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Our Heritage
History of the Frederick County, Virginia Extension Homemakers
1916 - 1976
1
12 Whitacre
Rt. 522
Gainesboro
Brucetown
Welltown 15
Rt. 11
-16
North Mt . 18
Friendly
[8 Grove
W.
Frederick
10
2 1
3
Rt. 7
17 |Greenwood
Rt. 600
Stephens City
4
Rt. 522
6
Middle Rd.
5
Middletown
11 Gore
Rt. 50
14 Albín
Winchester
9 Star Tannery
Shawnee 7
Printed December 1976
Carr Publishing Company, Inc. Winchester, Virginia
Our Heritage
History of the Frederick County, Virginia Extension Homemakers 1916 - 1976
Compiled and written by Mrs. Cora A. Schlim
History Committee Mrs. Frances Unger, Chr.
Mrs. Connie Robinson, County EHC Chr. Mrs. Robert O'Neal, County EHC Secy. Miss Ruby Shiley, County Pub. Chr. Mrs. Pauline Baccary, Extension Home Agent Miss Agnes Shirley, Retired Home Agent Mrs. Charles Bass, Stephens City Club Mrs. Mabel Brown, Valley Mill Club Mrs. Catherine Monte, Middletown Club Mrs. Landon Whitacre, N. Frederick Club Mrs. Alma Crosen, N. Frederick Club Mrs. Betsy Kimball, Albin Club Mrs. Pat Richardson, Albin Club Mrs. Ruth Barker, Albin Club
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Key to Map on cover
Clubs
1. Stonewall
10. West Frederick
2. South Frederick
11. Gore
3. Valley Mill
12. North Frederick
4. Stephens City
13. Gainesboro
5. Middletown
14. Albin
6. Middle Road
15. Welltown
7. Shawnee
16. Brucetown
8. Friendly Grove
17. Greenwood
9. Star Tannery
18. North Mountain
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TABLE OF CONTENTS
History Committee i
Key to Map on Cover
ii
Table of Contents
iii
Preface iv
Acknowledgements
vi
Prelude
viii
County History
1
County Officers
88
Dedications
97
All Stars
98
IFYE's
99
Club Histories
99
By-Laws
120
Scholarships
123
VEHC History
125
NEHC History
127
Map of Virginia Districts
130
Organization Diagram
131
Our Emblem
Inside Back Cover
iii
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PREFACE
The Frederick County Extension Homemakers decided to com- pile and publish a history of their organization as a Bicentennial Project in observance of the 200th Birthday of our U.S.A.
Mrs. Vernon Unger, County Historian of our EHC, was ap- pointed as Chairman of the History Committee. Other members of her committee were: Mrs. Charles Bass, Mrs. Davis Bauserman, Mrs. Mabel Brown, Mrs. Alma Crosen, Mrs. Clara Dailey, Mrs. S. Roger Koontz, Mrs. Catharine Monte, Mrs. Agnes Rosenberger, Miss Ruby Shiley, Mrs. Landon Whitacre, Mrs. Connie Robinson (County EHC President), Mrs. Robert O'Neal (County EHC Sec- retary), Miss Agnes Shirley (Retired Frederick County Home Agent), and Mrs. Pauline Baccary (Extension Home Agent for Frederick County).
I, Cora Schlim, was asked to be coordinator and recording sec- retary. Yearbooks from 1947 to date were collected and summariz- ed by Mrs. Pat Richardson. State Handbooks, and the Virginia Federation of Home Demonstration Clubs History from 1923 to 1960 and the Supplement for 1960 to 1969, and HDC members' scrapbooks, were used as resource materials. The record books of the County HD Council and HD Clubs secretaries were reviewed. Phone calls were made, and letters were written, to Dr. Ann Thompson, Margaret Groseclose Skelton, Ethel Grubbs, and C. Dean Allen, personnel at V.P.I. and S.U. in Blacksburg, Virginia.
