Alice May Stuart Thief River Falls Women’s Christian Temperance Union (S4721)

1935-1985 

Historical Sketch

The Women’s Christian Temperance Union is an organization of Christian women banded together for the protection of the home, the abolition of the liquor traffic, and the triumph of Christ’s Golden Rule in custom and in law. The National WCTU was organized in Cleveland, Ohio on November 18, 1874. It was the first women’s society in the world to build on the common framework of local, county, district and state affiliation under national direction. In 1883 the world’s WCTU was organized in a federation of many national unions. More than seventy nations are affiliated with the world’s WCTU. Triennial conventions are held in various areas of the world. The early records of the Alice May Stuart Thief River Falls WCTU have been lost. The earliest record of this chapter is the secretary’s book, beginning in 1935. A scrapbook from 1948 is included, with the rest of the records beginning in 1952. 

Collection Description

The Alice May Stuart Thief River Falls records contain the local branch records, the Minnesota State WCTU publication Minnesota White Ribbon, convention programs and yearbooks. National WCTU materials include department, educational, membership, program, leadership, the national publication Union Signal, Youth Temperance Council material and hard-bound volumes related to the history of the WCTU temperance. The records are arranged by organizational levels, first the local chapter records, then state related records, national materials and publications and the world WCTU organization publications.

Inventory

Box 1

  • Award Oratory Pins
  • Christian Outreach
  • Citizenship
  • Correspondence
  • Miscellaneous. 1954-85
  • WCTU of Minnesota to Thief River Falls Chapter. 1966-83
  • Cyclopedia of Temperance and Prohibition, Funk and Wagnall. 1891
  • District Convention Programs. 1953; 1968; 1970; 1972-73; 1985
  • Education Department
  • Alcohol and Tobacco
  • Essays
  • Miscellaneous
  • “Total Abstinence Teaching.” Volumes 1-4
  • France Willard
  • Heritage of Dedication, Agnes Dubbs Hayes. 1973
  • Home Protection Department
  • Mayoral Proclamation. 1978; 1982
  • Honorary Membership
  • Legislation Department
  • Miscellaneous
  • Political Action Correspondence. 1952-83
  • Membership
  • Lists. 1960; 1962
  • Miscellaneous
  • Memorial Membership Heilda Ripley. 1981
  • Minnesota WCTU
  • Constitution, By-laws and Resolutions. 1965; 1969
  • State Convention
  • Miscellaneous. 1984
  • Programs. 1968-70; 1975; 1979
  • National WCTU
  • Convention program. 1982; 1985; World WCTU Triennial Convention program. 1983
  • Handbook
  • Literature
  • Newspaper Clippings. undated; 1959-85
  • “One in a Million.” 1966
  • Organizational Material
  • Program Calendars. 1966-74; 1978-85
  • Project Methods Department - Alcohol Free Beverages and Food Recipes 
      

Box 2

  • Project Methods Department, continued
  • Speech Contest
  • Thief River Falls Chapter Annual Reports. undated; 1970-72
  • Public Relations Department
  • Miscellaneous
  • Press and Radio Releases
  • Secretary’s Book. 1935-45; 1947-61; 1973; 1979-85
  • Social Services Department
  • Song Books of the WCTU
  • Temperance and the Changing Liquor Situation, Deets Picket. 1934
  • Ten Decades of White Ribbon Service: 1883-1983, E.K. Stanley. 1983
  • The Minnesota White Ribbon. 1959; 1964-73; 1977-79; 1980-85
  • The Program Planner Manual/miscellaneous. 1980-85
  • The Promoter, (Quarterly Temperance Lessons). 1965-69; 1973-85
  • The Union Signal. 1961-68 
      

Box 3

  • The Union Signal. 1969-73; 1975-82 
      

Box 4

  • The Union Signal. 1983-85
  • The WCTU of Minnesota Yearbook. 1964-84
  • The Young Crusader. 1960; 1965-67
  • Tots for Temperance
  • Treasurer’s Record Book. 1963-81
  • Vanguard Union. 1983
  • What is Prohibition? Early Godwin. 1929
  • White Ribbon Bulletin. 1962-74; 1979-85
  • White Ribbon Recruiting
  • World’s Women’s Christian Temperance Union Thirty-First Report. 1983
  • Workshop, “Dimensions in Progress.” 1964
  • Youth Temperance Council
  • Miscellaneous
  • Newsletter and Camp. undated; 1965-73; 1981-86
      

Box 5

  • Where Prayer and Purpose Meet, Helen E. Tyler. 1949
  • Yesteryears: A Brief History of the Minnesota Women’s Christian Temperance Union, Bessie Lathe Scovell. 1939
  • Volumes 1-14A Scrapbooks. 1948-86, 1967-74