Caroline M. Clark Woodward (November 17, 1840 – November 20, 1924) was an American temperance activist, who entered the field in 1882 as a temperance writer. She was affiliated with the

Woman's Christian Temperance Union The Woman's Christian Temperance Union (WCTU) is an international temperance organization. It was among the first organizations of women devoted to social reform with a program that "linked the religious and the secular through concerted and far ...

(W.C.T.U.) in

Nebraska Nebraska ( ) is a landlocked U.S. state, state in the Midwestern United States, Midwestern region of the United States. It borders South Dakota to the north; Iowa to the east and Missouri to the southeast, both across the Missouri River; Ka ...

, and served as a trustee of the Woman's Temperance Temple in

Chicago Chicago is the List of municipalities in Illinois, most populous city in the U.S. state of Illinois and in the Midwestern United States. With a population of 2,746,388, as of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, it is the List of Unite ...

. Woodward received

Prohibition Party The Prohibition Party (PRO) is a Political parties in the United States, political party in the United States known for its historic opposition to the sale or consumption of alcoholic beverages and as an integral part of the temperance movemen ...

nominations for Regent of the Nebraska University and for member of

Congress A congress is a formal meeting of the representatives of different countries, constituent states, organizations, trade unions, political parties, or other groups. The term originated in Late Middle English to denote an encounter (meeting of ...

. A forcible speaker, she conducted schools of "Methods" at

Chautauqua Chautauqua ( ) is an adult education and social movement in the United States that peaked in popularity in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Chautauqua assemblies expanded and spread throughout rural America until the mid-1920s. The Cha ...

Assemblies.

Early life and education

Caroline Mary Clark was born in

Mequon Mequon () is the most populous city in Ozaukee County, Wisconsin, United States. The population was 25,142 at the 2020 United States census, 2020 census. Located on Lake Michigan's western shore with significant commercial developments along Int ...

, near

Milwaukee Milwaukee is the List of cities in Wisconsin, most populous city in the U.S. state of Wisconsin. Located on the western shore of Lake Michigan, it is the List of United States cities by population, 31st-most populous city in the United States ...

Wisconsin Wisconsin ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Great Lakes region, Great Lakes region of the Upper Midwest of the United States. It borders Minnesota to the west, Iowa to the southwest, Illinois to the south, Lake Michigan to the east, Michig ...

, November 17, 1840. Her father, Jonathan M. Clark, was a

Vermont Vermont () is a U.S. state, state in the New England region of the Northeastern United States. It borders Massachusetts to the south, New Hampshire to the east, New York (state), New York to the west, and the Provinces and territories of Ca ...

er of English descent, who, born in 1812, of

Revolutionary A revolutionary is a person who either participates in, or advocates for, a revolution. The term ''revolutionary'' can also be used as an adjective to describe something producing a major and sudden impact on society. Definition The term—bot ...

parentage, inherited an intense American patriotism. Her mother, Mary Turch Clark, of German and French ancestry, was born and bred on the banks of the

Hudson River The Hudson River, historically the North River, is a river that flows from north to south largely through eastern New York (state), New York state. It originates in the Adirondack Mountains at Henderson Lake (New York), Henderson Lake in the ...

. Both were persons of more than ordinary education and, though burdened with the cares of a family of one son and seven daughters, were life-long students. Caroline was the oldest daughter. She attended the district school in a log house till seventeen years of age. To that was added one year of study in German in a private school. At the age of eight years, she was considered quite a prodigy in her studies.

Career

At the age of seventeen she began to teach. After two years of study in the Milwaukee high school under John G. McKidley, a teacher and organizer of educational work, she taught in the public schools of that city. In Mequon, May 15, 1861, she married William Wallace Woodward (1828–1915). For eighteen years, they made their home on a farm near Milwaukee, a favorite visiting place for a large number of cultivated friends and acquaintances. Since 1875, she was engaged in public affairs, serving as secretary of the Woman's Foreign Missionary Society and as president of the Milwaukee district association. In 1879, they removed to

Seward, Nebraska Seward is a city in and the county seat of Seward County, Nebraska, United States. The population was 7,643 at the 2020 census. Seward is part of the Lincoln, Nebraska metropolitan area. History Seward was platted in 1868. It was named from ...

. She was identified with the same work in Nebraska as she was in Milwaukee. In 1882, she entered the field of temperance as a newspaper writer, and she demonstrated herself to be a consistent and useful worker in that cause and in all the other reformations of the times. In 1884, she was elected treasurer of the Nebraska W.C.T.U., and in 1887, vice-president-at-large of the State. In 1887, she was appointed organizer for the National W.C.T.U., and was twice reappointed. In the

Atlanta Atlanta ( ) is the List of capitals in the United States, capital and List of municipalities in Georgia (U.S. state), most populous city in the U.S. state of Georgia (U.S. state), Georgia. It is the county seat, seat of Fulton County, Georg ...

convention, she was elected associate superintendent of the department of work among railroad employees. She was a member of each national convention of the W.C.T.U. since and including the memorable

St. Louis St. Louis ( , sometimes referred to as St. Louis City, Saint Louis or STL) is an independent city in the U.S. state of Missouri. It lies near the confluence of the Mississippi and the Missouri rivers. In 2020, the city proper had a populatio ...

convention of 1884. She was a friend of

Frances Willard Frances Elizabeth Caroline Willard (September 28, 1839 – February 17, 1898) was an American educator, temperance reformer, and women's suffragist. Willard became the national president of Woman's Christian Temperance Union (WCTU) in 187 ...

and a member of the Board of Trustees of the Woman's Temperance Temple in Chicago. She was a delegate to the National Prohibition Party Convention of 1888, held in

Indianapolis Indianapolis ( ), colloquially known as Indy, is the List of capitals in the United States, capital and List of municipalities in Indiana, most populous city of the U.S. state of Indiana and the county seat of Marion County, Indiana, Marion ...

. She was nominated by that party for regent of the

State University A public university, state university, or public college is a university or college that is State ownership, owned by the state or receives significant funding from a government. Whether a national university is considered public varies from o ...

in 1891, and led the State ticket by a large vote. Woodward studied "Methods" under Mary Allen West at

Lake Bluff, Illinois Lake Bluff (formerly Rockland) is a village in Lake County, Illinois, United States. Per the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, the population was 5,616. History The first settler family to claim land within the area now part of Lake Bluf ...

and Chicago schools and thereafter conducted schools of Methods at various Chautauqua Assemblies. She was a clear and forcible speaker and a skillful parliamentarian.

Personal life

Have no children of her own, Woodward took into her home and reared four foster children. In religion, she was Methodist. Caroline Mary Clark Woodward died at

Lincoln, Nebraska Lincoln is the List of capitals in the United States, capital city of the U.S. state of Nebraska. The city covers and had a population of 291,082 as of the 2020 census. It is the state's List of cities in Nebraska, second-most populous city a ...

, November 20, 1924. Woodward's death resulted from infirmities due to her advanced age. She had been in poor health for some time, her last illness being of four weeks duration. Burial was in David City, Nebraska.

Notes

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Woodward, Caroline M. Clark 1840 births 1924 deaths Temperance activists from Illinois Woman's Christian Temperance Union people Nebraska Prohibitionists Wikipedia articles incorporating text from A Woman of the Century People from Mequon, Wisconsin 19th-century American non-fiction writers 19th-century American women writers Activists from Nebraska