USA > Ohio > Montgomery County > Dayton > History of the city of Dayton and Montgomery County, Ohio, Volume I > Part 42
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January 1, 1873, a free dispensary was opened. The city council granted ten dollars a month to pay the rent of the room, and all the homeopathic physi- cians cheerfully gave their services. For a term of years this work was carried on with both spiritual and temporal success.
December 6, 1875, Mrs. A. L. Connelly and Mrs. James Applegate opened an industrial school in Mrs. Connelly's house. There were eight little girls present. The school was an outgrowth of a railroad mission conducted by these women. The children were to be taught habits of cleanliness and godliness, and to earn the garments they had learned to sew with their own hands. The school grew in favor and soon Mrs. Connelly's house would not contain all who came, and it was removed to the hall of the Young Men's Christian Association. It was not long until there was a second overflow and school No. 2 was formed for the eastern part of the city. In these schools hundreds of girls have been taught to sew, and many of the first scholars are now earning their livings by their needles.
Cottage prayer meetings have been a feature of the association from its or- ganization. Two mission Sunday schools are the results of some of these meetings.
During the winter of 1874 a soup house was opened for the distribution of nutritious food. A committee gave their daily attention to the hungry applicants. Here many practical as well as spiritual lessons were taught, and thousands of religious tracts given away.
In 1875. one of the workers began to teach the Chinamen in their laundries. The next year the men were invited to come every Sabbath afternoon to her house for instruction. In this work her children became interested and rendered valuable aid.
In 1880 four women began to visit the county infirmary, presenting the promises of the Gospel with great tenderness to the unfortunate inmates.
A missionary was employed by the association during the winter of 1875 at a salary of twenty dollars per month. Hundreds of visits were made by her in the homes of the rich and the poor.
In 1881 writes the one whose mother heart prompted the nursery basket : "Ever since the advent of the Babe of Bethlehem, little strangers have made their appearance at unwelcomed times and places, without even swaddling clothes to wrap about their little bodies. This delicate branch of our work is for the
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relief of mothers who from sickness, desertion or destitution, have nothing in store for the little strangers."
May 19, 1887, the Woman's Exchange was opened in a part of the Young Men's Christian Association building by serving a lunch to the public. In this, as in all undertakings, the association was to labor for the gain of others, and not for itself. The exchange ranks today as a great blessing to housekeepers and to industrious women who are enabled to dispose of their handiwork.
Tuesday, December 6, 1887, the lunch room was opened and maintained a short time.
In December, 1887, the association received on trial, at the earnest solicitation of the Woman's Christian Temperance Union, their giris' home. For eight months every effort was put forth to make it a success. At the end of that time it looked as if bankruptcy would be its sad fate, and it was decided to return the establishment to its original owners.
When the work house was opened in Dayton a committee from this associa- tion volunteered holding meetings each Sunday with the inmates, and the work has been most faithfully done.
EDUCATIONAL DEPARTMENT. In November, 1888, the educational depart- ment was opened in the association parlors on Fourth street, with sixteen girls. Before the term had expired thirty-six names were enrolled. A competent teacher was employed, her assistants being a few women who were interested in the work. Mothers were taught to read and write, and many young girls were inspired with a hunger for knowledge while attending their evening classes.
Every winter a large class was maintained in dress cutting and fitting, and a number of those taught afterwards opened shops for themselves.
The educational department has grown steadily both in membership and sub- jects taught. During 1908-09 eight hundred and eight were enrolled in classes in domestic science, French, English, sewing, millinery, embroidery, stenography, orchestra, violin, elocution, current events, arts and crafts, gymnasium.
THE MARTHIA JANE DICKEY INDUSTRIAL SCHOOL pays tribute in its name to the one who, through the gift of five thousand dollars to start the fund for the present building on the rear of the lot and subsequent gifts and years of super- intendence of the industrial work, established on a firm basis this branch of the association. During the past year eighty-eight children were enrolled in this de- partment. At the east branch the association has maintained a school of about fifty children.
An aggressive junior department among girls from eight to fifteen years is maintained. Over forty girls are enrolled in the sewing class alone.
