At Large

As this humane movement was taking root nationally in the late nineteenth century, a woman named Nellie Nalle Palmer here in Richmond was concerned about these issues and passionate about establishing a society for the protection of animals in our community. Nellie was a socially well-connected former debutante. She married W. Ben Palmer, who had served in Mosby’s Rangers in the Civil War. Mosby’s Rangers (43rd Battalion, Virginia Cavalry) was a legendary group of Confederate cavalry soldiers under the command of Col. John Mosby (often called “the Gray Ghost”).

In 1883, Nellie and Ben Palmer gathered a group of people at their home at 315 East Grace Street for the purpose of starting a Richmond Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals. (An interesting tidbit is that this house, now demolished, was located where the Richmond Times-Dispatch building now stands.) Sadly, they were not able to inspire enough enthusiasm or support to get it off the ground in 1883, but Nellie Palmer did not give up.

She worked with dedication for eight more years to raise the money and inspire the enthusiasm for the establishment of a humane society for Richmond. She and her husband convinced some of the most prominent men in Richmond that this was an important cause. Note I say “men” – Nellie Palmer was the only woman involved in the effort.

In October of 1891, Nellie and Ben Palmer again hosted a group in their Grace Street home and, this time, they successfully founded the Richmond Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals. They had recruited for the initial group of Board officers some of the most influential and respected Richmonders of the time, including Joseph Bryan (the founder of the Richmond Times-Dispatch who had served with Ben Palmer in Mosby’s Rangers), Dr. Jud Wood and Captain Alexander Guigon. Nellie’s husband, Ben Palmer, was also one of the founding officers.