Save the Date: Annual Meeting and A 185-Year Old Mystery Explained

We cordially invite you to our Annual Meeting on Wednesday, March 5th at Scarsdale Library, 7:00 PM. There will be a vote on new and continuing trustees, followed by a special presentation co-sponsored by the Library with our Vice President and Scarsdale Village Historian, Jordan Copeland. He noticed a puzzling inconsistency in the 1840 census that showed a dramatic decline in the Scarsdale population. Was there a mass exodus, or is there another explanation? Join us as Jordan reveals the truth behind the mystery.

Uncovering the Identity of Florence Bethell

By Leslie Chang, Trustee, Scarsdale Historical Society

How much do you know about your great-grandmother? What if you found out she was a courageous suffragist, as evidenced by countless newspaper articles and priceless notes she left behind in Scarsdale, N.Y.? This is what happened to several families across the country when they heard from me.

Our project on the suffragists began because filmmaker Lesley Topping wanted to make a film about the Scarsdale women who fought for women’s suffrage rights. She knew there were many records of their activities in the Scarsdale Inquirer archives. There were countless mentions of meetings, rallies, and suffrage dances in the 1910s. What she didn’t expect was the lack of photographs and personal stories about the women in the Village archives. In some cases, because of the tradition of using husbands’ names, she didn’t even know the women’s first names. The women were virtually “faceless” in the Village record. 

Lesley and I agreed that her documentary project would require some creative research strategies. I offered to help with research and started digging. I felt determined to find the faces (and stories) behind the names. I tracked down long-lost ancestors all over the country - from Mississippi, to California, to Martha’s Vineyard. Before I knew it, suffragist relatives were picking their brains and cracking open their dusty photo albums - just so we could preserve the memories of their matriarchs.

This week I’m kicking off a four-part blog series sharing the stories behind my investigations of the suffragists.  I assure you, when I’m done, you’ll remember the names of Florence, Josephine, Bella and Edna. 

Finding Florence   

In the summer of 2024, Lesley mentioned that Florence Bethell (1873-1956) would be the “star” suffragist in her film, yet she hadn’t found enough decent images of her. Florence founded the League of Women Voters of Scarsdale (and Westchester), was a founder of the Scarsdale Woman’s Club, and saved the Scarsdale Inquirer in 1919. However, the Village archives only had photographs of her husband, Frank H. Bethell. This seemed like an injustice.

Portrait of Frank H. Bethell in the Scarsdale Public Library archives, dated c. 1917.

The first photo we came across was a grainy passport photo on Ancestry.com (thank you to Dan Glauber at Scarsdale Library!). It was helpful, but not ideal or adequate to use for an entire documentary. How was it possible we couldn’t find any other photos of this trailblazing woman?

Photo found on Florence’s “emergency” passport application, 1922.

Florence Bethell’s Background

We had pieced together general biographical information about our illusive subject. Florence Hartstuff was born in Sidney Barracks, NE, the daughter of Dr. and Mrs. Albert Hartsuff. Her father was a Brigadier General and served in the American Civil War and Spanish-American War. 

Florence married Frank Hopkins Bethell in 1901 and they came to Scarsdale around 1912. The couple had a son and a daughter, Franklin and Janet who were both born in 1903 (I’ll return to that below). The Scarsdale school district was in its infancy, so it makes sense that the Bethell children went to elite private high schools: Hackley School in Tarrytown and Rosemary Hall in Greenwich, CT. 

Husband Frank Hopkins Bethell served in leadership (First Vice President) at the New York Telephone Company with his brother, Union Noble Bethell (President). He was also responsible for the “Eastern Group” of Bell Telephone Company. He and his brother were both pioneers in the United States telephone system, at the forefront of Bell and what became AT&T. To give you an idea of Union N. Bethell’s prominence, he was sitting beside Alexander Graham Bell when he made AT&T’s first transcontinental call to California (pictured). 

