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Cartwright, Carol Lohry; Shaffer, Scott; Waller, Randal / City on the Rock River : chapters in Janesville's history
(1998)
11. Social and political organizations, pp. 189-207
Page 189
Social and Political Organizations Carol Lohry Cartwright ike residents of many Wisconsin communities, Janesville's citizens established social and fraternal organizations and clubs, ranging from singing groups to secret societies. Three social welfare organizations flourished in Janesville that made important contributions to the community. Janesville has had an active labor movement, from the building trades to the teamsters. Many women in Janesville were active in clubs that provided them with both a social outlet and a means for participating in civic affairs. Most of Janesville's clubs and organizations were only locally important; others, such as the United Auto Workers Union, were important in the history of the state and nation. Janesville has also been fortunate to have a long history of high-quality health facilities. In the nineteenth century, before the modem medical era, individual doctors served the public. There were also some prominent surgeons in the community, providing the most up-to-date care possible during that era. In the late nineteenth century, a few Janesville physicians established a city hospital. Eventually; the Sisters of Mercy, a Catholic religious order, developed the hospital into a first-class regional medical center. In the twentieth century, progressive physicians established medical clinics that are important medical institutions today. Women's Organizations Other than temperance or suffrage groups, women's clubs were the organizations that most active, middle-class women belonged to in the late nineteenth and twentieth centuries. The most popular of these groups were those affiliated with the Wisconsin Federation of Women's Clubs, founded in 1896. Member clubs conducted activities ranging from music appreciation to civic leadership. The clubs also provided an important outlet for women who could not otherwise participate in the political system. (Wyatt 1986: Social and Political Movements, 4-3-4-7) The two most significant local groups were the Janesville Federation of Women and the Janesville Woman's Club Association. The Janesville Federation of Women was organized on March 31, 1916, combining several women's organizations into a more powerful force in the community for improving civic welfare. The Janesville Federation of Women did not affiliate with any state or national group; it offered membership both to local clubs and to individuals not affiliated with any other group. (Janesville Federation of Women: n.p.) The women's organizations that participated in the Janesville Federation of Women included the Janesville Art League, Altrusa, the Catholic Women's Club, the Elks Ladies, the Eastern Star Study Class, the Jaycettes, the American Association of University Women, the National Auxiliary to Railroad Mail Clerks, Hadassah, the McDowell Club, and the Philomathians. The first project the federation funded was a "rest room" in the Myers building (not extant). The purpose of the room was to give working women a place to go during their lunch hours and women shoppers a place to rest when they were downtown. In 1919, the federation began its long-time support of medical services in the community by establishing a free dental clinic. The federation raised money to pay a dentist, buy dental equipment, and open a clinic on the third Social and Political Organizations
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