The Ladies Benevolent Society of Oshkosh, Wisconsin, the oldest women's organization in that city, was founded in 1862. Originally named the Ladies Aid Society, it was formed to help Civil War soldiers and their families. However, after the war requests for aid remained and the women continued to perform charitable work.
One of the organization's major goals was the establishment of a home for needy, elderly women, and in 1889 they successfully opened such an institution. Within 4 years it housed 27 women. The Society supported the Home from an endowment fund created from inmates' admission fees, savings, and estates. Women living at the Home agreed to open joint savings accounts into which their incomes, including Social Security payments, were deposited and from which they received a monthly allowance and to bequeath their belongings to the Home. In exchange the Home provided for their welfare and made the necessary funeral arrangements. Although not a nursing home, the Home was organized to look after the general well being of the women in its charge. A matron supervised the Home's operation; she in turn was supervised by the Board of the Society, which was composed of 13 volunteer women elected from the general membership which today numbers over 200 women.
On April 15, 1964 the Society closed the building that housed the inmates and transferred the remaining residents to Evergreen Manor, Inc. However, the Ladies Benevolent Society continues to care for the well being of these women.
The organization retains a complete history of the Society in their bank deposit box at First Wisconsin National Bank, Oshkosh, Wisconsin.