Third from left: Union Noble Bethell,, Senior Vice-President American Telephone & Telegraph Co. with Alexander Graham Bell (center) on the day of the first transatlantic phone call (January 25, 1915). Source

I even found a letter written in 1914 by Thomas Edison to Union Bethell that stated “I’m fond of a hustler and like to give them credit when I find real ones” (Thomas A. Edison Papers, Rutgers University). Needless to say, if the Bethell brothers were rubbing elbows with two of the most famous American inventors in history, then Florence was a woman in a position of power. With her status, she was well-positioned to advocate for women’s suffrage.

Her husband Frank retired in 1920 and continued as a pillar of the Scarsdale community. He served as Scarsdale’s first president (before mayors), and a president of the Scarsdale Golf Club. He was one of the longest standing commissioners of the Bronx River Parkway Commission, the group that oversaw the land acquisition and construction of the Bronx River Parkway.

Frank H. Bethell at the podium during Scarsdale’s first public celebration after being incorporated as a Village, on July 4, 1915. Source: Scarsdale Public Library

Two Houses in Heathcote

House numbers weren’t typically published in the early Scarsdale days, but I believe the Bethells’ first residence in Scarsdale was at 16 Heathcote Road. A photo of the house was published in The Telephone Review, in an article about Frank titled: “A Prophet in His Own Country.”

The only known photo taken of the Bethell’s home in 1915. Source: The Telephone Review, 1915.

It was at this home that Florence hosted suffrage meetings and conferences, where she could fit 125 people in her “sunny garage.” Guests included many prominent suffragist leaders, including Elizabeth Cady Stanton’s daughter, Mrs. T. H. Lawrence. 

A suffrage convention with 125 guests in the Bethell garage at 16 Heathcote Road. Source: Mount Vernon Argus, January 07, 1916

By 1920, they had moved to a new property with around 8 acres. Finding the actual location of the Richbell Road house was a bit of a challenge. House records prior to 1925 are scarce at Village Hall. The newspaper often said they lived at 5 Richbell Road, but that address doesn’t exist now. Thankfully, the 1930 map unlocks the mystery. First, it shows the original boundaries of the estate that became Bethel Road (yes, it is misspelled). Second, it shows the location of the main house on Richbell Road. Today, that same plot is 2 Bethel Road (thanks to property records at Village Hall!).

A 1930 map shows the Bethell name twice: once with their house, and once across the top where the Bethell land had been subdivided. Bethel Road appears via dotted lines. Source: Westchester County Archives

2 Bethel Road in the current day.

Tracking Down Photos of Florence

The Scarsdale Woman’s Club has two artworks of Florence, including the lovely portrait that hangs in the “Bethell Room.”  For our suffrage documentary, we hoped we could find images of her that were more age-appropriate as she would have appeared in the 1910’s (when she was in her 40’s).

The portrait that hangs in the Bethell Room at the Scarsdale Woman’s Club, painted by Harold Wolcott. He was a prominent Scarsdale artist.

President Portrait of Florence Bethell, Scarsdale Woman’s Club. Photograph by Ferris Briggs, 1933. The artist used a special process to give the photograph an artistic effect.

I started scouring newspaper archives outside of our hometown newspaper. I came across a large article on the Scarsdale Woman’s Club in the New York Tribune, one of New York City’s influential newspapers of the time. The headline read “A Woman’s Club Takes Over a Town Paper.” It featured a large photo of Florence, calling her “the prime mover” in saving the Scarsdale Inquirer. The best part about the photograph was that it was “legible” quality, and depicted Florence as a younger woman. It was the best clipping (showing her image) that I could find.

Source: New York Tribune, November 23, 1919.

Next, I tried looking through members’ family trees on Ancestry.com. Sometimes, people upload photos from their personal collections. Finally, in one person’s family tree I saw Florence’s name. I clicked it, and was finally looking at an original photo of Florence for the first time!

