Hike Mt. Inez | 19th Amendment Celebration | Wadhams, NY | August 17, 2025

Sunday, August 17, 2025
9:45 AM 1:30 PM

Mt. Inez 406 Ray Woods Road Wadhams, NY, 12993 United States (map)

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Celebrate the 19th Amendment With a Hike Up Mt. Inez.

Inez Milholland namesake of Mt. Inez — Suffragist Inez Milholland astride her trusty steed, Grey Dawn.

The 19th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution prohibits the denial or abridgment of the right to vote based on sex, effectively granting women the right to vote nationwide.

Ratified on August 18, 1920, after a decades-long struggle for women's suffrage, it was officially certified on August 26, 1920, and made it illegal to deny voting rights based on sex.

Celebrate the anniversary of the 19th Amendment with a hike up Mt. Inez. Inspired and led by CATSWomen, this is a roughly 4-mile round trip, with stunning views at the top.

Mount Inez is named after Inez Milholland, an iconic suffragette. This hike is the perfect peak for the anniversary of the ratification and enforcement of the 19th Amendment. It is a moderately challenging hike, which we wish we could say about bringing women the right to vote in the U.S.

Hike logistics.

Suffragist Inez Milholland. — Inez Milholland.

Organizers ask participants to meet at the trailhead at 9:45 am for a 10:00 am start. This hike should take about 3.5 hours.

Wear white if you feel especially festive, as it is a color symbolic of the suffragette movement, and consider bringing snacks to share for a fun celebration at the summit. Dress in good wicking layers for hiking in the summer, and bring plenty of water.

Please register for this hike, given its limited capacity.

The trail is not yet marked. Please do not proceed unless guided. The trailhead is along Ray Woods Road in Lewis, 1/3rd of a mile off of Lewis-Wadhams Road, at the base of a log landing. Google Map directions.

Who was Inez Milholland?

Inez Milholland was one of the most intriguing figures in the U.S. suffrage movement. She was a passionate advocate for women's rights, known for her powerful speeches that captivated audiences and inspired countless women. Her charisma, intelligence, and beauty made her an iconic historical figure.

Born on August 6, 1886, Inez grew up in New York City and London and spent time studying in Germany. Summers were often spent with her family at their Meadowmount farm in Lewis, New York.

Inez graduated from Vassar College, where she served as the captain of the field hockey team and set records in shot put and basketball throw. She was also the graduation speaker for her class and took on many theatrical roles, including playing male leads in Shakespearean plays.

Sketch of Inez Milholland for whom Mt. Inez is named.

While in London, Inez became involved with the Women's Social and Political Union and worked alongside internationally renowned suffragettes, such as Emmeline Pankhurst and her daughters.

She helped bring the movement to the United States by leading a suffrage rally at Vassar, much to the dismay of the school’s president. He insisted that the rally be held off campus, so Inez organized it in a nearby graveyard, which she and her sister, Vida, dubbed the "Graveyard Rally."

Inez dedicated her life to achieving women’s right to vote.

After college, she traveled across the United States campaigning for the women's suffrage movement. Demonstrating her bravery, she led several suffrage parades on her horse, Grey Dawn, often riding through riotous crowds.

One notable event in Inez's life occurred in March of 1913 when approximately ten thousand suffragettes marched from the Capitol down Pennsylvania Avenue past the White House to gain support for the federal amendment granting women the right to vote.

Inez led the parade dressed in a stunning costume of white and gold, atop her large white horse. She was followed by nine bands, four brigades, three heralds, over twenty floats, and an army of women from all walks of life.

Despite facing heckling, spitting, and physical assaults, she and her fellow suffragettes marched determinedly for their cause. Inez became the poster girl for the suffrage movement, and astride her horse, she echoed the iconic image of Joan of Arc.

Inez Millholland died on November 25, 1916, at the young age of thirty, having been diagnosed with pernicious anemia. She was buried in Lewis Cemetery, located in the northeastern Adirondacks at the foot of what was then known as Mount Discovery.

At the time of her death, the ratification of the Nineteenth Amendment was still four years away. Her last public words before collapsing on stage in California were addressed to President Wilson: "Mr. President, how long must women wait for liberty?"

In honor of her contributions, the town of Lewis renamed Mount Discovery to Mount Inez over a century ago; however, this change was not officially recognized at the federal level. On December 12, 2019, just before the 100th anniversary of the Nineteenth Amendment, the U.S. Board on Geographic Names officially renamed Mount Discovery to Mount Inez to commemorate the suffragist efforts of Inez Millholland.