The story behind this statue begins on December 10th, 1869, when the Wyoming legislators granted all Wyoming women the right to vote and to hold public office. The first territory in the world that took this action.
On September 6th, 1870, in Laramie, a railroad tent city in Wyoming, 69 years old Louisa Gardner Swain was on her way to purchase yeast, saw a polling place, and decided to step in and vote in a general election. She became the first woman in the world to cast a ballot. Fifty years before the rest of the American women could vote following the ratification of the 19th amendment to the US Constitution.
In 2001, the Louisa Swain Foundation was founded to celebrate pioneer Wyoming women and Swain’s legacy.
On September 6th, 2008, on Louisa Swain Day and the 138th anniversary of Swain’s vote, the foundation commemorated Swain after the moment she voted in a life-size-bronze statue.
Titled “The Franchise,” the sculpture was created by Laramie local artist John D. Baker, depicting Swain holding her yeast bucket and paper ballot.
The statue stands a block from the original place Swain voted, outside the Wyoming House for Historic Women: a museum that honors 13 Wyoming women who made a significant impact on the world. The Louisa Swain Foundation founded the museum and has been operating it since 2005. Besides the permanent exhibits, they organize conferences, lectures, and the annual Louisa Swain Day celebration.
In 2020, the 150th anniversary of the day Swain voted, the Louisa Swain Foundation organized a semi-truck journey from the US Capitol to Laramie, stopping at significant landmarks and arriving on time for the celebration at the Wyoming House for Historic Women. Four women drivers drove the truck that carried Swain’s photo.
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