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3. Provenance 5. Inventory 6. Subjects |
Woman's Christian Temperance Union of Rhode Island Rhode Island Organizational records, 1875 - 1971 Size: 20 ft. Catalog number: MSS 811 Processed by: ©Rhode Island Historical Society Manuscripts Division |
Historical note:
The Woman's Christian Temperance Union of Rhode Island (W.C.T.U. of R.I.) held its organizational meeting on 20 January 1875 at the First Baptist Church in Providence. As an official branch of the National Woman's Christian Temperance Union - "The Matchless Machine Manned by Christian Women and Powered by Prayer" formed in Evanston, Illinois in 1873 - the W.C.T.U. of R.I.'s purpose was to encourage "political and social progress to correct rampant evils which were mostly drink associated." Officially chartered and incorporated in 1883 by the State of Rhode Island, the organization grew rapidly, spawning nearly 120 local unions and giving credence to its claim in 1888 that "every town" in Rhode Island "was enrolled in our work." The W.C.T.U. of R.I.'s devotion to the temperance cause first climaxed on 6 April 1886 when a prohibition law met the approval of voters in a statewide referendum. This success was short-lived; however, for voters endorsed the repeal of prohibition legislation on 20 June 1889. The W.C.T.U. of R.I. regrouped in the 1890s and joined wholeheartedly in the drive for national prohibition. Members attempted to convince people scientifically of the dangers of alcohol and to encourage alternative recreation. With the adoption of the Eighteenth Amendment in 1919 the W.C.T.U. of R.I. suffered a decline in zeal and numbers. Despite having some 3000 members in the 1920s, economic depression and the repeal of national prohibition made the W.C.T.U. of R.I.'s disintegration precipitous in the 1930s. By the 1960s, the organization survived in little more than name.
At its peak, the W.C.T.U. of R.I. had approximately 120 affiliated unions, including several Young People's Branches. Delegates from those unions met regularly in four district conventions and in semi-annual and annual state conventions. For communication among members, the W.C.T.U. of R.I. published a newspaper, The Outlook, which had 2500 subscribers in 1926. In 1961, however, only 15 of 22 extant unions remained active.
Early presidents of the W.C.T.U. of R.I. included Mrs. W.F. Bainbridge, 20 January 1875 through May 1875; Miss Phebe Hathaway, May 1875-1877; Mrs. J.K. Barney, 1877-1884; Mrs. Emeline S. Burlingame, 1884-1890; Mrs. Mary A. Babcock, 1890-1904; Mrs. Deborach K. Livingston, 1904-1912; Mrs. Jennie L.W. Rooke, 1913-1919; Mrs. Ethelyn H. Roberts, 1919-1930s.
Scope and content:
This collection contains minutes, reports, financial records, correspondence, scrapbooks, and memorabilia of the W.C.T.U. of R.I., its Young People's Branches, two of its four districts, and 27 of its local unions. While there are scattered documents from the post World War II era, the bulk of the material comes from the years between 1875 and 1945. Unions are listed by locality, not by name.
With the exception of the Johnston (Anna Gordon), Pawtucket, and Woonsocket unions the documents from the local unions are personal and incomplete. Financial records throughout the collection tend to be haphazard and idiosyncratic. The researcher will find the most pertinent and complete information in the various minutes, especially those of the state organization.
Provenance:
Gift of the Woman's Christian Temperance Union of Rhode Island
Processing note:
Series arrangement:
Sub-Group I - Papers of the W.C.T.U. of Rhode Island
Series 1: History, 1875-1949
Series 2: Organization, 1875-1960
Series 3: Minutes of the W.C.T.U. of R.I.'s State Conventions and Official Board,
1875-1961
Series 4: Minutes of the W.C.T.U. of R.I.'s Financial and Executive Committees,
1886-1951
Series 5: Financial Records, 1904-1937
Series 6: Correspondence, 1887-1958
Series 7: Memorabilia and Scrapbooks
Sub-Group II - The Young People's Branch of the W.C.T.U. of R.I., 1933-1935
Sub-Group III - The Providence District of the W.C.T.U. of R.I., 1892-1961
Sub-Group IV - The South County District of the W.C.T.U. of R.I., 1907-1911, 1942-1957
Sub-Group V - Carolina Union, 1893-1920
Sub-Group VI - Central Falls Union, 1909-1952
Sub-Group VII - Clarks Mills Union, 1948
Sub-Group VIII - Cumberland Union, n.d.
Sub-Group IX - Curtis Corner Union, 1947
Sub-Group X - Cranston (Roberts) Union, 1958
Sub-Group XI - East Greenwich Union, 1924, 1947-1956
Sub-Group XII - Georgiaville (Alice Cook) Union, 1928-1942
Sub-Group XIII - Hopkinton-Richmond (Hope Valley) Union, 1922-1926, 1947-1953
Sub-Group XIV - Jamestown Union.
