Digitized Content from the Woman's Christian Temperance Union 10th Congressional District of Illinois Records | Illinois History and Lincoln Collections

The digitized content of the Woman's Christian Temperance Union (W.C.T.U.), 10th Congressional District of Illinois, Records consists of a record book, dated 1883-1901, for the Annual Conventions of the group as well as records from executive committee meetings for the organization in select years.

The Illinois W.C.T.U was founded in Bloomington, Illinois, in 1874 with the aim of promoting total abstinence from alcohol. In the decades that followed, county and local unions were established across the state. Annual Conventions for the 10th congressional 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.

The digitized content documents 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 Woman's Christian Temperance Union (W.C.T.U.), 10th Congressional District of Illinois, Records were completely digitized in 2020. Items are available online at the University of Illinois Digital Library. A preservation copy of the items is available to IHLC and digital preservation staff at the Library Digital Repository: https://medusa.library.illinois.edu/collections/1619.