THE BIBLE AND EXTENSION DEPARTMENT is a successful phase of the associa- tion work. Clubs composed of factory girls under the superintendence of the as- sociation workers meet at the noon hour in fourteen different establishments. For these girls social affairs have been given at the main building. The association cooperated with the Young Men's Christian Association and County Sunday School Association in teacher training classes. Bible classes are also maintained.
THE GYMNASIUM DEPARTMENT strives in addition to the regular gymnastic class work to provide for the physical welfare of the girls and women through an
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outing park, a play ground in the east end, a department of medical gymnastics and medical lectures.
THE HOME FOR SELF-SUPPORTING YOUNG WOMEN has been maintained for about four years. Although two houses are used as lodgings the accommoda- tions are insufficient. During the past year there were one hundred and eighty- five regular boarders, serving thirty-six thousand, three hundred and ninety-seven meals. Because of the insufficient accommodations two hundred and fifty-six were turned away. It is desired to emphasize this department of the work as soon as larger quarters can be secured.
THE LUNCH ROOM department has provided a daily noon hour lunch and catered to various meetings. The waitresses are young women preparing for self-support, for the most part business college students.
THE WIDOWS' HOME already mentioned is described elsewhere.
THE RELIEF DEPARTMENT, the first department established by the associa- tion has had calls from one hundred and ninety families the past year, of whom sixty-nine have received assistance in fuel, clothing, groceries and care in sick- ness.
The Woman's Christian Association maintains in all nineteen departments.
In 1906 the local organization became affiliated with the National Young Woman's Christian Association and now works with this body, retaining, how- ever, its old name of "Woman's Christian Association." While this step has opened a wide door of opportunity it has not weakened the local work, but has tended to develop and strengthen it.
In 1907 it was decided that having outgrown the present building, steps must be taken toward erecting a larger and better equipped building. A special time was set aside to be devoted to soliciting funds for this purpose, and so the last two weeks in May, almost the entire membership joined forces in the canvass. The result was the securing of one hundred thousand dollars. The lots on the north- east corner of Third and Wilkinson streets were purchased, and the house upon one of them fitted up as a temporary dormitory for the home for self-supporting young women. The plans are already drawn up for a splendid new building to. be erected in the near future.
Among the changes of the past five years may be noted the withdrawal from the presidency of Mrs. W. D. Bickham. For years Mrs. Bickham as the ex- ecutive head of the association with rare wisdom and ability conducted the affairs- of the institution.
The association has also lost a valued worker in the withdrawal of the. general secretary, Miss Elizabeth Hughes, who was advanced to the position of territorial secretary for Ohio and Virginia.
The following are the presidents of the institution from the founding: Mrs. John H. Winters, 1870; Mrs. J. Harry Thomas, 1875; Mrs. John H. Winters, 1876; Mrs. C. E. Corpe, 1882; Mrs. W. D. Bickham, 1887; Mrs. J. I. Under- wood, 1906.
The present secretaries are Miss Aurilla D. Thrall, general secretary; Miss Alta Becker, assistant secretary; Miss Nellie I. Wood, financial secretary and: Miss Harriet Schultz, extension secretary.
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YOUNG WOMEN'S LEAGUE.
One of the youngest and most active organizations for the moral and social improvement of the people of Dayton in general and the young women of all classes in particular, is the Young Women's League. It lays down no religious tests whatsoever but at the same time scope is given through its activities to the most earnest and active religious life under whatever form it may manifest itself.
When in May, 1895, the Young Women's Department of the Woman's Chris- tian Association ceased to exist as it was originally organized, a committee of ten was appointed on motion, at a mass meeting, by the former secretary, Miss Etta Wolfe, to issue a call for another meeting, to form a new organization whenever they deemed it advisable. The committee consisted of the following young women : Clara Sawyer, Edith Prior, Etta Auchey, Phena Martz, Fannie Koch, Frances Spirk, Sarah Rosenthal, Alice Lane, Mary Grimm, Mrs. Katharine Jordan.
In response to a growing sentiment, they issued a call for a meeting which took place July 12, 1895, at the house of Mrs. Charles H. Kumler. About fifty persons, chiefly young women, were present. Miss Clara Sawyer presided and Mrs. Katharine Jordan acted as secretary.
