In 1915, the battle for a woman's right to vote was heating up.  Katherine Ruschenberger commissioned a replica of the Liberty Bell to be made to further the cause of the Suffrage Amendment.  It became known as the "Woman's Liberty Bell" or the "Justice Bell."  Ruschenberger gave her reason for the creation of the bell as "The original Liberty Bell announced the creation of democracy; the Woman's Liberty Bell will announce the completion of democracy." 

The Justice Bell, mounted on the bed of a truck, made a stop in the Upper Perkio- men Valley in October of 1915 on its' 67 country trip throughout the Common- wealth.

            During the summer, the replica bell began a trip through every county in Pennsylvania.  Women suffragettes accompanying the bell tried to encourage men to vote for suffrage in the upcoming election.  The bell's clapper was chained so that the bell could not be rung, with the intent that it would be unchained only when women received the right to vote.

            On October 14 and 15, the Women's Liberty Bell made a stop in the Upper Perkiomen Valley.  Mounted upon the bed of a truck, the bell was ushered into the area by a group of local citizens, headed by Edna Meschter of East Greenville.  At the time, Meschter was president of the local suffrage organization.

Supporters of a woman's right to vote had supper at Kneule's Pennsburg Hotel.  After the meal, Dr. Mary Wolf spoke for 90 minutes from the porch of the hotel, to a crowd of about 900 people gathered in Pennsburg's Square.

            The entourage had supper at Kneule's Pennsburg Hotel, after which a speech was given from the porch of the establishment to about 900 men and women crowding Pennsburg's Square.

            Dr. Mary Wolf, Pennsylvania suffrage advocate, spoke at length on the merits of the movement.  For 90 minutes, Wolf held the crowd's attention as she encouraged the local voters to favor the ballot question.  She remarked, "No state bordering along the Atlantic coast has enfranchised women and the first eastern state that does so will become an historical state for that fact alone and the future generations will look upon that state as a leader among others.  If you will not adopt suffrage in 1915, you will do so five years from now and you will have the expense of another campaign in addition to having your neighboring states forge in ahead of you."

            Also accompanying the Women's Liberty Bell on its' trip through Pennsylvania was Dr. Addella Potter, State organizer for the suffrage campaign.  The group of travelers was hosted by the Perkiomen School, where they spent the night.

            Another local woman who was active in the suffrage movement was Kathryn

Kathryn Gottshalk, Perkiomen Seminary School graduate, teacher at Sumneytown Academy, and Upper Frederick Township resident was an early advocate of women's rights.  She served as the Presi- dent and Secretary of the Lansdale Suffrage Assoc- iation (later known as the Lansdale League of Women's Voters).  In 1926, she became the first woman in Pennsylvania to be elected to the position of Magistrate.

Gottshalk.  She was born in Gwynedd Montgomery County, the niece of Pa. Gov. John Fisher, and a great niece of General Winfield Scott Hancock.  She was educated at the Perkiomen School in Pennsburg where she met her future husband Frank.  After completing her education, she became an educator at the Sumneytown Academy. 

            Kathryn and her family lived in Upper Frederick Township.

            After her husband's death, she decided to enter the political arena.  But first, she needed to fight for the right to vote.  She was an early advocate of women'' rights.  She served as the President and Secretary of the Lansdale Suffrage Association.  The group would later be known as the Lansdale League of Women's Voters.  It was only a matter of time until she became the head of the Democratic Women's County Organization. 

            Gottshalk went on to serve in a variety of roles.  She was elected Direct of the Poor in 1935, and served on Gov. George Earle's advisory board.  Gov. James named her a Trustee of the Norristown State Hospital.  Kathryn was elected as an alternate delegate to the Democratic Convention in Chicago. 

            Kathryn Gottshalk had one distinction that was hers and hers alone.  The Perkiomen School alumnae and Perkiomenville resident was elected to the position of Magistrate in 1926.  The first woman in Pennsylvania's history to achieve that position. 

            But, the visit by the Woman's Liberty Bell didn't appear to have much of an impact on the male voters at the time.  The suffrage movement would have to wait four more years before Pennsylvania would ratify it.

            The 1915 suffrage vote tally by municipality was: East Greenville, 66 for – 177 against; Green Lane, 10 for, 47 against; Marlborough Township, 28 for 107 against; Pennsburg, 82 for – 166 against; Red Hill, 12 for – 146 against; and Upper Hanover Township, 35 for – 82 against. 

            But, one shouldn't hold the local men totally responsible for the poor showing.  Apparently, many local women had problems with the suffrage movement as well, prompting a local editor to write, "Should women's suffrage win this fall, those women who now oppose it do not have to vote.  They seem to forget this."

Countywide, the vote was 8,566 for 12,805 against.  Woman's right to vote didn't fare much better in Bucks County where it was voted against by a 3 to 1 margin.

            Voters of Pennsylvania finally ratified the 19^th Amendment on June 24, 1919 

            Tennessee became the 36th state to ratify the 19th Amendment on August 18, 1920, making women's suffrage legal in the US.

The states voting against ratifying the Amendment at the time were: Alabama, Connecticut, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Louisiana, Maryland, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina, Vermont, and Virginia. 

            After the 19^th Amendment was finally ratified on August 18, 1920, giving the right of citizens of the United States to vote regardless of sex, a home was sought for the Women's Liberty Bell. 

            Many women wanted the suffrage symbol to stand near the Liberty Bell in Philadelphia, claiming that the original bell only stood for the freedom of one sex.  City officials felt the location at Independence Park was not the appropriate venue for it.

            Ruschenberger spoke about raising money to build a "Tower of Justice" as a home for the Bell in Independence Park, but it was never built.  She finally was able to provide a home for the bell in her will, bequeathing it to the Washington Memorial Chapel at Valley Forge, where it stands on display today.

            Currently, a replica of the Justice Bell is on display at the Berks History Center, 940 Centre Avenue, Reading, PA 19601.  The bell will remain on display at the Center until April 7, 2020.