Led by Sue McLane, the tour will highlight the remarkable though often overlooked women who played defining roles in the history of Schenectady and who are now buried at the cemetery.

“Notable Women of Schenectady” has been running for five years, according to McLane, and covers more than 350 years of Schenectady history.

Some of the women that will be visited and discussed on Sunday’s tour include Hannah Jackson, an African-American woman who played a primary role in securing the pension her husband earned during the Civil War, Jane Yates, a member of one of the most prominent families in early Schenectady, and Virginia Sweet, a World War II pilot.

“They’re not notable because they married a rich guy or they married the bank president,” said Bernard McEvoy, the secretary of Vale Cemetery. “They’re notable because they were the artist or they were the poet or they started a business.”

And while this tour will shed light on these women’s names, it will also reveal Schenectady’s role in overall American history.

“I hope that people will understand Schenectady’s actual importance in the development of this whole United States,” McLane said.

The tour will take place on Sunday at 2 p.m. beginning from the Caretaker’s Cottage adjacent to the main entrance on State Street. It is a rain-or-shine event and participants are requested to make a $7 donation, with children under 12 years of age being admitted free.