lived in the Hunter House from 1915-1920, when it was located on Brown Street. Their son Don was born in the house in 1917; sadly, their daughter Edna died in 1920 during the Spanish flu pandemic.

Martha Baldwin’s impact on Birmingham is still felt today (photo portrait, c. 1905)

Martha Baldwin changed the cultural life and character of Birmingham through her tireless efforts to make a better community for all. She never married, and lived here at this house (built by her father) most of her life. She was a teacher, principal, and local philanthropist who championed women’s rights and public health. Her most important legacy is the founding of Baldwin Public Library, a beloved Birmingham institution to this day.

Bess Levinson, c. 1927

Bess was the only daughter of Morris and Gitel Levinson, the first Jewish family in Birmingham and founders of its first department store. Bess attended Birmingham High School and the University of Michigan. She married attorney Saul Levin and taught at Detroit’s International Institute, frequently hosting foreign diplomats. She supported the campaigns of her famous sons, (Congressman) Sander and (Senator) Carl Levin. The Levinson/Levin family remained connected to Birmingham through their ownership of the Quarton Building.

Gitel Felhendler, c. 1892

Gitel Felhendler spoke no English when she came to Detroit alone at age 14 as part of a wave of Russian and Eastern European Jews fleeing oppression in the 1880s. She came to Birmingham with husband Morris Levinson in 1896 to establish the first department store in Birmingham at this site. Although they were the only Jews in Birmingham at the turn of the century, she kept a kosher household and maintained strong traditional Jewish identity while raising her family.

Jane Briggs Hart testifying before Congress.

Jane “Janey” Briggs, independent-minded daughter of Walter O. Briggs (who built this building), grew up in Bloomfield. At age 18 she became a licensed pilot, and she was the first licensed woman helicopter pilot in Michigan, sometimes flying husband Senator Phil Hart to Washington DC. An advocate for women’s rights, she was active in Birmingham’s League of Women Voters and was a founding member of the National Organization for Women. In the 1960s she participated in rigorous training to prove women could meet the same standards as the male Mercury astronauts. Her testimony before Congress opened the door to women in NASA’s astronaut training.

Jaan Uhelszki in her early days at Creem Magazine. (Photo, Charlie Auringer, Birmingham Museum Collection)

When Jaan was growing up in Detroit, she was drawn to the city’s gritty rock music scene, gravitating to Creem Magazine, where she got work in subscriptions. Her determination and talent led to writing for Creem in her early twenties, breaking the gender barrier in rock journalism. During her long career, Uhelszki has written for Rolling Stone and other publications. A highly respected rock critic, she continues to write and produce in the field of music journalism.

Susan Whitall in Creem’s offices, 1970s. (Photo, Charlie Auringer, Birmingham Museum Collection)

Whitall grew up in Birmingham and has been a lifelong resident. After graduating high school, she got a mailroom job at Creem and worked her way up, working alongside rock critics like Lester Bangs and Dave Marsh. She eventually became editor for Creem—one of few women to have run a rock magazine. She was music critic for the Detroit News and author of several award-winning books on American musicians, including Little Willie John, the women of Motown, and Joni Mitchell.

Mary Utter in 1923. (Detail of Hawaii travel group portrait)

Mary Utter’s family tragedy—the 1825 murders of Polly and Cynthia Utter—left Birmingham the legacy of Greenwood Cemetery. Mary’s impact on Birmingham was political in nature, however. Just as women got the right to vote in 1922, Utter was successful in her run for county clerk. Her later political career included numerous county and township positions, and she was Democratic Party Representative for Birmingham to FDR’s inauguration. She traveled extensively to Cuba, Hawaii, and Panama throughout her life and was a fixture in Birmingham’s civic life.

Hope Ferguson with her fellow Village Commissioners in 1929.

Hope Ferguson was valedictorian of her class at Birmingham High School in 1915 and she continued a career of accomplishments. She attended U of M, was active in local women’s suffrage before 1920, and was the first woman elected to Birmingham’s Village Commission in 1929. She held office for the Birmingham chapter of the American Association for University Women, the Village Players, and The Community House, and helped organize Birmingham’s first senior center.

Florence Willett with fellow Michigan mayors, 1961.

Florence Willett was married and had three children to raise, but wanted to give back to her community. She served on Birmingham’s City Commission beginning in 1955 and became mayor in 1961--the first woman mayor in Michigan. Despite her public contributions, she faced constant media scrutiny of her dress and role as mother rather than her work, but she felt strongly that she was a model for what young women could achieve who wanted to make a difference.

Ruth Shain in 1929.

Ruth Shain came to Birmingham as an adult when she married Charles Shain. However, she quickly followed in Martha Baldwin’s footsteps to shape the civic life of Birmingham in a big way. She co-founded the local chapter of American Association for University Women, founded The Community House as a social, educational and recreational organization, and was a leader and educator in international relations. Ruth and Charles Shain transformed the downtown civic area of Birmingham through their commitment to develop a city center and park as Birmingham was on the brink of becoming a city.