By Janet Olson, Archivist at WCTU Archives 150 years ago this June Frances Willard became the first Dean of Women at Northwestern University. The story of her taking on this position is interesting and illuminates the broader story of women’s education in Evanston and the U.S. in this time period. Our Educated Women series is …
By Lori Osborne, Evanston Women’s History Project Director See Part 1 here for the beginning of the story. North Western Female College thrived in its early years, despite the setbacks of losing its first building to a fire and the multi-year absence of founder William Jones for health issues. It established Evanston as a place …
By Lori Osborne, Evanston Women’s History Project Director 150 years ago, Evanston was at the center of an experiment in education that would define it for generations. Though Northwestern University is the best known today, it was two small women’s colleges that established Evanston as “a paradise for women.”1 As we start the school year …
By Lauren Dain, EWHP Summer 2022 Intern My name is Lauren Dain. I am a recent graduate of Evanston Township High School (ETHS) and a freshman at Northwestern University. This past summer, I spent a second summer interning at the Evanston History Center (EHC). Along with Meg Houseworth, a senior at ETHS and an EHC …
The Women’s L Project is the brain child of Janet Volk, a Chicago woman fascinated by local history, and Jessika Savage, a local graphic designer. To discover the Evanston women included on the Purple Line stops that run through town – visit this page – https://www.womenslproject.com/pages/purple-line From the project’s website: The Women’s L Project honors …
Though not specifically focused on women’s history, the Evanston History Center House Walk-By is a great way to honor the women in your life – and connect with Evanston history too. In 2022, the house walk will focus on the Oakton Historic District in south Evanston. Often called the bungalow district, it includes some architectural …
By Lauren Dain, EWHP Summer 2021 Intern Driving down the streets of Evanston, I never particularly noticed the names of the parks I passed by. I could probably recall a few specific ones, such as Centennial Park and Penny Park, but honestly I never gave them much thought – and I bet I’m not the …
Evanston Parks Highlight the Legacies of Influential Women Read More »
By Sophia Weglarz, Summer 2021 Evanston Women’s History Project Intern My name is Sophia Weglarz. I am a current undergraduate student at the University of Pennsylvania studying cognitive neuroscience and Africana Studies. While I have worked with the Evanston History Center and the Evanston Women’s History Project in previous summers, this summer I have the …
The Incredible Life of Maria Murray, Evanston’s First Black Resident Read More »
The small park where Michigan Avenue ends at Burnham Place may be familiar to you – but it is likely that you did not know that it was named Stockham Place Park – or who the Park was named for – Alice Bunker Stockham. With a new sign in place, thanks to the City of …
On this historic day, we remember those Evanston women who served in elected office. We honor their pioneering efforts to make Evanston a place where women’s civic leadership is encouraged and accepted. This trend in Evanston is so strong that in recent years, Evanstonians have elected a majority of women to represent them at all …
