American Women’s League & Good Bye Minneapolis! A Soprano’s Aria: Chapter 2
“Edward Gardner Lewis established the American Woman’s League as a subscription gathering organization. Lewis’ plan was for women to qualify for memberships by selling $52 in magazine subscriptions. The fees that would otherwise have been paid to individuals would be paid to the American Woman’s League. The League would use these funds to provide benefits that the women wanted…education, a foundation for social organizations within their communities and security for their old age…among other things.” Arguably these women’s organizations were foundational in the women’s suffrage movement. Lulu’s early involvement cannot be overlooked in her future development.
INSIDE the Front Cover of the Diary
Diary Quote reads: “Revenue – The dream of a waking man. It differs, however, in many respects from dreaming. In exaggerated form it is of rare occurrence and when it exceeds absence of need or abstraction from what is passing around it is abnormal and unhealthy.“
1913 Sep 2 Friday Morning dawned bright and fair in Col. Hgts. [Columbia Heights] Cool enough for winter coats. Our cosmos won’t bloom but the sweet alyssum and nasturtiums and dahlias are doing splendid. In the afternoon Mrs Schreveder and I saw baby Ruth Went to the Bijou to see the “Battle of Gettesburg.” It was a moving picture in 5 reels. Romance and patriotism, love and devotion, fidelity to duty, heroic bravery and a cruel wars inexorable toll of human lives were enacted before us with wonderful cleanness and realism. Lincoln’s speech at the dedication of the monument was beautifully shown, his sad countenance moving with feeling the placid shawl over his shoulders and the crowd standing about in the old fashioned garb made it seem very real, and left a lasting impression of the unspeakable horrors of war.
Sep 25 Thu “Cut out my house gown and worked on it some. Went down town with Frank Mo.[Mosier] and Leo to see about the house. Decided to accept the $1100.00 offered by the Co for a quit claim deed for the house we have lived in these unhappy years. Glad to be rid of it but sorry to leave the older children.
Went to the Bijou theater on Washington Ave to see the moovies. Mrs Vincent gave me the ticket and so it cost me nothing. It was the Bishops Daughter in 4 reels. Saw Mrs Cornelius on the Street Car coming home. Effie is in high school also.
Fri Sep 26 Baked 14 loaves of Rye bread and sewed some on my house gown. The weather turned out warm and sunny. Grateful change. Mrs Taylor stopped in a few min yesterday and said Harrises were going to move out of the heights also. Well they may all go before I should worry. I wonder if San Fran will be much of an improvement on old Minneapolis Minnesota.
The time is nearing for us to go if we start Oct 1. I have so much sewing to do that it staggers one. Jessie went to see the dentist about her teeth and came home feeling better. Maybe now she can be of some assistance to me in getting ready to go. It is now midnight and I must retire to get what sleep and rest I may for another days labor.“
BACKGROUND
Between 1890 the year after Lulu and Frank marry and 1903 together they have 8 children in 13 years: Albert “Allie” Edgar 1890, Leo Dewey 1892, Jessie Ellen 1893, Audry “Eileen” 1895, Orland “Dewey“, 1897, Milo Dean 1899, Lolita Genevive 1901 and finally Millie Catherine in 1903.The the first 6 born in Nebraska, the 7th in Colorado and the last Millie in Madison, South Dakota. Sadly, Millie, named after her grandmothers: Millie Almena COATES PADEN and Catherine STEWART MOSIER. Sadly she died at 4 days old. By 1908 the family has moved to Columbia Heights, Minneapolis, where Frank is listed in 1908 as a laborer, a clerk for T M Robert S Supply in 1909 and a Tireman for Hennepin Brewing Company in 1912. It appears Frank changed jobs quite frequently a trend that he is destined to continue.
Kelly Wheaton Copyright 2021 All Rights Reserved.
Wheaton Wood 