Guide to the Woman's Christian Temperance Union, East Washington Chapter Papers 1883-1986

Creator:	Woman's Christian Temperance Union, East Washington Chapter
Title:	Woman's Christian Temperance Union, East Washington Chapter Papers
Dates:	1883-1986 ( inclusive )
Quantity:	5 linear ft. (5 boxes)
Collection Number:	Ms 68
Summary:	Correspondence, scrapbooks, minute books, convention programs, and ephemera from two Spokane County unions, Margaret B. Platt Union and Frances E. Willard Union, and Frances E. Willard Union, Yakima, Wash. Includes minute book (1931-1938) of Margaret B. Platt Union and material relating to alcohol, tobacco, and drug abuse, issued by the national headquarters.
Repository:	Eastern Washington State Historical Society/Northwest Museum of Arts & Culture Joel E. Ferris Research Library and Archives 2316 W. First Avenue Spokane, WA 99201 Phone: (509) 363-5313 Fax: (509) 363-5303 Email: archives@northwestmuseum.org
Languages:	Materials are in English
Sponsor:	Funding for encoding this finding aid was provided through a grant awarded by the National Endowment for the Humanities.

Historical Note

The Woman’s Christian Temperance Union (WCTU) was founded by Frances Willard at Cleveland, Ohio in 1874 as the result of a temperance crusade that swept through the Midwest at that time. Since then, the world-wide organization has provided education, publications, and programs against the use of alcohol, tobacco, drugs and prostitution. The East Washington Union was formed at a convention held in Cheney on 20-21 July 1883. Frances Willard was in attendance at the organizational meeting. The WCTU, in addition to its temperance function, served as an important women’s social organization in frontier and rural communities – men have never been allowed to join as voting members.

Content Description

The collection consists of correspondence, clippings, scrapbooks, minute books, convention programs, and ephemeral items from two Spokane County Unions, Margaret B. Platt Union and Frances E. Willard Union; and the Frances E. Willard Union in Yakima. Unfortunately the collection contains very little in early records; printed minutes of the annual meetings constitute the bulk of the material prior to the 1940s. Even the later material is weak in local items, the majority being publications on alcohol, tobacco, and drug abuse issued from the national headquarters. The earliest original material is a minute book from the Margaret B. Platt Union, 1931-1938.

Use of the Collection

Restrictions on Access :

Collection is not restricted.

Restrictions on Use :

Collection is open for use.

Preferred Citation :

Woman's Christian Temperance Union, East Washington Chapter Papers (Ms 68), Eastern Washington State Historical Society/Northwest Museum of Arts & Culture, Spokane, WA.

Administrative Information

Acquisition Information :

Donated by Woman's Christian Temperance Union, East Washington Chapter, 1985 and 1986 (Accession numbers L86-1485, L85-269, L86-43, and L86-1484).

Processing Note :

Processed to the file folder level.

Bibliography :

McMillen, Myrtle. "History of East Washington's Woman's Christian Temperance Union: 1883-1953, Seventieth Anniversary." Booklet, [1953].

Additional Reference Guides :

Nolan, Edward W. A Guide to the Manuscript Collections in the Eastern Washington State Historical Society (Spokane, WA: Eastern Washington State Historical Society, 1987).

Related Materials :

Charlotte Pinkham Hamblen Diaries (MsSC 211)

Peter Coffin Pinkham Diaries (MsSC 214)

Eastern Washington State Historical Society has an excellent collection of banners from local unions in Eastern Washington.

Detailed Description of the Collection

The following section contains a detailed listing of the materials in the collection.

Introduction and Inventory

Container(s)
box-folder
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