Tennessee Backroads:  Niota

The only tourism draw in Niota (population less than 1000) is the old railroad depot.  But his alone is worth a stop -- to salute the man who made it possible for women to vote.  

19th Amendment:  Woman Suffrage

The 19th amendment, which would give women the right to vote, required passage by ¾ of the states.  When it came to a vote by the Tennessee legislature, a 24-year-old representative from McMinn county, Harry T. Burn of Niota was in attendance. 

Tempers ran high and the legislature seemed equally divided.  Although he had previously voted against giving women the right to vote, when Harry T. Burn's name was called, he cast his vote for suffrage.  It was the 49^th "aye" the amendment needed to pass. 

When asked why he'd changed his mind, Burn said he'd received a letter from his mother.  Burn said, "I know a mother's advice is always safest for her boy to follow, and my mother wanted me to vote for ratification."

Niota Depot

The Niota Railroad Depot, built in 1853, is the oldest surviving railroad depot in Tennessee. 

This is the station from which Harry T. Burn left home for the Tennessee legislature and the vote that would place his name in history.  Today city offices are housed in part of the Niota Depot, and efforts are underway to raise money for restoration.