Left to right: Janet (Coker) Bethell, Franklin Hartstuff Bethell, Florence Bethell, Frank Harrison Coker. Photo taken around 1921. Source: Pamela Coker

I didn’t know this Ancestry.com account owner’s relation to the Bethell’s, but I was dying to find out. I immediately sent a private message to the owner of that account, and within a few hours I was speaking to the mysterious relative, Pamela, in California! 

Lesley Topping and I sat on a conference call eagerly hearing information that never would have been published in the Scarsdale Inquirer. Pamela was related to the Bethell’s through the taller boy in the photograph, Frank Harrison Coker. She graciously shared the following about the 3 children: 

Brother and sister (technically first cousins by blood), Frank and Janet Bethell.  Both born in 1903. Source: Pamela Coker

• Franklin Hartstuff Bethell: Florence gave birth to one son, Frank. He attended Princeton, Cambridge University and Johns Hopkins University. He became a renowned scholar and doctor, pioneering blood cancer treatments for the University of Michigan.

• Janet (Coker) Bethell (left): The Bethells adopted Frank Sr.’s sister’s child. Janet went to Smith College, and raised her own family at 8 Heathcote Road.

• Frank Harrison Coker: The older boy on the right was Janet’s brother who was visiting from school at Rutgers at the time.

The next piece of the story is personal and was never shared in the local newspaper, but I will share for the sake of preserving history. Sometime around 1930, the Bethells divorced. Frank stopped being mentioned in the Scarsdale Inquirer around this time. I learned that Frank had moved away, and Florence continued as a prolific volunteer in Scarsdale. He remarried, yet Florence continued as “Mrs. F. H. Bethell,” as was the custom.

After reaching Janet’s side of the family, I still hoped to find someone from Frank Jr.’s side. Once again through Ancestry.com, I found someone who had set up a personal Bethell family tree. It turned out to be Frank Jr.’s great granddaughter, Lauren. Within the day, I was on the phone with her mother, Mary in Georgia. 

Sadly, Mary’s mother Elaine Hartstuff Bethell (Frank Jr.’s daughter) passed away in 2024. She wished her mother could shared more details with me! I learned that her part of the family was largely based in Michigan, where Frank Jr. had been a professor at the University of Michigan. Frank Sr. had lived in Michigan with his second wife, whom Mary called “Aunt Ruth” (even though she was actually her step-great grandmother). 

With the divorce and geographic distance, it seemed that this side of the family was much closer to (great) grandfather Frank than they were with (great) grandmother Florence. Mary wasn’t sure what Florence actually looked like (doesn’t this sound familiar?). Mary has fond memories of visiting (Great Aunt) Janet her husband (Uncle) Chauncey Newlin at 8 Heathcote Road in the 1950s and 60s.

I hope that the Women Rising documentary brings them great pride in knowing that their ancestor was an trailblazer and champion for women’s rights and many charitable causes.

A Latebreaking Discovery

As I was working on this article (after the documentary and photo exhibit had been completed), I came upon one of my best photo discoveries. I had googled a new search combination, and ended up in the “Carrie Chapman Catt Papers” in the Bryn Mawr College archives. 

Catt, a nationally-known American women’s suffrage leader (who lived in New Rochelle), had meticulously recorded the names and faces of the world’s prominent suffragists. In a record called “New York Suffragists,” there was an album page with the photos of 4 women. I thought, could it really be….?

New York Suffragist Photos in the Carries Chapman Catt Papers. Per the website’s description: (a) Mrs. F.H. Bethell of Scarsdale, New York. (b) Mrs. A.L. Livermore, Yonkers, N.Y. (c) Miss Adelaide Goan, Katonah. (d) Mrs. M.W. Wynne, Westchester Co. Source: Carrie Chapman Catt Papers, Bryn Mawr College Special Collections

Portrait of Florence Bethell, c. 1910. Source: Source: Carrie Chapman Catt Papers, Bryn Mawr College Special Collections

I zoomed in, and it was HER! Finally, I’d found a glorious, formal, solo photograph of Florence! I gasped so loudly that Florence herself may have heard me “from the other side.” 

