Western New York Suffragists - Museums, Parks, Societies

Modern Spiritualism had its origins in the mid-nineteenth century. Unlike most religions of the time, it was highly unstructured, with no creed and no ministry. Spiritualists did, however, share a belief that people’s personalities were immortal. They were convinced that with the help of mediums, they could communicate with the dead.

Spiritualism got its start in 1848 in Hydesville, New York, about thirty miles east of Rochester. In late March, two young inhabitants of Hydesville -- Margaret and Catherine Fox -- claimed to hear rappings, or knock-like noises, in their room at night. They called upon their parents, who also heard the noises.

The Fox family decided that these rappings were messages from a spirit, and they proceeded to create a code for communicating with this spirit. Within a short time, crowds from neighboring Newark, Palmyra and Lyons descended upon the small farmhouse in Hydesville to see evidence of this phenomenon.

Although the family moved out of Hydesville a few months later, the rappings seemed to follow Margaret and Catherine (who was also known as Kate). Their older sister, Ann Leah Fish of Rochester, soon arranged a series of spiritual séances featuring the girls. Word of the séances spread, and suspicious Rochesterians demanded an exhibition of the talents of the Fox sisters. In November of 1849, the sisters’ followers set up a demonstration in Corinthian Hall (Rochester, New York), inviting skeptics in the audience to try to detect any fraud. None was discovered.

During the 1850s, Spiritualism became increasingly popular throughout the United States and in England. The Fox sisters and other mediums attracted hundreds of thousands of followers, who in turn created small spirit circles of believers. Members of spirit circles included such nationally-known figures as the writer James Fenimore Cooper and the editor Horace Greeley.

Spiritualism attracted many nineteenth-century radicals and reformers. Its ranks were chock-full of abolitionists, women’s rights activists, and those who believed in temperance, dress reform and the rights of workers and children. Rochester’s own advocates included Isaac Post, Amy Post, Sarah Hallowell [Willis], Giles and Catherine Fish Stebbins, Sarah Fish, Rhoda DeGarmo, and Sarah Anthony Burtis.

Although the ranks of Spiritualism swelled, the popularity of the young Fox sisters was soon eclipsed by more skilled and glamorous mediums. Margaret, who battled with alcoholism as an adult, became a Catholic in 1858. She curtailed her spiritualist activities following her conversion. Kate remained active as a medium, but her life was plagued by alcoholism and accusations of child abuse.

In 1888, the Fox sisters renounced the movement that they had started. In New York City on October 21st of that year, Margaret held an exhibition where she demonstrated the sisters’ technique for producing the raps. Kate was in attendance, giving her approval to the renunciation.

The confession of Margaret (which she later recanted) apparently did little to deter staunch adherents of Spiritualism. In the 1890 census, forty-five thousand Americans proclaimed themselves to be formally affiliated with Spiritualist societies. Many more Spiritualists were unaffiliated with any formal group.

Twentieth century admirers of the Fox sisters have memorialized the humble origins of Spiritualism. Benjamin Bartlett purchased the Hydesville farmhouse in 1916 and moved it to Lily Dale, New York. In 1927, Mercy Cadwallader, editor of a Spiritualist newspaper, erected a marker at the site of the house in Wayne County. And, in the late 1940s, the Fox Memorial Society purchased the site of the Hydesville homestead with the intention of creating a shrine to honor the sisters who founded Spiritualism. Perhaps the most telling tribute to the Fox sisters is the fact that to this day, many still believe in our ability to communicate with the spirits of those once living.

Bibliography of Suggested Books & Articles
	Frank, Meryl and Blake McKelvey, "Some Former Rochesterians of National Distinction," Rochester History, v. XXI, no. 3 (July, 1959).
	Hewitt, Nancy A., Women’s Activism and Social Change, Rochester, New York, 1822-1872, Ithaca and London, Cornell University Press, 1984.
	James, Edward T., Janet Wilson James and Paul S. Boyer, eds., Notable American Women, v. II, pp. 655-657. (Biography of the Fox sisters by Ernest Isaacs.)
	McKelvey, Blake, "A Panoramic Review of Rochester’s History," Rochester History, v. XI, No. 2 (April 1949).
	McKelvey, Blake, "A Sesquicentennial Review of Rochester’s History," Rochester History, v. XXIV, no. 3 (July 1962).
	McKelvey, Blake, "Woman’s Rights in Rochester: A Century of Progress," Rochester History, v. X, nos. 2 & 3 (July, 1948).
	Vanderhoof, E.W., Historical Sketches of Western New York, Buffalo, NY: Matthews-Northrup Works, 1907 (Reprinted by NY: AMS Press, 1972).

Bibliography of Suggested Web Sites
	"Birthplace of Modern Spiritualism, Fox Cottage, Lily Dale, NY," (image and caption), from Rochester’s History: An Illustrated Timeline at http://www.vintageviews.org/vv-tl/timeline/pages/Fox_Cottage.html. Current as of 5/29/01)
	"Fox Property Purchased by Society; Spiritualism Birthplace Here; Bought by Society for Shrine," from [Newark, NY] Courier Gazette, Thursday, December 4, 1947, at http://www.cgazette.com/towns/Newark/history/891101136140.htm
	"The Fox Sisters, (image and caption) from from Rochester’s History: An Illustrated Timeline at http://www.vintageviews.org/vv-tl/Photos/pages/fox_sisters.html
	"Spiritualism in 19th Century America," (with bibliography) at http://www.csun.edu/~ig28545/mw2.html