Carthage Historic Preservation, Inc.
Mailing Address: P.O. Box 375 | Carthage, MO 64836
Phelps House: 1146 Grand Avenue, Carthage, MO
417.358.1776
ANNIE WHITE BAXTER
1864–1944
​In 1890, Annie White Baxter made history as the first woman elected to public office in Missouri and the first female county clerk in the United States, 30 years before women had the right to vote. ​
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Born in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, Annie moved with her family to Carthage, Missouri, in 1876. After graduating from Carthage High School in 1882, she worked as a clerk in several county offices, gaining expertise in government record-keeping. In 1890, the Democratic Party nominated her for Jasper County clerk. Despite controversy over whether a woman could hold office, she won the election by more than 400 votes.
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Annie began her duties as Jasper County clerk in January 1891, but her opponent, Julius Fischer, challenged the election in court. He argued that Annie’s votes were invalid because she was a woman. A few months later, the Greene County Circuit Court upheld her victory and ordered Fischer to pay her legal fees.
As clerk, Annie helped plan the construction of a new Jasper County Courthouse to replace the original 1851 building destroyed during the Civil War. Until then, county business had been carried out in temporary spaces such as businesses, a church, and a school.
Missouri Governor David R. Francis praised her work, calling her the best county clerk in the state and appointing her as an honorary colonel on his staff—earning her the nickname “Colonel Baxter.”
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Although nominated for a second term in 1894, Annie lost when Republicans swept the local elections. Soon after, she and her husband moved from Carthage to St. Louis and later to Jefferson City where she continued a long career in public service. She later worked in Jefferson City as Land Registrar, financial secretary for the Missouri Constitutional Commission, and as a university secretary.
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Annie died in 1944 in Jefferson City. Her trailblazing career paved the way for Missouri women in politics, decades before they gained the right to vote.
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