MSS 837 Columbus Female Benevolent Society Records

              IVI3:, 6 3 1
Col u m b u s Female B e n e v o l e n t
S o c i e t y ( O h i o ) Records
7 c u b i c f e e t
P r e l i m i n a r y i n v e n t o r y
C o l l e c t i o n S y n o p s i s
P r o v e n a n c e : The Ohio H i s t o r i c a l S o c i e t y a c q u i r e d t h e Columbus
Female B e n e v o l e n t S o c i e t y Records as a g i f t of t h e S o c i e t y . t h r o u g h
t h e a u s p i c e s of t h e p r e s i d e n t , V i r g i n i a T . Thomas, i n J a n u a r y 1984.
Barbara Floyd p r o c e s s e d t h e c o l l e c t i o n i n J a n u a r y 1984.
P r o p e r t y r i g h t s : The Ohio H i s t o r i c a l S o c i e t y owns t h e p r o p e r t y
r i g h t s t o t h i s c o l l e c t i o n .
C o p y r i g h t s : The S o c i e t y has d e d i c a t e d such c o p y r i g h t s a s i t
p o s s e s s e s i n t h i s c o l l e c t i o n t o t h e p u b l i c . C o n s i d e r a t i o n o f
a l l o t h e r c o p y r i g h t s i s t h e r e s p o n s i b i l i t y of t h e a u t h o r and
p u b l i s h e r .
A c c e s s : T h i s c o l l e c t i o n i s r e s t r i c t e d . R e s e a r c h e r s must s i g n t h e
Ohio H i s t o r i c a l S o c i e t y c o n f i d e n t i a l i t y agreement b e f o r e u s i n g t h i s
c o l l e c t i o n .
C i t a t i o n : R e s e a r c h e r s a r e r e q u e s t e d t o c i t e c o l l e c t i o n name,
c o l l e c t i o n number, a n d t h e Ohio H i s t o r i c a l S o c i e t y in a l l f o o t -
n o t e and b i b l i o g r a p h i c r e f e r e n c e s .
T r a n s f e r : Pub1 i c a t i o n s were t r a n s f e r r e d t o t h e l i b r a r y and photo-g
r a p h s t o t h e a u d i o v i s u a l c o l l e c t i o n s in J a n u a r y 1984.
H i s t o r i c a l s k e t c h : The Columbus Female B e n e v o l e n t S o c i e t y was
formed on J a n u a r y 5 , 1835, by a group of women m e e t i n g i n t h e
Town S t r e e t M e t h o d i s t Church, Columbus, Ohio, t o a i d p e r s o n s
widowed and orphaned by t h e c i t y ' s c h o l e r a e p i d e m i c of 1835.
The p u r p o s e of t h e S o c i e t y was t o " s e e k t h e poor and a f f l i c t e d
women i n t h e c i t y of Columbus, and t o p r o v i d e r e l i e f , a i d , i n -
s t r u c t i o n o r employment, as may be deemed b e s t ; and t o a i d and
c a r e f o r worthy women i n t h e p e r i l s of c h i l d b i r t h and t h e i r
i n f a n t s ; and t o g i v e t e m p o r a r y a i d and c a r e t o poor c h i l d r e n
u n d e r f o u r t e e n y e a r s of a g e , who a r e c r i p p l e d , o r s u f f e r i n g
from o t h e r d i s a b i l i t y . "
With no p u b l i c e d u c a t i o n a v a i l a b l e i n t h e c i t y , t h e S o c i e t y
opened a f r e e s c h o o l in 1836 i n a b u i l d i n g g i v e n them on Fourth
and Oak S t r e e t s . This s c h o o l c o n t i n u e d u n t i l 3845 when p u b l i c
e d u c a t i o n became a v a i l a b l e . In t h e 1 8 5 0 s , t h e S o c i e t y c r e a t e d
an i n d u s t r i a l s c h o o l t o p r o v i d e poor g i r l s w i t h l e s s o n s i n
d o m e s t i c c h o r e s and p r e p a r e them f o r employment. The s t u d e n t s
were t a u g h t " s t i t c h e r y , p a t r i o t i s m , and m o r a l s . " From t h i s
s c h o o l came t h e impetus f o r t h e Hannah Neil M i s s i o n f o r orphaned
c h i l d r e n .
The Columbus Female B e n e v o l e n t S o c i e t y was funded p r i m a r i l y by
endowments from William G . D e s h l e r , son of David Waggoner D e s h l e r ,
b u i l d e r of t h e D e s h l e r Hotel i n Columbus. The y o u n g e r D e s h l e r
e s t a b l i s h e d t h r e e t r u s t f u n d s f o r t h e S o c i e t y . In 1887 he s e t up
OBI0 BISTORICAII, SOCIETY
1482 Velma Avenue. Coluinbui Ohio 43211- 2497 ph: 614.297.2300 in: 614.297.241~
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