Frances Jennings Casement (1821–1890)
Frances Jennings Casement (1821–1890) was a prominent abolitionist and women’s rights advocate whose activism connected Lake County, Ohio to some of the most transformative reform movements in American history. Living in Painesville, she and her husband, General John S. Casement, used their home as a stop on the Underground Railroad, helping freedom seekers on their journey north and reinforcing Lake County’s role in the fight against slavery. After the Civil War, she became a leader in the women’s suffrage movement, serving as president of the Ohio Woman Suffrage Association. She worked closely with Susan B. Anthony and Elizabeth Lady Stanton on advancing the cause of equal rights that would ultimately culminate in the 19th Amendment. She is recognized on Lake Erie College’s Women’s History Walkway.