As many of the records were lost or destroyed when the County Extension Office was moved to its present location, the following ladies researched the files of the Winchester Evening Star at the Handley Public Library and at the Star's Office: Mrs. Ruth Barker, Mrs. Gerry Van Stronder, Mrs. Mildred Glaize, Mrs. Rosie Hott, Mrs. Charles Bass, Mrs. Robert O'Neal, Mrs. Frances Unger, Mrs. Cora Schlim, Mrs. Landon Whitacre, Miss Agnes Shirley, Mrs. Alma Crosen, Mrs. Pat Richardson, Mrs. Betsy Kimball, and Mrs. Gwen Lunsford.
Each Club was asked to write a short history of their own Club, giving date organized, charter members, highlights of their program and honors awarded to their members.
After many hours of collecting material, digesting and editing their contents, and typing them for the printer, the results are be- ing published in this book as "Our Heritage - Frederick County Extension Homemakers."
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We have grown from kernels of corn and small tomato seeds in small garden plots to seeds of love, kindness, friendship and un- derstanding world-wide; from corn clubs, tomato clubs, garden clubs, canning clubs, and poultry clubs to a county organization of 18 Extension Homemakers Clubs with 457 members. Our County Clubs are part of the Virginia Extension Homemakers Council, a State organization of 1253 clubs in 12 Districts with 23,575 mem- bers. We are also a part of a National organization, National Ex- tension Homemakers Council, of 42 States with 569,433 members in in 34,258 Clubs, and a part of an International organization, the Associated Country Women of the World.
The benefits and influence of our organization are immeasur- able and indescribable. We can present only the highlights.
Cora A. Schlim Coordinator for
Frederick County EHC History Committee
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ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
The History Committee of Frederick County Extension Home- makers Council would like to dedicate this History to those pioneer women whose foresight and efforts brought the Frederick County Extension Homemakers Council into being. To our knowledge, this is the first History of the Frederick County Extension Home- makers ever published.
As Chairman of the History Committee, I want to thank Cora Schlim whose untiring effort made it possible for us to compile this history. She has been in Frederick County only a few years but when you work with her, it seems you have known her for a lifetime. She never gives up when the going gets rough. She has been a real inspiration to me.
Also, my thanks to all the ladies who have helped research the Winchester Evening Star files at the Handley Public Library and the Star's Office, looking page by page, for information to compile. Many days were spent going through more than 60 years of print- ed pages. We are grateful to the Handlev Public Library and the Winchester Evening Star for the use of their files.
We would like to recognize each and every one who has helped to make our Extension program what it is today but to list the names of all the persons who have served on committees and been a part of our program would be almost impossible. Their ever- onward effort and work, however, has given Extension Homemak- ers a priceless heritage.
We do want to give special recognition to our By-Laws Com- mittee: Frances Unger, Betty Bauserman, Mary Lou Koontz, Court- ney Bragg, Gerry Van Stronder, and Cora Schlim - for they creat- ed the backbone of our organization.
Also, our original Bazaar Committee: Gerry Van Stronder, Mabel Brown, Mary Switzer and Courtney Bragg - for they were the creators of our Scholarship program: and to the Scholarship Committee: Bertha Hoagland, Bertha Venskoske, Ruby Shiley, Catharine Monte, Gerry Van Stronder, Lyda Grove, Phyllis Dyer and Mary Louise Crabill - for they set-up our Scholarship pro- gram. The officers and regular committees since 1947 are listed in the Yearbook summaries.
We hope that every ten years someone will take time to write a supplement to this Homemakers History so that future genera-
vi
tions will have a complete and current history to read, and refer to, and to enjoy.
"Onward, ever onward With a strength born of unity; Striving for better ways to live, Living to serve and give."
Frances Unger 1976 Historian of Frederick County EHC
AIMS OF A GOOD HOMEMAKER
Plan your home so it is: Economically sound Mechanically efficient
Physically healthful
Mentally stimulating Morally wholesome Artistically satisfying Socially responsible Spiritually inspiring Founded on mutual affection and respect.
