We speak rather smugly these days of our rights, what's fair, whether we have equality in our homes, on our jobs, in society. What must Lydia Hamilton Smith felt in her time; during the mid 1800s? She was an American of African and European descent. She was female. She was a widow and mother.

This year, at an event created by the Stevens and Smith Historic Site (SSHS) the public had the chance to meet Lydia Hamilton Smith in the person of interpreter, Darlene Colon of Lancaster. We learned that Lydia was a widow with two sons when she came to Lancaster, PA as Thaddeus Stevens' housekeeper. Eventually she owned property and was close enough to the Stevens' nephews to chide them for not visiting their uncle. She had the reputation of helping anyone who came to her door and was believed to have helped with the Underground Railroad.

SSHS joined with several other organizations in Lancaster City (African American Studies, Millersville University, Crispus Attucks Community Center, NAACP Lancaster, Thaddeus Stevens College of Technology) to hold an event, In the Spirit of Lydia, to honor Mrs. Smith. On Saturday, March 29, 2008, women converged on the YWCA Lancaster to listen to women entrepreneurs and learn what it takes to be one. The keynote speaker was Delilah Winder, of Delilah's Southern Cuisine. Ms Winder left her job as a business analyst in Philadelphia to open her first food stand in the Reading Terminal Market. She now has five restaurants, a new cookbook and appears on TV. She made clear that the journey to self employment is about hard work and a willingness to accept some hardship but the reward is joy.

Similar messages were shared by the other speakers: Louise Williams, President of Lancaster's City Council, Lillian Escobar-Haskins, Director of Policy for PA's Department of Health, Sherylette Caldwell, retired Major, United States Army, and Minnie Vinson, retired from banking and now designer of clothing and handbags.

This Marketplace of Ideas spilled from speakers to the discussions among the participants and the Marketplace of Goods and Services right outside the Assembly Room. Books, jewelery, 'green' products, and much more were presented by women who had made these products their business. Business advice and financial services were explained by Community First Foundation, ASSESTS and Millersville University's Small Business Institute.

Lydia asked participants to consider how much she had been able to accomplish in her day and how much more could be accomplished by the women of this day.