Sub-Group XV - Johnston (Anna Gordon) Union
Series 1: History, 1885-1935
Series 2: Organization, 1885-1904, 1958
Series 3: Minutes, 1885-1971
Series 4: Correspondence, 1888-1901
Sub-Group XVI - Middletown Union, 1945
Sub-Group XVII - Newport Union, 1960
Sub-Group XVIII - North Scituate Union, 1887-1955
Sub-Group XIX - Pawtucket Union
Series 1: Organization, 1925-1950
Series 2: Minutes, 1882-1920
Series 3: Annual Report, 1904
Series 4: Scrapbook, 1908-1910
Sub-Group XX - Phenix (Mary A. Babcock) Union, 1920-1932, 1944-1948
Sub-Group XXI - Providence Union, 1918-1931, 1945
Sub-Group XXII - Providence (Barney) Union, 1930-1947, 1956
Sub-Group XXIII - Providence (F. E. Willard) Union
Series 1: History, 1895-1945
Series 2: Minutes, 1943-1945
Series 3: Financial Records, 1939-1966
Series 4: Correspondence, 1953
Sub-Group XXIV - Providence Young W.C.T.U., 1882-1906
Sub-Group XXV - Providence (Livingston W.C.T.U.), 1913-1927, 1957-1958
Sub-Group XXVI - Washington Union, n. d.
Sub-Group XXVII - Watchemoket (East Providence) Union, 1937-1957
Sub-Group XXVIII - Westerly (Ocean View) Union, 1918-1928
Sub-Group XXIX - Wickford (Hammond) Union, 1888-1941, 1949-1953
Sub-Group XXX - Woodlawn Union, n.d
Sub-Group XXXI - Woonsocket Union
Series 1: History, 1899-1949
Series 2: Minutes, 1899-1956
Series 3: Annual Reports, 1906-1909
Series 4: Miscellaneous Correspondence, 1880-1953
Inventory:
Sub-Group I - Papers of the W.C.T.U. of Rhode Island
SGI Series 1: History, 1875-1949
B1, Vol. 1. Manuscript History of the W.C.T.U. of R.I. [c.1899?]
B1, Vol. 2. Histories:
B1, Vol. 2, Item 1. "Fifty Events in the Story of the W.C.T.U. of R.I." n.d.
B1, Vol. 2, Item 2. "Brief Reminiscences of the W.C.T.U. of R.I. and of [1926]
Headquarters at 319 Butler Exchange,
Providence, by Mary E. Olney, Secretary."
B1, Vol. 2, Item 3. Reminiscences of Temperance Reform. n.d.
B1, Vol. 2, Item 4. "Brief History of the Crusade Work of the W.C.T.U. n.d.
of R.I., by Mrs. Ruth E. Richardson."
B1, Vol. 2, Item 5. "Press and Community Information, The Seventy-Fifth Jan 1949
(Diamond) Anniversary Year of the National
W.C.T.U., 1949 - The Story of "The Matchless
Machine Manned by Christian Women and
Powered by Prayer, compiled by Harry E. Caylor."
B1, Vol. 3. Life of "Emeline Burlingame Cheney." n.d.
(Mrs. Cheney was president of the W.C.T.U.
of R.I. in the 1880s. This short biography traces
her life, particularly her conversion to
Christianity and her involvement in temperance
and related activities.)
SGI Series 2: Organization, 1875-1960
B1, Vol. 1. Organizational Records, 1875-1960:
B1, Vol. 1, Item 1. Constitutional By-laws of the W.C.T.U. of R.I., Inc.
B1, Vol. 1, Item 2: List of the Unions and Organization Dates 20 Jan 1847 - May 1947
B1, Vol. 1, Item 3. Lists of the Departments of the W.C.T.U. of R.I. 20 Jan 1875 -
and Organization Dates 1919
B1, Vol. 1, Item 4. Copy of the List of the Departments of the 20 Jan 1875 -
W.C.T.U. of R.I. and Organization Dates 1919
B1, Vol. 1, Item 5. List of Extant Unions and the Treasurers in R.I. 1960-1961
B1, Vol. 1, Item 6. List of the People Contacted at the Seventh Day 11 Jun 1960
Adventist Church
B1, Vol. 1, Item 7. List of the People Contacted at the Stanwood Street 1959
Seventh Day Adventist Church
B1, Vol. 2. Organizational Records, 1954-1958:
B1, Vol. 2, Item 1. List of Unions and Activities n.d.
B1, Vol. 2, Item 2. List of Unions and Activities 1954
B1, Vol. 2, Item 3. List of Unions and Activities 1955
B1, Vol. 2, Item 4. List of Unions and Activities 8 Aug 1955
(includes number of members per union).
