The enduring legacy of Anna Norris Kendall: Suffragist, philanthropist, "The grandmother of good roads".

This article focuses on the life and legacy of Anna Norris Kendall (1844–1939), a prominent suffragist, philanthropist, and advocate for good roads known as "The Grandmother of Good Roads." Born to abolitionist Quaker parents in Illinois, Kendall was deeply involved in social reform, education, and infrastructure improvements throughout her life, including funding kindergartens, promoting child culture and musical education, supporting the Red Cross, and pioneering road-building techniques such as the split-log drag system. She was active in the women's suffrage movement, participating in the 1917 White House picketing with the National Woman's Party, and later joined the Socialist Party, running for public office. Despite personal tragedies and physical disabilities, Kendall's contributions to rural education, road construction, and social activism earned her recognition as a trailblazer in Illinois and beyond.