It gives me great satisfaction to know that these photos and stories can be added to the Village record. The actions and accomplishments of Scardale’s (white) men in history are meticulously recorded, and it’s exciting to shed new light on those who have been marginalized. Stories like Florence’s may be harder to find, but I’m up to the challenge.

Our new documentary “Women Rising: The Scarsdale Suffragists” can be viewed here. A Scarsdale Suffragists exhibit (including all of the newly-discovered photos) is on display through the month of February in the local history center of Scarsdale Public Library. For other details and resources related to the Scarsdale’s suffrage leaders, click here.

Follow Us for More Stories and Photos 

View Now: Scarsdale Suffragists Documentary Film and Library Exhibit

Women Rising: The Scarsdale Suffragists tells the little-known story of the courageous women behind the suffrage movement in Scarsdale and how their work shaped the community. The film is narrated by trustee and Associate Scarsdale Village Historian Historian Leslie Chang and includes interviews with Barbara Davis, Director of the Westchester County Historical Society, Linda Leavitt, former Editor-in-Chief of the Scarsdale Inquirer, Scarsdale Public Library Local History Librarian, Daniel Glauber, and Nancy Horrigan, Archivist for the Scarsdale Woman’s Club. The film is written and directed by Lesley Topping and produced by the Scarsdale Historical Society.

From the Film Premiere on December 16, 2024 at Scarsdale Public Library, left to right: Jordan Copeland (VP and Village Historian), Dan Glauber (Local History Librarian, Scarsdale Library), the Filmmaker Lesley Topping, Leslie Chang (Trustee and Associate Village Historian) and Randy Guggenheimer (President).

Women Rising features trailblazers like Florence Bethell who lectured, wrote, marched and lobbied for womens’ right to vote - at a village, state and national level. In the face of apathetic and sometimes hostile attitudes toward women’s suffrage, the women used creative approaches to educate Scarsdale women on suffrage - from porch parties to suffrage dances. 

Their cause was closely tied to service projects that left a lasting legacy on this village. Not only did they publish the Scarsdale Inquirer newspaper, but the women initiated many of Scarsdale’s most important civic and arts programs. Among the organizations the suffragists and committees of the Woman's Club sparked or expanded are the Scarsdale League of Women Voters, the Scarsdale Foundation, the Scarsdale Ambulance Corp, Scarsdale Edgemont Family Counseling Services, and many more. 

Want to see more?

Q&A Session with Film Participants

On the night of the film premiere screenings, both Q&A sessions were recorded and are available here. A suffrage exhibit is also on display at the Scarsdale Public Library through January, 2025.

Extended Interview on Westchester’s Suffrage Movement

To find out more about Suffrage in Westchester see our extensive interview with Barbara Davis, Executive Director of the Westchester County Historical Society, see our interview here. 

scarsdale suffrage exhibit at scarsdale public library

On display in the local history center of the library, the exhibit presents new artifacts, findings, photographs that were uncovered during the production of the documentary. There’s a display of suffrage artifacts including the original Scarsdale Equal Suffrage Club minutes book from 1914-1918.

The original Scarsdale Equal Suffrage Club minutes book

The Scarsdale Public Library has scanned and transcribed the entire notebook so that anyone can view it online. The notes speak of fundraising campaigns, local views toward suffrage, and correspondence with renowned suffrage leader Carrie Chapman Catt. View it here.

More Scarsdale History Documentaries

The entire collection of our documentary films can be viewed here.

Scarsdale Suffragists Documentary Premieres at Scarsdale Public Library with Two "Sold Out" Screenings

Women Rising: The Scarsdale Suffragists premiered December 16th with two fully reserved screenings at Scarsdale Public Library. The film tells the little-known story of the courageous women behind the suffrage movement in Scarsdale and how their work shaped the community. We also unveiled two new photo exhibits that evening in partnership with the library’s Local History Librarian, Daniel Glauber.

