Upcoming Events
Evanston Women’s History
July 15 & October 7, 2017
Discover the revolutionary history of Evanston’s women by viewing the houses and buildings where they worked to transform our cultural landscape. This tour begins at Willard House.
Tours begin at 11:00 AM and last for 90 minutes. The cost is $20 per person/$15 for members, unless otherwise stated. Admission is payable at the door.
Reservations are strongly recommended. RSVP to Kris Hartzell, or 847-475-3410.
Third Thursday Lunchtime Tours
July 20, August, 17, September 21
News
On June 25th FWHA hosted an unveiling for the Black Lives Matter witness quilt, created by Melissa Blount, MEET (Making Evanston Equitable Together), and countless volunteers. The quilt, made up of 50 squares and nearly 9 feet in length, showcased the lives of black women and girls who have been taken by violence. Melissa and volunteers worked on parts of the quilt at the Rest Cottage, and we were proud to be part of this important community project.
Also in June, Executive Director, Glen Madeja, spoke at the Evanston Public Library for a Bike Expo. Click to view the Evanston RoundTable article.
In May the FWHA took a position on the development and sale of the City-owned Evanston Library Parking Lot. Click here to download our statement.
Also in May FWHA was host to two Evanston Literary Festival events: Speak Your Truth With Nadine Kenney Johnstone, and Historic Self: Journaling as Self-Preservation. We were very excited to be part of this wonderful Evanston event. Below are images from those workshops.
Current Exhibits
“Cultivating Character: The Early Life of Frances E. Willard”
Frances E. Willard (1839-1898) is known today for her work as the charismatic president of the Woman’s Christian Temperance Union from 1879 to 1898. But what made her the best-known woman in America at the time of her death in 1898? What forces shaped her?
This exhibit explores how Frances E. Willard’s family, education—both what she received as a student and imparted as a teacher—and religion helped to form the woman who became America’s leading female social reformer of the 1880s and 1890s.
When Willard was fifteen she began keeping journals in which she poured out her soul. From those impassioned entries a detailed description of what she considered important – a loving family, a strong religious faith, and a broad and ongoing education – emerges.
One must cultivate all three elements in order to become a good and worthy person, according to the young Frances Willard, although she feared she would not, could not achieve her goal. “I almost despair, sometimes, of ever coming to be a noble and finished character – and I would rather be this than any or all things in the world.”