Lydia Hamilton Smith, housekeeper and confidante to Thaddeus Stevens, managed to own property and run businesses in the 19th century, long before women were able to strike out on their own, in business.
Although history recorded few details of Smith's life, the Stevens and Smith Historic Site wants local women to learn about her and use her as a role model to pursue entrepreneurial dreams.
"In the Spirit of Lydia" Women's Conference will be held Saturday, March 29, at the YWCA of Lancaster to promote women in business.
Gail Tomlinson is director of the Stevens and Smith Historic Site, which, along with the YWCA, is sponsoring this year's conference, the first for the organization. This year's topic will be "African-American Women in Non-Traditional and Entrepreneurial Jobs."
Smith was chosen as the inspiration because of her success in Lancaster.
"Thaddeus Stevens was the most powerful … [U.S.] representative our country has ever seen, probably because of the times in which he lived," Tomlinson said. "Smith was a woman of color who ran businesses for Stevens and later acquired property in her own right."
The two, who some say were romantically involved, "managed to do in their time what we still try to do today: establish the equality that our forefathers wanted."
Because of the success Smith enjoyed, Tomlinson said she makes a great role model for women today, especially women of color.
Delilah Winder, a restaurateur who has appeared on the "Today Show" and "Oprah," and wrote a book on Southern cooking, will be the keynote speaker.
Winder said she wants to share the importance of dreaming. "You need to understand where you find happiness and then follow your dreams."
Winder owns a chain of restaurants called Delilah's Southern Cuisine. She started in business about nine years ago as a single parent living with her mother. "It took about six months to get my own apartment," she said. "And there were times I had to make life-altering decisions."
Running a successful business takes tenacity and perseverance, she said.
"I have been through what most women have been through, and I have accomplished and achieved more than I set out to," Winder said.
Tomlinson said the free conference will begin at 9 a.m. with a "marketplace of ideas." After Winder describes her experiences, a panel of women will talk about their paths to business ownership or nontraditional employment.
Louise Williams, president of Lancaster City Council; retired Army Maj. Sherylette Caldwell; Lillian-Escobar-Haskins, executive director of policy at the state Department of Health; and Minnie Vinson, seamstress, scarf, bag and hat designer, will tell their stories.
Lydia Hamilton Smith herself will appear portrayed by Darlene Colon.
"We gave each speaker the same questions so they can address how they got their vision, how they knew when to stick with it or when to change it," Tomlinson said.
A "marketplace of goods" will be open from 11:30 to 1:30 p.m. with displays of women-owned businesses and services. "We will have the experience of women as well as support services on hand to help women and men see what's available here," she said.
"We want to showcase their goods and give people a chance to talk to the owners to see how they did it. This is an informal mentoring," she said.
So far, 10 businesses have committed. Tomlinson said she is hoping 20-25 sign up for the conference.
"We thought this conference was a good thing because we can see that entrepreneurialship is important to the future of our economy."
Cris Foehlinger is a staff writer for the Sunday News. Her e-mail address is cfoehlinger@lnpnews.com.
