WOMEN'S HISTORY TRAIL • FRANKLIN NC
Women's History Trail • Franklin, NC
The Women’s History Trail, a project sponsored by the Folk Heritage Association of Macon County (FHAMC), is taking visible steps that will lead to big strides for women’s history by celebrating the lives of Macon County women, and honoring their accomplishments. This project is the first of its kind in North Carolina.
The Women's History Trail weaves together the disparate elements of our heritage: those of all levels of society; those of pioneer stock and those more recently arrived, telling their stories through various art mediums/exhibits and markers along a designated path through Franklin, NC. As you travel to each of the sites, you will be able to experience their history in a deeper, more personal way giving a greater sense of identity to these women.
We invite you to go "Walking in Her Steps" along the new Women's History Trail in Franklin, North Carolina.
Franklin’s Women’s History Park receives state award
The Women's History Park in East Franklin and the Sowing the Seeds of the Future sculpture has received statewide recognition as a “Great Place for Public Art.”
On Oct. 15, APANC presented the award to the Town of Franklin, recognizing the Women’s History Park as a “Great Place for Public Art in NC.” Franklin Mayor Jack Horton, Justin Setser, FHAMC / WHT representatives Marty Greeble and Mary Polanski, sculptor Wesley Wofford and wife Odyssey received the award at the 2025 APANC & APASC Joint Conference in Charlotte.
Franklin's Women's History Park Honored with APANC Award
Pictured L to R: Odyssey Wofford, Franklin Mayor Jack Horton, Marty Greeble (FHAMC / WHT), Franklin Mayor Jack Horton, Mary Polanski (FHAMC / WHT), Justin Setser, and sculptor Wesley Wofford
Celebrating Women's History Month with "Passport to the Past" & "Macon Matriarch"
On Saturday, March 14, 2026, local friends, intergenerational families, and area visitors all joined together to celebrate Women’s History Month by participating in the WHT “Passport to the Past” as part of the monthly Franklin Downtown Merchants’ Sip and Stroll program. The Folk Heritage Association of Macon County partnered with the merchants to provide a history hunt to give participants an opportunity to “Walk in Her Steps” and visit fourteen of the WHT sites in town to learn more about women or groups of women who helped shape Macon County’s early days. Passports were picked up at the Macon County Historical Museum which directed folks to trail sites and partnering businesses for validation then back to the museum to exchange completed passports for a chance to win gift baskets provided by the merchants. Pictured are some of the trailblazers seeking clues for the “Passport to the Past.”
This special day during Women’s History Month was highlighted by the announcement of the Women’s History Trail’s 9th Macon Matriarch, Nancy Siler Scott!
Members of the FHAMC Board name Betty Merrill the 8th Macon Matriarch.
2026 Macon Matriarch, Nancy Siler Scott (second from left) and family
More about WHT Macon Matriarch Award
The WHT Macon Matriarch award focuses on the impact women’s lives have made in this county. Women are nominated for their service in such areas as education, local government, heritage, arts, and occupation. A selection committee comprised of Folk Heritage Association of Macon County/WHT members evaluate nominations while considering public opinion and stories shared to determine the annual honoree. This year’s selection team was led by Mia Overton (FHAMC Chair Elect) and Susan Ervin along with the FHAMC/WHT Leadership Team: Marty Greeble, Anne Hyder, Theresa Ramsey and Claire Suminski.
FHAMC Women's History Trail Heritage Projects
"Walking in Her Steps"
Women's History Trail
The Women’s History Trail (WHT), a project of the Folk Heritage Association of Macon County, is dedicated to discovering and sharing the stories of the county’s remarkable women through public art and a marked trail. As visitors travel to each of the sites, they will be able to experience history in a deeper, more personal way giving a greater sense of identity to these women.
Park & Sculpture
This sculpture tells the story of three women - a Cherokee woman, an enslaved woman, and a pioneer woman - all connected by a specific piece of property that was on the Little Tennessee River across from the Noquisiyi (sometimes rendered as Nikwasi) Mound. It represents these historical women but also symbolizes each group of women and their cultural contributions that helped forge modern-day Franklin – and modern-day America.
Macon Matriarchs
The Women’s History Trail (WHT) project of the Folk Heritage Association of Macon County (FHAMC) adopted an activity in 2018 that continues each March as a part of Women’s History Month.
This year Betty Warstler was named as the 2024 and 7th Macon Matriarch.
This year Betty Warstler was named as the 2024 and 7th Macon Matriarch.
Barbara McRae Scholarship
To encourage young women in their pursuit of educational goals, the WHT Barbara Sears McRae Academic Scholarship is given annually to a graduate who embraces community involvement, volunteerism, and academic achievement thus leading the way for advancement as they prepare for the future.
Native Plant Garden
2025 saw another dream come true for the Folk Heritage Association of Macon County at the Women's History Park in Franklin, NC. The FHAMC fulfilled it's dream of creating a Native Plant Garden in the park. Learn more about this project and our donors.
Other WHT Projects
FHAMC's Women's History Trail continues to seek ways to recognize the accomplishments of women in Macon County. Future projects will include educational components that tell their stories as well as guided Trail tours, monologue portrayals, and more historical events. Please contact us - the WHT Leadership Team welcomes the opportunity to share more about our projects.
Support the FHAMC
We encourage you to step forward and become part of our efforts by donating to the Folk Heritage Association of Macon County and the Women's History Trail.
The Folk Heritage Association of Macon County (FHAMC) is dedicated to preserving and sharing the culture and folkways of our Southern Appalachian Mountains. In this world of instant gratification and communication, unique and important lessons can be learned from the lives of those whose survival depended on ingenuity, hard work, and mutual help and support from their neighbors.
We encourage you to step forward and become part of our efforts, for it is about each of us, both native and newly arrived; those who lived it, and those who wish to understand it.
» Download a Project Donation Form (PDF)
» Download the FHAMC Brochure (PDF)
You can also support us by donation securely through PayPal.