Dode Kennedy
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PRELUDE
The very beginning of 4-H and Extension programs goes back 1 to 1862 when President Abraham Lincoln signed the Morrill Act, under which Congress granted to each state 30,000 acres of land for each representative and senator. Proceeds from the sales of this land were to be used in the state as a perpetual fund, the interest from which was to be appropriated for the "endowment, support and maintenance of at least one college where the leading object shall be, without excluding other scientific and classical studies and including military tactics, to teach branches of learning as are re- lated to agriculture and mechanic arts." Iowa was the first state in 1862 to accept provisions of the Morrill Act, followed by Ver- mont and Connecticut.
In 1887. the Hatch Act. which made provisions for agricultural research to be conducted by the State College of Agriculture in co- operation with the Department of Agriculture, was passed by Con- gress. The USDA was granted cabinet rank in 1889.
By the second Morrill Act of 1890, Congress began to make regular appropriations for the further support of these institutions through legislation passed in 1907. 1935, 1952 and 1960. The Acts of 1890 and 1907 are continuous; they amount to a total of $2,550,- 000 annually.
In 1914 Congress passed the Smith-Lever Act providing for agriculture extension teaching and the demonstration of agricultur- al and home economic practices. The extension service is recognized as an outstanding example of adult education. In 1916, the U.S. Bureau reported that agriculture was being taught under state supervision in 421 high schools and without state aid in 2,760 public high schools.
The Smith-Lever Act, approved in 1914, provided for agri- culture and home economics extension work to be carried on in the land-grant institutions in cooperation with the USDA, largely through county agricultural, home demonstration, and boys' and girls' club agents. Federal funds for agricultural research and co- operative extension work were greatly increased through addition- al legislation.
By the 1960s there was one land-grant institution in each of the states and a second one in Massachusetts, all participating in the federal appropriations.
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The Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University were established as a college in 1872. Mr. T. O. Sandy became the first County Agent in Virginia in 1906. Boys' corn clubs were started in Dinwiddie and Chesterfield counties in 1909. In 1910, girls' toma- to clubs were started and Ella G. Agnew became Virginia's first Home Agent. In 1916 home demonstration clubs were organized in Virginia. Virginia was the first State to have a State Bill and to have Home Demonstration Agents.
World War I necessitated an emergency call for increased pro- duction and preservation of foods. In 1917, Virginia appointed 196 Home Demonstration Agents. In 1918, at the close of the War there were 135 HD agents still in the field, but it slumped to 18 agents in 1919. ..
In 1929, the great depression revived interest in growing and canning vegetables and the education necessary to produce and preserve them.
Ella G. Agnew resigned in 1920 and Mrs. M. M. Davis was ap- pointed State Home Demonstration Agent in 1920. Three District Home Agents were also appointed. Maude E. Wallace became our State Home Demonstration Agent in 1929.
In 1933, Miss Janet L. Cameron, V.P.I. Agent, mailed out 50,- 000 copies of a "live at home" plan developed by her. She urged every family to have two cows and a flock of pullets for eggs and meat supply and larger gardens during the depression years.
This is but a prelude to the story of how our Extension pro- gram really grew, and which will be expanded in the following pages.
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Frederick County E.H.C. History
The Frederick County Extension Homemakers education pro- gram began in the early 1900s with the forming of tomato clubs, corn clubs, canning clubs and Barred Plymouth Rock Poultry clubs.
In February 1915, Mr. Lamon, Senior Poultryman of the USDA, took pictures of the Middletown Agricultural High School and the poultry pens of its Barred Plymouth Rock Poultry Club. The 21 members were praised for their work. He took the pictures with him to the Madison Square Garden Poultry Show held in New York. He said that this was the first school that he had visited or heard of doing this kind of work.
