Hattie Daggett in 1896 and 1947 (note the broach)
In 1888 when Hattie Daggett first visited Clermont from Philadelphia, she was already a successful career woman—a nurse who worked for famous doctors. Not many women chose the career path in the 1880’s but Hattie was not like most women. She fell in love with Clermont’s hills and lakes and decided to purchase property. It was not her intention to settle here. She was looking for property to build a winter home for her parents and for her to come on vacations.
And what a home she had built! The Log House, as it was known until it was demolished in 1959, had 75 feet of frontage on Crescent Lake and took 10 years to complete. The imposing three-story structure was known for its big fireplace, beautiful log walls and its amazingly beautiful floors but Hattie’s brother, James, who had served as master builder did not follow her directions completely and the house was really quite unwieldy. It would eventually serve as a social center for many organizations and individuals who helped to build the town of Clermont.
As stated, Hattie intended the Log House and Clermont to be a vacation home but was eventually won over by those hills and lakes and made Clermont her permanent home. And then in 1901 the unexpected happened—Hattie fell in love and married Capt. Robert Millholland! Together the Mulholland’s were influential in Clermont providing a venue for important social and business gatherings, hosting guests and future investors in the area, and even surveying land for the investors to purchase. One such potential investor, Stuart Bowman, described Hattie as, “a charming and attractive lady” who he felt could “be entirely at home in any drawing room or social group.” It was Hattie who actually “called my attention to a tract of approximately 14,000 acres” which Mr. Bowman eventually purchased.
Hattie Daggett Millholland was quite an independent woman. But with all her abilities and drive, there was still one thing she could not do until 1920. Do you know what that was? It was vote! Women got the right to vote when a constitutional amendment was passed in 1919 and ratified in 1920. The Presidential election of 1920 was their first opportunity to exercise that right. Imagine how empowered they must have felt. Imagine how a woman like Hattie who was so smart and talented must have felt.
2020 is the 100th Anniversary of that momentous event. We are once again in the midst of a Presidential election. Granted, things aren’t exactly “normal” right now but that should not change the fact that being an informed, thoughtful voter is not only our most important right it is our most important responsibility. The Clermont Historical Society urges you to remember Hattie Daggett Millholland and the scores of women like her and cherish your right to vote. If you would like to learn more about Hattie, the source for this release is the recently published Clermont, From Gem of the Hills to Choice of Champions.
Please visit our Facebook page to see even more photos from the Village and, if you are interested in the history of Clermont or in history in general, why don’t you consider joining the Clermont Historical Society? Membership is just $25.00 per person or $35.00 for a couple annually. Once it is safe, we will not only resume our regular hours (Fridays from 1:00 to 3:00 PM and Saturday and Sunday from 1:00 to 4:00 PM) and have the Depot and grounds available for rent, but also our monthly meetings that are held on the second Monday of each month in the Train Depot at the Village. The board meeting (open to the public) is at 6:00 PM followed by a presentation at 7:00 PM. For questions or further information please call 352-242-7734. We hope to see you all when the Village reopens!
