Biographical Database of Militant Woman Suffragists, 1913-1920
Biography of Amanda Clara Houghton "Deane" Lindsey, 1865-1923
By Brenna Bishop and Chris Winter, undergraduate students, University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, NM
Amanda Clara Haughton was born around 1865 in Trumbull County, Ohio, to Charles and Nancy Haughton. The Haughtons moved to New Haven, Michigan, by 1870, and by 1880, and Amanda "Mattie" Haughton was enrolled in a teaching school. She met Washington Ellsworth Lindsey, while he was attending the law school at the University of Michigan. They called each other Deane and Wade, character names from a play. Deane Haughton, who kept the nickname throughout her life, and Washington Lindsey were married in October 1891. The couple moved to Chicago, Illinois, for Washington Lindsey's law career, but by 1900, they moved to Portales, New Mexico, due to Deane Lindsey's health issues. They had three children: Howard, Helen, and Miguel.
Deane Lindsey was vocal about her support of mainstream woman suffrage efforts. In 1910, she joined fellow clubwomen at Las Cruces and served in the legislative department of the new association. In 1913, she was elected chair of the New Mexico branch of the National American Woman's Suffrage Association (NAWSA). In January 1917, the Santa Fe New Mexican quoted her arguments regarding suffrage: namely, both parties supported it, so the state should pass it. In February, Governor Ezequiel C. de Baca died, promoting Lieutenant Governor Washington Lindsey. As First Lady of New Mexico, Deane Lindsey had a new platform, and she used it to advocate for woman suffrage. She also used it to criticize the militant strategies, such as picketing the White House. As acting state chair of the NAWSA, she publicly condemned the protests by publishing her notice to Woodrow Wilson in the Santa Fe New Mexican in December 1917. In November 1918, Deane Lindsey invited the leading suffrage women in New Mexico to the governor's mansion not only to coordinate state suffrage work but also to pressure the legislature to enact the suffrage amendment. The suffrage amendment stalled in New Mexico until it was ratified by a special legislative session in February 1920.
In addition to suffrage, Deane Lindsey held leadership positions with the New Mexico Woman's Clubs and the New Mexico Woman's Christian Temperance Union. During the Great War, she led the Women's Auxiliary of the State Council of Defense. She supported girls' education, serving on the board for the Frances Willard School for Girls in New Mexico.
Amanda "Deane" Lindsey suffered from stomach cancer, and she died on December 23, 1923, surrounded by family in her home in Portales. She was buried in Portales Cemetery. Washington Lindsey remarried Bertha Becker in November 1925, before shooting himself on April 5, 1926. He was also buried in Portales Cemetery.
SOURCES:
Bullis, Don. "Lindsey, Amanda Clara Houghton." In New Mexico Historical Biographies. Los Ranchos, NM: Rio Grande Books, 2014. GoogleBooks.
Find a Grave. Dean Haughton Lindsey. Accessed March 1, 2019. https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/13499459/dean-haughton-lindsey.
Find a Grave. Washington Ellsworth Lindsey. Accessed March 1, 2019. https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/10212306/washington-ellsworth-lindsey.
Harper, Ida Husted, ed. "New Mexico." Chapter XXX in History of Woman Suffrage, vol. 6: 1900-1920. New York: National American Woman Suffrage Association, 1922, 434-439. [LINK]
Kalloch, Eunice, and Ruth K. Hall. The First Ladies of New Mexico. Santa Fe: Lightning Tree, 1982.
"Leading Women of Cause Give Opinions about Ways and Means." Santa Fe New Mexican. January 27, 1917, p.3. Newspapers.com.
Leonard, John W. "Lindsey, Mrs. Washington E." In Woman's Who's Who of America: A Biographical Dictionary of Contemporary Women of the United States and Canada, 1914-1915, volume L-Q, p.492. New York: American Commonwealth Company, 1914. [LINK]
Lindsey, Deane. "New Mexico Up-to-Date; Stand for Suffrage, Splendid Declares Mrs. Washington E. Lindsey." Santa Fe New Mexican. January 15, 1918, p.3. Newspapers.com.
"Mrs. Lindsey, Ex-Governor's Wife, Is Dead." Albuquerque Journal (Albuquerque, N. Mex.). December 24, 1923, p.1. Newspapers.com.
"Mrs. Lindsey Sends Message of Disapproval to President." Santa Fe New Mexican. December 1, 1917, p.3. Newspapers.com.
"Mrs. W.E. Lindsey Is Seriously Ill after Major Operation." Albuquerque Journal (Albuquerque, N. Mex.). September 14, 1922, p.5. Newspapers.com.
"Prohibitionists Organized." Las Cruces Sun-News (Las Cruces, N. Mex.). October 19, 1917, p.4. Newspapers.com.
"Prominent Santa Fe Men Sign Suffrage Memorial." Santa Fe New Mexican. January 10, 1918, p.3. Newspapers.com.
Society. Albuquerque Journal (Albuquerque, N. Mex.). November 1, 1925, Society Section, p.2. Newspapers.com.
United States Census 1870, 1880, s.v. "Mattie Haughton, New Haven, Mich." HeritageQuest.
United States Census 1900, 1910, s.v. "Deane H. Lindsey, Portales, N. Mex." HeritageQuest.
United States Census 1920, s.v. "Amanda H. Lindsey, Portales, N. Mex." HeritageQuest.