A group of five "doers" are set to make history in Buffalo Monday.
For the first time in the town's history, the Buffalo town council will convene with an all-female council.
"It's always been with men on there. Sometimes it's been all men except me, or sometimes it was like two women. It's just going to be really different," said Barbara Reed, a lifelong Buffalo resident who has served on the council since 1990.
Reed, along with fellow council members Leah Higginbotham, Jenny Buck-Leighton, Billy J. Whittington and Alisa Scott, was officially sworn in last week. First-time mayor Dave Melton was also sworn in then.
"We're so good at working together. We're doers," Reed said. "All five of us are active in the community. I think we'll work together good."
Melton, along with several council members, has expressed interest in attracting more business into the community and beautifying the town to preserve it and pass on the town's rich history.
While Reed recognizes how far the town has come in her time on the council, she still sees much more that needs to be done.
This could be the group that does it, she said. Reed said the group of women on council each come from different backgrounds - something she hopes they use to their advantage to build up the town's B&O tax.
"We don't have a lot. Just yesterday in a historical group meeting, we heard all the businesses that were here - just in my end of town - over the last 100 years. It's mind-boggling. And to look at business now, there's just not anything," she said. "I think we can do it. And Dave's very smart, very business-oriented."
Higginbotham, who has served on the council for 20 years, is excited about the chance to serve on the first all-female council.
This almost happened, though, in 1957.
A group of women led an effort to bring about change to the town and decided to run for town council as a group, according to Higginbotham.
"I guess they didn't like the way things were going, so they ran. They were defeated. I don't think any of them got elected," said Higginbotham, who has done extensive research on the town's history.
"They were in there for the town, though. That's what matters. They were trying to make a difference. That's what we're going to need to do is try to make a difference."
For Reed, Monday's meeting has been a long time coming.
"The ladies group tried to get that going and it didn't happen. But it's happened now," she said. "It's taken us this long."
Reach Carlee Lammers at Carlee.Lammers@wvgazettemail.com, 304-348-1230 or follow @CarleeLammers on Twitter.