Wednesday my mother had to leave a few hours ahead of me so I did some more exploring.  After doing a little reading I learned that Rochester was the hub for much of the abolitionists and that Frederick Douglass had lived here and was buried here.  In addition, I learned that Susan B. Anthony had lived much of her adult life in Rochester as well.  So… I had some places to visit.

The Tombstone Tourist in my could not resist so I went off to Mount Hope Cemetary where I found Frederick Douglass and Susan B. Anthony.

 

 

Frederick Douglass Monuments

 

 

Susan B. Anthony Memorials

 

From Mt. Hope I headed through downtown in search of a waterfall ( I know… you’re shocked!).  And I found it.

Upper Falls

Then I went to the Susan B. Anthony house and museum.  The museum is in 2 houses.  One was Susan B. Anthony’s and the other belonged to her sister Mary.  There was a docent tour which was fascinating to me.  Lots of personal items from her life and just info I didn’t know…like I didn’t know that her and Frederick Douglass were close friends.  So close, in fact, that around the corner from the house is a lovely statue of the two of them having tea.

Another thing I learned was something about a nursery rhyme that I used to say as a kid.  We actually used to say this while jumping rope and it was called Miss Lucy.

Miss Lucy had a baby, she called him Tiny Tim

She put him in the bathtub to see if he could swim

He drank up all the water, he ate up all the soap

He tried to eat the bathtub but it wouldn’t go down his throat

Miss Lucy called the doctor, Miss Lucy called the nurse

Miss Lucy called the lady with the alligator purse

In walked the doctor, in walked the nurse

In walked the lady with the alligator purse

“Mumps” said the doctor, “Measles” said the nurse

“Vote” said the lady with the alligator purse

Out walked the doctor, out walked the nurse

Out walked the lady with the alligator purse

 

We used to sing that all the time when I was a kid but I never knew that the “lady with the alligator purse” referred to Susan B. Anthony.  Apparently she carried an alligator purse, it actually looked like a doctor’s bag, everywhere she went and that bag was on display in the museum.

Museum entrance: formerly the house of Mary Anthony (Susan B. Anthony’s sister)

 

Susan B. Anthony’s house

 

One thing of interest that I discovered… there were tons of spinning wheels, niddy noddy’s, etc throughout the house.  Even a family wheel.

Anthony family spinning wheel

 

The house is in a neighborhood that has been preserved to the time period.  It is an active neighborhood and the houses are gorgeous.  Just around the corner from the house is this little garden square.  In the middle is a beautiful statue.

Susan B. Anthony and Frederick Douglass having tea.

At this point I headed home and began the unending task of dealing with Tropical Storm Fay.  We have standing water in our yard, water coming under our front door and through the front wall.  All of this is an aggravation but nothing more.  We’re safe and all is well.  We just want that silly thing to go away for good!