COEUR d’ALENE — Votes for women. 

It’s a simple concept, but that wasn’t always the case. 

An artifact from an era when a woman’s right to vote was not absolute will soon find a place in Idaho’s Capitol.

The piece of history is part of the political memorabilia collection of Donna Montgomery. It came to light last spring, after Becky Funk, president of the North Idaho Federated Republican Women, agreed to steward Montgomery’s collection. 

While sifting through the collection, Funk discovered an embroidered, suffrage-era “Votes for Women” handkerchief. With the help of Britt Thurman, executive director of the Museum of North Idaho, she confirmed the handkerchief’s authenticity. 

“I knew it was something that needed to be preserved and shared,” Funk said, adding that the handkerchief was designed so it could be carried by a woman or a man who supported women’s suffrage. 

The North Idaho Federated Republican Women unanimously supported having the handkerchief professionally framed and presented to Idaho Secretary of State Phil McGrane, so it can be preserved and displayed for the public. 

McGrane accepted the artifact Friday at the Kootenai County Elections Office. 

“This is going to fit perfectly inside the entryway to the Secretary of State’s Office,” he said. 

He said his office has gathered a collection of historical items related to Idaho elections for a new exhibit. A suffrage-themed exhibit highlights Emma Edwards Green, the painter who designed the State Seal of Idaho used from 1891 to 1957 and the only woman to have designed a state seal. 

Idaho was the fourth state to grant women the right to vote — in 1896, almost a quarter-century before the ratification of the 19th Amendment — and the first to enshrine that right as an amendment to the state constitution. Before that time, Idaho’s constitution allowed women citizens aged 21 and older to vote in school elections and hold school offices. 

McGrane emphasized the important role women play in Idaho’s elections, past and present, noting that elections offices throughout the Gem State are staffed primarily by women. 

“I think it’s awesome to see Idaho in a leading role in this space,” he said. 

Funk said she’s glad to see this piece of history preserved and made accessible to the public. 

“Women have played an important role in political history,” she said. 

    A suffrage-era artifact will be displayed in Idaho's Capitol.