In 1916, a small group of Frederick County women met in the old Hansborough and Carter Building to discuss and decide wheth- er Frederick County should have some work with the girls similar to the work being done at that time in Clarke County by Mrs. Lora Stinson. Young girls were raising tomatoes and were taught how to can fruits and vegetables. These clubs were called Tomato Clubs.“
Mothers generally assisted their daughters with the canning so naturally they began to think that something should be done to help them with their every day problems. Thus, the idea for clubs for rural women was born, to be formed later and known as Rural Home Demonstration Clubs.
In May 1917, a canning club was organized in Frederick County by Mrs. Lora Stinson. who for five years had been demon- strator for Clarke County. The following ladies acted as district chairmen: Miss Magdalene Zinn, Opequon; Mrs. Julius Richard, Back Creek; Miss Blanche Wotring, Shawnee; Miss A. Pearl Halde- man, Gainesboro; Mrs. E. W. Braithwaite, Winchester; Mrs. M. M. Lynch for women's clubs, and Mrs. E. V. Smith for girls' clubs. Meetings were held in schoolhouses. The canning work was ex- plained and members were enrolled. Cans and canning outfits were purchased on a cooperative basis through the Chamber of Commerce to get the benefit of best prices and deliveries, at sub- stantial discounts.
On June 4, 1917, Miss Teresa Murphy, of Wadesville, was en- gaged by the Chamber of Commerce as home demonstrator for Frederick County. Miss Murphy was recommended by Mrs. Mau- rice M. Lynch who had known her work with Mrs. Stinson, the
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Clarke County demonstrator. Miss Murphy's work in canning had earned several prizes including a first prize gold watch offered by the Norfolk & Western Railroad Company.
Miss Murphy was educated in Frederick and Clarke counties, in Baltimore, Maryland and-Blacksburg, Virginia. She had sold canned tomatoes to the Winchester Academy, which later became a public school. Miss Ella G. Agnew, state agent for home demon- stration work, authorized sending Miss Murphy to an Institute in Manassas for two days at government expense so she could have the opportunity for conference with other demonstrators and with experts of national reputation.
On June 9, 1917, a canning club was organized by Miss Murphy at the Evandale school. Miss A. Pearl Haldeman, district chairman, had made the arrangements. Several of the girls enrolled had their own gardens of the required tenth of an acre which constituted them as full active members and entitled them to compete for gov- ernment prices.
On June 13, Miss Murphy organized the club at the Branson school where Miss Magdalene Zinn was district chairman. Mrs. Hugh Funk arranged a meeting to organize a club at Stephens City. Winchester and Round Hill clubs were organized that week, also. Mr. and Mrs. F. L. Harris donated a plot of land in the Har- ris Addition of such size that two Winchester girls could use a tenth of an acre each.
Mrs. E. Virginia Smith, chairman for girls' clubs, made ar- rangements with Principal N. D. Cool for an assembly of girls at the high school at which canning club work was explained by Mrs. Lucian Carr and Ernest H. Rowe, acting secretary of the Chamber of Commerce. The girls enrolled worked through the summer and fall in conserving the surplus food supply by the various methods of canning and preservation.
The gardens were judged on July 15th and the best garden en- titled its owner to a free trip to Harrisonburg with ten days in- struction in gardening, canning and home economics, all at govern- ment expense. One tenth of an acre is 66 feet or 22 yards square, or 33 feet by 132 feet, or 431/2 feet by 100 feet, or a row 300 feet long.
By the end of June, Miss Murphy had the following canning clubs organized: Branson, White Hall, Evandale, Stephens City, Winchester, Round Hill, Brucetown, Star Tannery and Bryarly. Nine canning machines had been ordered from the factory in Miss- issippi. Twenty girls had gardens of their own, one tenth acre in size. The work of canning clubs was not confined to girls with gardens of their own of the required size. Girls and women were eligible to join in the work no matter how they procured their vegetables and fruits for canning. Some got them from family kitchen gardens, bought them from stores or from farmers who
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drove to town and sold them from their wagon. Some had gard- ens smaller than one tenth of an acre. Those were called "garden clubs" or "patriotic clubs." Boys were eligible for membership in these clubs, also.