B1, Vol. 2, Item 5. List of Unions and Activities 1956
B1, Vol. 3. "Life and Memorial Members of the W.C.T.U. of R.I.," c.1915-c.1935
B1, Vol. 4. "Book of Remembrance," List of Paid Memorial 1921-1964
Members
B1, Vol. 5. Miscellaneous Membership Lists 1951-1954, n.d.
B1, Vol. 6. E. Carol Hodge's Scrapbook on Juvenile 1930s
Alcohol Education, (Stories for Children
on the Evils of Alcohol, etc.)
B1, Vol. 7. E. Carol Hodge's Scrapbook on Her Work in 1933-1936
R.I. Schools, plus Her Speeches to Educators
on Setting a Good Example for their Students.
SGI Series 3: Minutes of the WCTU of RI's State Conventions and Official Board
Meetings, 1875-1961
B2, Vol. 1. Records of the W.C.T.U. of R.I. 20 Jan 1875 - Sep 1880
B2, Vol. 2. Records of the W.C.T.U. of R.I. 29 Sep 1882 - 29 Jan 1886
B2, Vol. 3. Records of the W.C.T.U. of R.I. 3 Mar 1886 - 20 Sept 1889
B2, Vol. 4. Records of the W.C.T.U. of R.I. 15 Oct 1889 - 30 Dec 1893\
B2, Vol. 5. Records of the W.C.T.U. of R.I. 27 Jan 1893 - 26 Sep 1898
B2, Vol. 6. Records of the W.C.T.U. of R.I. 12 Oct 1898 - 27 Feb 1903
B2, Vol. 7. Records of the W.C.T.U. of R.I. 27 Mar 1903 - 27 Apr 1906
B2, Vol. 8. Records of the W.C.T.U. of R.I. 31 Aug 1906 - 24 Sep 1912
B2, Vol. 9. Records of the W.C.T.U. of R.I. 23 Sept 1912 - 23 Mar 1917
B2, Vol. 10. Minutes of the W.C.T.U. of R.I. 25 Apr 1917 - 26 Sep 1924
B2, Vol. 11. Minutes 14 Oct 1924 - 30 Mar 1928
B2, Vol. 12. State Convention Records and Executive 5 Oct 1927 -
Committee Minutes 7 Oct 1931
B2, Vol. 13. Minutes 7 Oct 1931 - 19 Oct 1937
B2, Vol. 14. Minutes of the Recording Secretary of 9 Aug 1937 -
the State W.C.T.U. 4 Oct 1944
B2, Vol. 15. Minutes of the Conventions 23 Mar 1945 - 5 Apr 1961
SGI Series 4: Minutes of the W.C.T.U. of R.I.'s Financial and Executive Committees,
1886-1951
B3, Vol. 1. Finance Committee Records, 6 Dec 1889 -
7 Feb 1890
B3, Vol. 2. Record of the Finance Committee of the R.I. W.C.T.U., 29 May 1914 - 27 Feb 1925
B3, Vol. 3. Reports of Finance Committee and 13 Mar 1925 -
Official Board and General Officers, 12 Sep 1930
B3, Vol. 4. Official Board Meetings, (includes Finance 10 May 1929 -
Committee Records, 30 Oct 1929 - 8 Jan 1937) 15 Oct 1929
B3, Vol. 5. Official Board Meetings 10 May 1929 - 15 Oct 1929
B3, Vol. 6. Minutes of Official Board and Finance 18 Oct 1937 -
Committee of the R.I. W.C.T.U. 26 Mar 1943
B3, Vol. 7. Official Board and Finance 28 May 1943 -
Committee Records, 31 May 1951
B3, Vol. 8. Records of the Publication Committee of the R.I. 11 May 1886 -
R. I. Woman's Christian Temperance 31 Aug 1896
Union, in connection with their official
paper, The Outlook,
SGI Series 5: Financial Records, 1904-1937
B4, Vol. 1. W.C.T.U. of R.I., Treasurer's Accounts 3 May 1904 - 23 Sep 1913
B4, Vol. 2. W.C.T.U. of R.I., Treasurer's Accounts 25 Sept 1913 - 21 Jul 1921
B4, Vol. 3. W.C.T.U. of R.I., Treasurer's Accounts 1 Aug 1921 -
(includes state Memberships Paid, 21 Sept 1927
Oct 1925 - Oct 1926)
B4, Vol. 4. Treasurer's Accounts. 5 Oct 1927 - 10 Oct 1934
B5, Vol. 5. Treasurer's Accounts 11 Oct 1934 - 30 Sept 1943
B5, Vol. 6. Annual Financial Reports, W.C.T.U. of R.I. 1930-1933
B5, Vol. 7. Semi-annual Financial Reports, 1933 - 1937
B5, Vol. 8. Accounts of The Outlook Oct 1925 -
1 Jul 1933
SGI Series 6: Correspondence, 1887-1958
B6, Vol. 1. Semi-annual Reports of the Corresponding Secretary 1926-1938
B6, Vol. 2. Semi-annual Reports of the Corresponding Secretary 1946-1958
B6, Vol. 3. Miscellaneous Correspondence:
B6, Vol. 3, Item 1. E. M. Downe to the President and Members of the 6 Aug 1887
W.C.T.U., Letter of Resignation
B6, Vol. 3, Item 2. Mary H. Hunt, Superintendent of the Department 31 Dec 1887
of Scientific Instruction in Schools and
Colleges of the National W.C.T.U. to
W.C.T.U. Members
B6, Vol. 3, Item 3. Frances Willard, President of the National W.C.T.U., 3 Nov 1889
to Susan Barney, past President of the W.C.T.U.
