Woman's Christian Temperance Union (W.C.T.U.), 10th Congressional District of Illinois. Records, 1883-1901

This volume contains a record of the Annual Conventions of the Woman's Christian Temperance Union (W.C.T.U.) of the 10th Congressional District in central Illinois, later redistricted as the 14th District. The volume also includes records from executive committee meetings for the organization in select years.

The Annual Conventions for the district brought together representatives from both local and county unions in the area. These included the W.C.T.U. of Peoria County, Knox County, Stark County, Fulton County, and Marshall County, as well as numerous local unions including Abingdon, Altona, Avon, Bradford, Chillicothe, Cuba, Canton, Dunlap, Elmwood, Farmington, Galesburg, Hanna City, Ipava, Lacon, La Fayette, Lewistown, Monica, Onieda, Princeville, Peoria Central, Peoria Bethany, South Peoria, Table Grove, Toulon, Vermont, Walaga, and Wyoming. The specific county and local unions with delegates in attendance varied by year.

The records document the substance of the conventions, including devotions, discussions and proposals, paper presentations, reports of county and local unions, and resolutions passed. Specific efforts to engage the youth, such as "Bands of Hope" and "Y's" [Young W.C.T.U.] are also noted.

The location of the convention varied by year, as detailed in the attached PDF. In 1895, the name of the group became the Woman's Christian Temperance Union of the 14th Congressional District due to redistricting changes.

The Library acquired the volume in 1944. In 1967, it was transferred from the Rare Book Room to the Illinois Historical Survey, predecessor of the Illinois History and Lincoln Collections unit.