There were uniforms for those who desired to wear them. They were khaki-colored cloth, consisting of coat, skirt and hat, with white waist. On the left sleeve they wore a monogram indi- cating their club; C.C. for Canning Club, G. C. for Garden Club, P.C. for Patriotic Club. The ladies on the district committee who desired to wear uniforms had "V" on their sleeve, meaning volun- teer.
On March 4, 1918, Miss Martha Dinwiddie, district home agent, addressed a meeting in the Handley Library Auditorium. The Chamber of Commerce planned to employ a thoroughly trained home agent for 8 months. The year before, Miss Teresa Murphy, home agent, had been employed for six months to guide the plant- ing of gardens and canning club work. Miss Dinwiddie said "With a skilled agent in charge a more elaborate program could be at- tempted. There would be work in the schools and in the homes, in addition to the garden work and canning club activities. The agent would also be active in Red Cross work, the sale of Thrift Stamps and other war activities under way." Miss Dinwiddie, dis- trict agent, had supervision of the activities of home agents in a number of counties in Virginia and Frederick County was in her territory.
On May 23, Mr. Logan K. Fay. appointed by the Chamber of Commerce as chairman of Canning Clubs activities for Winchester and Frederick County, announced that home agent Miss Mabel K. Haynes was ready to start work and would have her headquarters at the Chamber of Commerce. Over $400.00 had been contributed by the county of Frederick for home demonstration work. A 1914 Model T Ford was purchased for use in Miss Haynes' travel to homes and club meetings. She was the first to put the 4-H name on agriculture and domestic clubs in Frederick County. These clubs were started as corn and tomato clubs and canning clubs.
Miss Haynes was born in Charlton, New York on April 19, 1893. She lived with her parents, Mr. and Mrs. Charles Haynes. a sister, Mildred, and a brother, Eugene, on a farm. She attended a one-room schoolhouse in Charlton, then went to college. She grad- uated from the University of Rochester, Rochester, New York. She taught Home Economics in a public school in Fort Wayne, Indiana one year before coming to Winchester in May 1918.
On May 31, Miss Martha Dinwiddie, district home demonstra- tion agent, assisted by Miss Mabel K. Haynes, home demonstration agent for Frederick County, gave a demonstration in the Empire Theatre. A number of wheat substitutes were used, including corn flour, barley flour, buckwheat flour, rolled oats, cornmeal, and mashed potatoes. The bread and cakes made were passed to the
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audience as samples. Mr. J. M. Henry donated use of the theatre, Mr. Sullivan loaned the oil stove, and Mr. McVicar and Mr. Beck contributed the flours used. About 60 people were present.
A series of bread making demonstrations by Miss Martha Din- widdie, district home demonstration agent, assisted by Miss Mabel K. Haynes, were held at the Gainesboro schoolhouse, Mrs. Clark Whitacre's home in Whitacre, Mrs. Lee Crosen's at Reynolds Store, Stephens City school, and Mrs. George Bywater's, Paxton Chapel. The demonstrations were followed by bread judging and a general discussion on all problems connected with bread making and bread baking.
The girls of Winchester High School, John Handley Founda- tion, who had completed their second year of cooking club work, were taken on a trip through the Winchester Milling Corporation's plant in June. Mr. Berry gave them a detailed description of how flour was made. The girls then wrote essays on bread and bread making. For the three best essays the Wincheter Milling Corpora- tion offered prizes of a 50 pound, 25 pound and 12 pound sack of flour. The three girls who won the prizes were: Leona Lauck, first; Elizabeth Baker, second; Lola Rogers, third. The cooking club girls were given enough self-rising flour, made by the Win- chester Milling Corporation, for a baking of bread. Then, the three best baking of bread won money prizes of $3.00, $1.50 and 75 cents. Superintendent F. E. Clark arranged for a scholarship to send the prize cooking girl to the State Short Course in Blacksburg. Miss Leona Lauck was awarded the scholarship, based upon her practi- cal work in class, on essays and examinations, and on individual leadership.