of R.I. (All letters from Miss Willard to
Mrs. Barney deal mainly with Missionary
Activities of the W.C.T.U. and slightly with
W.C.T.U. Affairs.)
B6, Vol. 3, Item 4. Frances Willard to Susan Barney 29 Nov 1890
B6, Vol. 3, Item 4a. Clara to [?], Concerns Japanese missionary work. 28 Dec 1896
B6, Vol. 3, Item 5. Frances Willard to Susan Barney 13 Mar 1897
B6, Vol. 3, Item 6. Frances Willard to Susan Barney 14 Jul 1897
B6, Vol. 3, Item 6a. "Clara" to [?], Concerns missionary work in Japan 6 Aug 1897
B6, Vol. 3, Item 7. Frances Willard to Susan Barney 27 Dec 1897
B6, Vol. 3, Item 8. Frances Willard to Susan Barney 14 Jan 1898
B6, Vol. 3, Item 9. Anna A. Gordon to Susan Barney, on the Death 4 Apr 1898
of Frances Willard.
(Miss Gordon had been Miss Willard's private
secretary and succeeded her as President of the
national W.C.T.U. of R.I.)
B6, Vol. 3, Item 10. E.T.Thompson to Susan Barney, Thank you letter 4 Jan 1905
B6, Vol. 3, Item 11. Mrs. John A.C.Wightman to W.C.T.U. members, 18 Jan 1911
Thank you letter
B6, Vol. 3, Item 12. Anna A.Gordon to Mrs. Briggs 18 Jan 1915
B6, Vol. 3, Item 13. Jennie L.W. Rooke to Lena Sparks, on the Youth, Inc. 17 Aug 1936
Movement and Mrs. Frederick M..Alger's work
in Detroit
B6, Vol. 3, Item 14. Gov. Robert E. Quinn of R.I. to Mrs. Henry A. Eldridge, 13 Sep 1937
declines invitation to attend Sixty-Third Annual
R.I. W.C.T.U. Convention in October 1937
B6, Vol. 3, Item 15. C. Leroy Grinnell, ed., The Newport County Sentinel, 19 Feb 1949
to Mrs. Jennie H. Nichols, will refuse to accept
liquor ads in his newspaper
B6, Vol. 3, Item 16. Mary A. Eldridge to Margaret Collings 8 Nov 1953
B6, Vol. 3, Item 17. Helen W. Worden, Exective Secretary, R.I. Association 28 Feb 1958
for the Blind, to Margaret Collings, President R.I.
W.C.T.U., Wants help for Annual Exhibition and
Sale for the Blind
B6, Vol. 3, Item 18. Mary N. Ellis to Mrs. Scott, Thank you letter n.d.
B6, Vol. 3, Item 19. Secretary, W.C.T.U., to Miss Osborne, on W.C.T.U. n.d.
activities
B6, Vol. 3, Item 20. Local Chairman of Fellowship Fund to Friend n.d.
B6, Vol. 3, Item 21. A.W. Hanson, Superintendent, Advent Christian n.d.
Church, Providence, to W.C.T.U. Report of
Temperance Activities.
B6, Vol. 3, Item 22. A.B. Hall, Second Presbyterian Sunday School to n.d.
W.C.T.U., Report of Temperance Activities
SGI Series 7: Memorabilia and Scrapbooks, n. d.
B6, Vol. 1. Newspaper Clippings on Temperance Activities n.d.
B6, Vol. 2. Miscellaneous Temperance Tracts n.d.
B6, Vol. 3. Highlights and Programs from State Conventions n.d.
B6, Vol. 4. "World W.C.T.U." and Clippings from the World c.1937-1946
W.C.T.U.'s White Ribbon Bulletin, collected
by Mrs Ruth E. Richardson.
B6, Vol. 5. Clippings of Meetings and Temperance Activities c.1949-1955
B7, Vol. 6. Photographs of Unions and various children and c.1945-1950
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