In the discussion which ensued, the eager desire of the girls to have an organi- zation overruled all discouragements and all objections.
There was a consensus of opinion that a lunch room, at least, was feasible and would furnish immediate means to carry on the work; to which might be added, in the future, classes and social rendezvous.
A pledge was circulated and signed by forty-one persons, in which each promised to bring to the next meeting two or more names of other women who wished a new organization and would support it.
The next one was held at the home of Miss Lillie Smith, South Jefferson street, July 26, 1895. Miss Sawyer being absent, Miss Etta Wolfe presided and Mrs. Jordan was secretary. The roll was called and as each responded, she gave the names of the friends who wished to join the proposed organization. There were one hundred and five in all. The organization was assured as the membership fee of two dollars each would buy the lunch room equipment. Miss Elizabeth Evans started the treasury by paying her two dollars.
A committee consisting of Miss Grace A. Greene, Mrs. Robert Dexter, Miss Etta Wolfe, Miss Louise Marquardt, Miss Frances Spirk, Miss Etta Auchey and Miss Clara Sawyer, was appointed to form plans for the new organization and to call the next meeting.
On August 27, 1895, in the Sabbath school room of the First United Brethren church, kindly lent for the occasion, the third meeting took place, Miss Wolfe presiding ; Mrs. Jordan, secretary.
Discussion of the name for the organization brought forth suggestions- Working Girls' Club, Young Women's Club, Educational Union, etc. The feel- ing being that so important a matter should not be decided hastily, the question was tabled.
At a fourth meeting, held at Miss Thomas's residence, September 3, a consti- tution was adopted, and, after a long discussion, a name was chosen for the new organization-The Young Women's League. A board of directors was elected
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as follows : Miss Alice Jennings, Mrs. W. A. Phelps, Mrs. W. J. Conklin, Mrs. William Plattfaut, Miss Mary M. Kumler, Miss Alice Lane, Mrs. John R. Moore, Mrs. Hannah S. Frank, Mrs. J. E. Gimperling, Mrs. Charles H. Kumler, Miss Leoti E. Clark, Miss M. Etta Wolfe, Mrs. D. L. Rike, Mrs. Robert E. Dexter, Miss Leila Ada Thomas.
September 6, 1895, the first meeting of the board of directors of the Young Women's League took place at Miss Thomas's residence. Officers were chosen as follows: President, Miss Alice Jennings; Vice-President, Mrs. Charles H. Kumler ; Secretary, Miss Alice Lane ; Treasurer, Mrs. Hannah S. Frank.
At a second meeting of the board, September II, Mrs. Kumler and Miss Jennings both resigned the office to which they had been elected on September 6, and each was chosen to fill the office of the other, Mrs. Kumler, president and Miss Jennings, vice-president.
September 27th, the board of directors met in the examiners' room of the old courthouse to consider the selection of a league home, which resulted in the ap- pointment of a committee to examine the Johnson property, 231 South Jefferson street.
October 5th, the board met to hear the committee's report on the Johnson house, which was in favor of renting it for three years at fifty dollars per month. A vote authorized the committee to make the contract with Mrs. Johnson, the owner, on these terms.
October 14th, the board of directors held a meeting at the residence of Mrs. Charles Kumler, at which time the president and secretary were empowered to sign a contract with Miss Eva Martin to take charge of gymnastic classes to begin work. Through Captain Miller's influence, the armory was secured for temporary use as a gymnasium ; later Rauh's hall was rented by the league.
Meanwhile two meetings held by Miss Thomas, chairman of the educational committee, had taken place in the old courthouse by courtesy of the county com- missioners. A general invitation was given to all who wished to join evening classes in common sewing, millinery, etc., to gather at the courthouse Septem- ber 27th.
At the time appointed, the room was packed, seats full, aisles full, doorways crowded and an overflow in the hall. The attendance at the second meeting was equally large. Work began immediately thereafter. It was carried on in the face of obstacles that would have daunted any body of girls less determined.
The classes met in three different places, the courthouse, Professor Shauck's school rooms, and the Davies block. Sometimes there was no blackboard. Some- times there were not chairs enough.' But there were always girls who wanted lessons and a teacher who wanted to teach (their services were all donated the first year).
