“Therese Jenkins” is a part of the Capitol Avenue Bronze public art collection . . donated to the City of Cheyenne by private individuals, organizations or companies.

The bronze honoring the memory of Therese Jenkins (1853-1936) was sponsored by the First Presbyterian Church of Cheyenne. Therese was born in Madison, Wisconsin, and relocated to Cheyenne in 1877, where she became a leading advocate in the women’s suffrage and temperance movements.

In 1889, Therese participated in Wyoming’s Constitutional Convention, in which her determined efforts ensured women retained the right to vote, a right first extended to Wyoming women in 1869. Therese celebrated women’s suffrage in a speech delivered during the Wyoming Statehood Ceremony on July 23, 1890. Her address was described by many as the most forceful and eloquent speech of the day. Therese was also the first woman ever to be selected as a delegate to a National Convention of the Republican Party. She attended the Republican National Convention as a delegate in 1892.

Therese and her husband, James, were active in the First Presbyterian Church of Cheyenne. As of 2023, six generations of the descendants of Therese Jenkins have been baptized at the First Presbyterian Church.

Joel Turner sculpted the likeness of Therese Jenkins from family photographs. He also researched women’s clothing styles from the late 1800s, which typically featured vibrant colors. Joel draped fabrics over human models to recreate the creases and folds that would have been present in dresses worn by Therese. He also experimented with chemicals and heat to create a patina suggesting the varied colors that were incorporated into women’s fashions at the time of statehood.

To learn more about the Capitol Avenue Bronze Project, visit this link . For more information about each artist, sponsoring a bronze, or becoming a donor/supporter at any level, please contact Harvey Deselms at Deselms Fine Art, located at 303 E. 17th Street Cheyenne. Email is [email protected] or call at 307 432 0606