Lesson given to the cooking club girls, by Miss Haynes, county home demonstration agent, included work on cereals, vegetables, meats, cakes and breads.
As 81% of all poultry flocks in the country were cared for by women, and 40% of the flocks were non-productive, farm wo- men were taught the best methods of poultry selection, breeding, raising, feeding, housing, culling, canning surplus birds for home use, preservation of eggs, and cooperative selling of poultry pro- ducts. It cost about $2.00 a year to feed each hen. If that hen did not produce more than that amount in eggs, she was unprofitable and should be sold or eaten.
Miss Haynes urged home canning even though sugar was scarce and high priced because shortage of farm labor made it necessary for canneries to pay high prices for commodities that would be canned later in the season. The increased costs would be paid by the consumer, and there might not be enough canned products to go around. She said a thick sirup was not necessary. A 10% sirup of one part sugar to nine parts water would make any acid fruit palatable. Such fruits as apples, pineapples and the like can be canned without sugar. Ordinary glucose or corn sirup
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could be substituted for sugar. A palatable sirup was made by mixing 1/2 cup sugar, 1 cup glucose and 8 cups water. It requires 7 ounces of sugar for a pint jar. One cup sugar makes 10 cups of sirup. A pound of sugar makes 20 cups or sufficient for 20 pints of canned fruit. With sugar at 30 cents a pound, the cost of sugar per pint jar was 11/2 cents.
The first annual short course given at Blacksburg to boys' and girls' agricultural and home economic clubs of Virginia was held in 1920. Thirty-three counties were represented by one girl from each county who was a winner in her particular club project. The greatest number were canning club girls, but there were also some pig club girls and poultry club girls. The boys were members of clubs but were not prize winners. The boys had to pay their own expenses but the girls, as prize winners, had their expenses paid by the Virginia State Bankers' Association. There were 100 boys and girls present. They attended lectures and practical demonstrations in judging poultry, hogs and dairy cattle. For the girls there were lectures on home nursing, girls' wardrobes and personal hygiene. For the boys, such subjects as judging beef cattle, use of lime on the soil, fertilizers and pig management. Instructors were: Mrs. F. C. Wood, recreational director for girls, of Lynchburg, Virginia; Mrs. Jane B. Ransom, director of the Bureau of Public Health Nurs- ing, of Richmond: Mr. E. B. Chamberlain, state song leader, YMCA, Richmond; Mr. C. J. Reily, district secretary athletics and recrea- tion, YMCA, Richmond; and Mr. Maurice Ricker, YMCA motion picture director, who entertained the boys and girls every evening with motion pictures. Among the visiting speakers were: Mr. I. W. Hetl, assistant in charge of boys' club work in the south, of Wash- ington; Mr. V. Varden, President of the Federal Land Bank, Balti- more; Miss Juliet B. Gish, Secretary of Red Cross Home Service, Bedford, Virginia.
The following from Frederick County attended the short course: Gordon Whitacre of Whitacre, poultry project, sent by Commercial & Savings Bank; Hilda Lovett of Stephens City, can- ning project, sent by Shenandoah Valley National Bank; Leona Lauck of Winchester, cooking project, sent by Mr. Stewart Bell, Mr. F. E. Clark, Mr. Shirley Carter, and Mr. Robert Ward; Miss Elvira Abshire of White Hall, sent by Farmers & Merchants Bank of Winchester. Miss Mabel Haynes, county home demonstration agent, was chaperone for the club members. She also assisted in teaching at the short course.
Miss Haynes' annual report at the end of the Extension Div- ision year in November 1920 showed five women's clubs in the county were having courses of study planned by the Home Eco- nomics Specialist for Virginia. The course of study included de- tailed study of poultry, health and sanitation, food for children and food for the family, gardens, milk, kitchens, canning and food pre- servation. The women had put up 12,358 containers of fruits and vegetables.
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