The board of directors met October 26th, at Mrs. W. A. Phelp's residence. The chief business transacted was to engage Miss Adah Boyer for one year as manager of the lunch room and then sign the lease giving the league permanent quarters at 231 South Jefferson street. Every member of the board signed the contract, thus making herself personally responsible for the rent of the house for three years.
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The Young Women's League started without a single piece of furniture or a dollar of money, relying solely upon the fees of its members. This confidence was well founded and won for the organization devoted friends whose gener- osity fitted out the league home with nearly all that was necessary to carry on the work, thus saving large expenditures by the house committee and enabling the treasurer to report to the board at its first meeting in permanent quarters, $300 in the treasury.
November 15, 1895, the first general meeting of members was held in their own home.
The league accepted, formally, the house leased for three years by the board of directors. Mrs. Kumler expressed the wish that the building, now the home of the Young Women's League, might be an educational, social, moral and spir- itual place whence all good influences may go out, and that here every girl who enters might feel herself a hostess to welcome every other girl and make- her feel at home.
Mrs. Moore announced that devotional meetings would be held every Sunday afternoon at 3: 30, followed by an informal song service. These meetings would be in charge of the board of directors, each of whom should be responsible for a Sunday in turn. The first meeting was announced to be held the next Sunday, Novmber 17th, in charge of Miss Grace A. Greene.
Between two and three hundred members were reported. A large and en- thusiastic gymnasium class meeting in the armory was reported. The members adopted white and green as the league colors, symbols of purity and growth. The gymnasium takes the additional color orange.
The lunch room was opened November 18, 1895. On December 3rd, Miss Boyer was able to report to the directors an average daily attendance of seventy- one.
On Sunday, December 15th, the house was formally and solemnly dedicated to the uses of the Young Women's League, the chief feature of the dedicatory ser- vice being a sermon by Dr. Edgar W. Work.
The activities thus begun were continued throughout the winter under the direction of the following committee chairmen: Miss Leila Ada Thomas, educa- tional; Mrs. W. A. Phelps, house; Miss Mary M. Kumler, library ; Mrs. W. L. Blumenschein, lunch room; Mrs. John F. Campbell, finance; Miss Grace A. Greene, devotional; Mrs. Robert E. Dexter, entertainment; Mrs. George F. Merry, invitation and reception; Miss Leoti Clark, gymnasium; Miss Ellen P. Dickson, publication; Mrs. Charles I. Williams, membership.
The first annual report meeting was held, September 8, 1896, in the National Cash Register hall. Mrs. Charles Kumler, the president of the league presided. Mrs. Kumler gave a short resume of the league's history, which began the preced- ing August with a meeting of fifty interested persons. Mrs. Williams, chairman of the membership committee, then reported the growth of a year from that small beginning to a membership of five hundred and four. Under Miss Leila Thomas, chairman of the educational committee, classes were begun in the school rooms of the old courthouse and in Professor A. B. Shauck's rooms. The house on South Jefferson was soon afterward secured and furnished through the kind- ness of friends and the liberality of members, and two hundred and forty women
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were enrolled in the night classes, exclusive of those in the gymnasium, cooking and French classes, altogether over three hundred. The report of the treasurer shows the following figures :
Receipts September 1, 1895, to September 1, 1896 $2,147.47
Expenditures 2,100.82
Balance on hand September 1, 1896. $44.65
The exchange which had been established was not intended as a source of revenue, but a market where women may sell the products of their labor. It affords women a chance to earn their own living by disposing of what they can conveniently put on sale.
Miss Boyer, manager of the lunch room, reported fifteen thousand, nine hundred and forty-four lunches served from November 18, 1895, to September 1, 1896, the average daily attendance being seventy-four. The profits were five hundred and eighty-five dollars and eighty-seven cents.
The library committee reported about one hundred volumes, besides maga- zines and newspapers, all of which were donated. To show how much they were appreciated and used, a record was kept, and an average of forty-five girls daily got wholesome and helpful literature.
Mrs. John Moore reported an average attendance of thirty at the Sunday afternoon meetings. The Catholic, Protestant and Jewish elements of the league were all represented.
