Who is Lyda Conley?

Lyda Conley also known as Eliza Burton Conley was born around 1868-1869 to her mother, Eliza Burton Zane Conley who was a member of the Wyanndotte tribe and a descendant of a chief. Her father on the other hand was an English farmer from Kansas, Andrew Conley. Prior to when women had the right to vote, Conley was very active in both her academic studies and community. Across her lifetime she accomplished becoming a lawyer, becoming admitted to the Missouri Bar, teaching at Kansas City's Spalding Business College, and taught Sunday School at her local Methodist Episcopal Church.

What She's Most Well Known For

Conley was most acclaimed for her attempts in protecting the the Huron Indian Cemetery. This was located in downtown Kansas and as Kansas city developed became more favored as real estate instead of ancestral grounds. Conely's whose family and more notably hundreds of Wyandotte tribespeople were burried in the cemetery, took great intrest in the discussions concerning the land. After unraveling the potential destruction against the land, Conley embarked on a mission to fight for its protection by entering law school. She graduated as one of the only women in her class and as mentioned before subsequently admitted to the Missouri Bar in 1902.