By William P. O’Donnell ,Norfolk County Register of Deeds
As Women’s History Month arrives each March, it offers a chance to reflect on the strength, vision, and lasting impact of the women who have shaped our communities, country, and our lives. Recognizing these achievements is essential to understanding the nation we live in today.
I’m reminded of an afternoon last September here at the Norfolk County Registry of Deeds, when our Great Hall in Dedham Center filled with friends, families, and neighbors from across our 28 communities to celebrate the release of the “We Remember Our Women” booklet, the fourth volume in our Notable Land Records series.
Massachusetts Lieutenant Governor Kimberley L. Driscoll delivered heartfelt keynote remarks, speaking about the importance of remembering those who came before us and acknowledging the challenges they faced in stepping into leadership roles during times when such paths were far more difficult. She emphasized how storytelling preserves these contributions and inspires new generations to lead, serve, and uplift others.
Guests received complimentary copies of the booklet and were invited to explore exhibits that brought these profiles to life. Historical storyboards, timelines, and displays showcased achievements across medicine, environmental advocacy, journalism, literature, public service, military leadership, and civic engagement. Some of the honorees attended the event in person, giving visitors the opportunity to meet the trailblazers whose stories appear in the pages of the “We Remember Our Women” booklet.
The afternoon also included meaningful moments. Marianne Peak, Superintendent of the Adams National Historical Park, led the audience in the Pledge of Allegiance. The Norwood High School Madrigals, under the direction of choir director Jennifer Hartnett, performed a beautiful musical selection that added warmth and depth to the celebration. These elements together created a setting that honored not only the stories told in the booklet but also the spirit of the event.
The We Remember Our Women booklet itself grew out of the Registry’s History Comes Alive Transcription Project, which has transcribed more than 450,000 handwritten land records dating back to 1793. With both the original legal cursive and easily readable print text now available at www.norfolkresearch.org
This edition highlights 44 women from our 28 communities, including a pioneering physician among the first in the United States, a conservationist from Canton who helped spark a national movement to protect wildlife, two female Army generals whose service exemplifies duty and leadership, a gold‑medal gymnast whose dedication inspired a generation, and an astronaut whose journey carried Norfolk County’s spirit into space. These are only a few of the many remarkable accounts that bring our local history into vivid focus.
Women’s History Month invites us to celebrate both the well-known and the quietly extraordinary, and our communities offer no shortage of examples. Across Norfolk County, the stories of women who shaped our history continue to inspire us today. In Quincy, Mary Pratt stood tall on the pitcher’s mound of the All‑American Girls Professional Baseball League, throwing a no‑hitter in 1944 and later dedicating her life to teaching and coaching, opening doors for generations of young women who followed her into athletics. Just a few towns away in Westwood, Jackie MacMullan carved out her place in a predominantly male profession of sport journalism, her work encouraged countless other women to pursue careers in media and to claim their place in the industry.
Further north, in Bellingham, Bathsheba Benedict showed how the generosity of a single individual can echo across generations. Her support helped found Benedict College in 1870, an historically Black college in South Carolina that has been providing educational opportunity for more than 150 years. In Brookline, Florida Ruffin Ridley an educator, writer, suffragist, and civil rights leader used her pen and her presence to insist upon equality and justice. Her advocacy reached far beyond her own community, and today her name graces a local school, a daily reminder of her enduring influence and pioneering spirit.
And in the Town of Norfolk, Charlotte Barrell Ware shaped the future through science and public health. At a time when foodborne illness posed a serious threat to families, she developed and taught innovative methods in dairy science at the Warelands Dairy School, setting new standards for safety and sanitation. Her unwavering commitment to improving the health of her community helped establish practices still echoed in today’s food safety measures.
Each of these stories is distinct, shaped by different talents, backgrounds, and eras. Yet together, they reveal a common thread perseverance, leadership, and service that continue to knit themselves into the fabric of our daily lives. They remind us that progress is built not by any one person alone, but by the collective impact of individuals whose courage and dedication leave a mark on their communities and on the generations that follow.
Our celebration also carries forward the spirit of Abigail Adams of Weymouth, who urged her husband future president of the United States John Adams during the Continental Congress to “Remember the Ladies, and be more generous and favorable to them than your ancestors.” Her call resonates across our communities, to remember, to recognize, and to ensure that contributions by women are visible, valued, and preserved. It is important to recognize and be mindful of the women in our contemporary society and all they have accomplished. Let us take a moment to thank all women who have made a difference in our communities and in our own lives. Our lives would not be what they are today without all of you.
During the month of March, the Registry of Deeds will display storyboards highlighting notable women throughout history who have ties to Norfolk County. Residents interested in receiving a free copy of the “We Remember Our Women” booklet may pick one up at the Norfolk County Registry of Deeds, located in downtown Dedham across from the gold‑domed Superior Court. To request a mailed copy, contact the Registry of Deeds by telephone at (781) 234-3305, or by email at registerodonnell@norfolkdeeds.org.
Thank you to all the women who have made, and continue to make, a difference in our communities, our Commonwealth, and our country.