A gymnasium class of seventy-five was reported at this meeting.
Three years after the league was organized, it became necessary on account of the growth of the lunch room patronage, and the increase of the classes, to find larger quarters. As two-thirds of the league's annual support was earned by serving lunches, a central location was necessary. The failure to rent a building so located led to the appointment of a committee with Mrs. V. A. Matthews as chairman to find a new home. At a mass meeting of members in September, 1898, it was decided to purchase the Dr. Adams property, 24 West Fourth street, for twenty-three thousand, five hundred dollars. There was not a single dollar saved for the purpose, but there were devotion to the league, enthusiasm for its work, and unlimited energy to be spent for its cause, and these suggested and carried out numerous money-raising enterprises for the building fund. In all these under- takings, Mrs. Charles Insco Williams was the chairman, assisted by the board and general membership.
A "Bazaar of Nations" in nine days netted five thousand dollars for the first payment. The addition of a gift of one thousand dollars from friends enabled the league to enter its present location December 1, 1898, with a mortgage of sev- enteen thousand dollars resting on the property.
During the first ten years the league raised a total of six thousand, five hun- dred dollars, of which five thousand dollars went to current expenses. The mort- gage then stood eleven thousand, two hundred and twenty-five dollars.
Since 1905, the work of the league has steadily grown, especially in its educa- cational and social features.
The following are some of the leading departments of the work: Educational department, extension, lunch room, mothers' guild and the social work.
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EDUCATIONAL DEPARTMENT-Fully ninety per cent of all who have ever be- longed to the league have been enrolled in its educational classes, and they have also been employed during the day in gainful occupations. At the first the league supported classes in gymnastics, in English, French, German, Spanish, literature, common branches, in choral singing, drawing, elocution, in bookkeeping, stenog- raphy and typewriting, in cooking, sewing, embroidery, millinery, lace making and basketry. There are quite a number of bookkeepers and stenographers occupy- ing lucrative positions in Dayton and elsewhere whose only course of prepartion was taken at the league. By far the largest number of girls have been enrolled in the classes of cookery, sewing and dressmaking, millinery and needle work. The first ten years over four thousand enrolled in classes. The service of teachers has been obtained without pay or for very meager compensation. During the year 1909, three hundred and one enrolled in these classes excluding the junior depart- ment, which enrolled thirty. Classes were conducted in dressmaking, millinery, English literature, stenography and typewriting, writing and speaking English, China painting, arts and crafts, embroidery, basketry, gymnastics, dramatic art, German, French and commercial geography.
For many years the league has had the use of Miss Nellie Foglesong's gym- nasium in Dayton View and the advantage of her able instruction.
EXTENSION-The league, early in its career, decided to take its benefits to those who could not or would not go to the central building to obtain them. When less than nine months old, the organization began its work of colonization by rent- ing June 25, 1896, a house on the corner of Burns avenue and Pulaski street, in which to serve a hot noon lunch to young women employed in the tobacco fac- tories of the neighborhood. League Extension work has meant the support of two branches, the one on Burns avenue, and the other at 1108 East Third street ; a vacation school at Idylwild ; hot lunches served in factories ; a class for Hunga- rian women and girls on the west side, and work among women factory employees at noon time.
At the Burns Extension night classes were conducted during the winter months such as at the central building. Moral and religious instruction was given and the boys of the neighborhood were gathered in. The lunch room failed to become self-supporting and this branch was abandoned, but the plan of serv- ing hot food to the girls at their places of employment, was put into execution at the East Third Street Extension.
The East Third Street Extension was opened by Mrs. J. B. Thresher and her Sabbath school class and given over to the league, March 6, 1899. The free kin- dergarten organized by them was continued, the league paying the teacher's salary, for two years until the new Parker school provided a kindergarten. The sewing school which Mrs. Thresher started for girls between four and sixteen was continued for five years, having an enrollment of one hundred and forty, one year. The East Third Street Extension is still continued.
For three years a cottage at Idywild was rented for an outing place.
In 1899, classes of factory girls were opened after a five months' investigation by Mrs. Houghman as to how to meet girls who would not come to the league. These factory classes are still maintained in about half a dozen factories. Classes
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