FAIRHOPE, Ala. — History will come alive in Fairhope a week from Saturday during the 90th anniversary celebration of the founding of the national League of Women Voters.

“Local leagues everywhere are celebrating the anniversary of the national organization’s founding, and the League of Women Voters of Baldwin County is featuring this short play called ‘Women of Wonder — Women of Wit’ to highlight the forward-thinking citizens of the remarkable single-tax colony of Fairhope,” said Paulette Fedor, LWVBC president. “Many of the town’s early residents determinedly supported women’s right to vote and to participate in human society as equals.”

The play will consist of several short sketches of some of Fairhope’s historically important residents, including educator Marietta Johnson, the city’s first librarian Marie Howland, and single-tax proponent James Bellangee.

“I will portray Marietta Johnson and be attired in period dress,” said Maggie Mosteller, director of the Marietta Johnson Museum. “I will address the audience as though they are young students on the first day of class at the Organic School.”

Fairhope, the oldest, largest and most successful single-tax colony in the world, was founded in 1894; the town incorporated in 1908, where “valiant suffragists of Fairhope had a positive and international impact,” according to a LWVBC news release.

“Women had equal rights, voting in colony matters, and even serving as president,” Fedor said. “Fairhope had women educators, physicians, authors and more, as well as a women’s business club. In that spirit, LWVBC board members will dress in period outfits and party attendees are welcome to do so, too.”

From the spirit of the suffrage movement, the national League of Women Voters was founded on the idea that a nonpartisan civic organization could provide the education and experience the public needed to assure the success of democracy, according to the group’s Web site. From its founding until today, the organization has three main purposes: to foster education in citizenship, to promote forums and public discussion of civic reforms, and to support needed legislation.

In addition to Marietta Johnson’s depiction, Donnie Barrett, director of the Fairhope Museum of History, will portray Bellangee, and Howland will be played by museum docent Eloise Rogers.

“Our act will tell of the couple’s common interests in horticulture, community projects (such as parks, the library and the pier), and their social friends,” Barrett said. “Howland, a free thinker and women’s rights advocate, will expound on women’s right to vote, and Bellangee will speak on economic theory.”

The event will occur at the Fairhope Unitarian Fellowship at 1150 Fairhope Ave. from 2 to 4 p.m. on Saturday, Feb. 20, and will include piano music by Jeanine “Dr. Jazz” Normand, as well as birthday cake, ice cream, coffee and tea, to be served after the performances. The event is free and open to the public.

For more information, contact Fedor at 928-4064 or paofedor@gmail.com.