The film was introduced by President Randy Guggenheimer, who shared some insights about making the film. There were countless mentions of Scarsdale’s suffrage meetings, rallies and dances in newspapers, yet there were no photographs of the women in the library’s photo archives. In search of photographs and firsthand stories about these women, relatives were tracked down all over the country. Guggenheimer stated, “With this new film and exhibits, we give these trailblazers proper recognition and individual identities. When you leave the library tonight, you’ll remember the names of Florence, Josephine, Bella and Edna.”

Women Rising features trailblazers like Florence Bethell who lectured, wrote, marched and lobbied for womens’ right to vote - at a village, state and national level. In the face of apathetic and sometimes hostile attitudes toward women’s suffrage, the women used creative approaches to educate Scarsdale women on suffrage - from porch parties to suffrage dances. 

The screening was followed by a Q&A panel with film participants.

Front (left to right): Nancy Horrigan, Archivist for the Scarsdale Woman’s Club, Lesley Topping, Filmmaker, Barbara Davis, Director of the Westchester County Historical Society. Back, left to right: Linda Leavitt, former Editor-in-Chief of the Scarsdale Inquirer, Daniel Glauber, Scarsdale Public Library Local History Librarian, Leslie Chang Trustee and Associate Scarsdale Village Historian Historian.

In closing, Guggenheimer emphasized that this suffrage movement was a milestone in a longer fight. “The spirit, bravery and resilience of the Scarsdale Suffragists is an inspiration, but we must remember that their crusade was just one pivotal step in the continued battle for equal women’s rights and suffrage.”

After the screening event, attendees visited the Local History Center to see the new suffrage exhibits. For only that night, there were some museum-quality suffrage artifacts on display, thanks to our trustee and collection-builder, Seth Kaller. The exhibits are on display at the Scarsdale Public Library through January.

The film is now available online! Click here.

The entire collection of our films can be viewed here.

Q&A Panel, left to right: Nancy Horrigan, Leslie Topping, Barbara Davis, Leslie Chang, Dan Glauber

Screening of "Women Rising: The Scarsdale Suffragists"

Filmmaker Lesley Topping

Trustee and collection-builder, Seth Kaller brought some museum-quality suffrage artifacts for the evening.

The new Scarsdale Suffrage exhibits are in the library's Local History Center and will be on display through January 2025.

She Rowed for 5 Hours

I started out thinking I’d share a simple photo of two sisters at the Ferncliff estate in c. 1900. I figured out that Ella Ford of Ferncliff is on the left, and her sister Margaret Swift is on the right. But then, I did a quick google.and we discovered something extraordinary.

Mrs. Harry S. Ford (Ella) and her sister Mrs. Fred J. Swift at ferncliff (1000 post road, scarsdale) c. 1900. Credit: Scarsdale public library

Twelve years after this photo was taken, Mrs. Swift boarded the TITANIC. As a first class passenger, she was fortunate to board a Lifeboat 8 with two friends, and the Captain threw them a loaf of bread as they pulled away.

The Brooklyn Eagle newspaper was on-site when she disembarked from the Carpathia on the dock in New York. They said she “tumbled into the arms of her sisters” (one of which is Mrs. Ford). She recounted how she rowed for 5 hours until they saw the Carpathia in the distance. The newspaper quotes her as saying she was “alright,” “a little tired,” and “the only trouble is I look like a tramp.” She was still in the same dress from the shipwreck.

By this time, Scarsdale’s Mrs. Ford had moved to Manhattan (after subdividng Ferncliff in 1910!). Mrs. Swift was a widow and a Brooklyn resident when the wreck occurred.

We're glad we happened to look up Mrs. Fred J. Swift. They say she seldom spoke of the tragedy in later years, and she lived to be 82.

Read her incredible account of surviving the Titanic here: https://www.newspapers.com/.../brooklyn-eagle.../157013963/

Source: Photo from Scarsdale Public Library and the Brooklyn Eagle, April 19, 1912