09 Jul Hoosier Suffragette Statue
In 2021, the Miami County Community Foundation awarded a $3,000 grant in support of a life-sized bronze statue of a remarkable Hoosier Suffragist named Marie Stuart Edwards. The statue, placed in front of Peru Carnegie Library, depicts Marie Stuart Edwards as a 12-yr old girl beside her bicycle. As local lore goes, Marie Stuart was the first girl in her hometown of Lafayette, IN to ride a bicycle. Marie (1880-1970) trained thousands of Hoosier women, who then went out into their communities to lobby for voting reform. Her contributions were felt at the local, state and even national levels—helping to found the League of Women Voters and serving as its treasurer and Vice-President. Honoring Marie’s accomplishments was brought to Peru through the combined work of several local organizations: Miami County Indiana Worth Remembering, ReDiscover Downtown Peru, AcesPLUS, and Daughters of the American Revolution. For more information about the statue’s dedication please check out the website, www.meetmarie.vote