Mary E. Metzgar (1849–1919) was an American temperance worker associated 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 ...

(WCTU).

Early life and education

Mary Elvira Brown was born at Port Byron, Illinois, August 3, 1849. Her parents were Adoniram Judson Brown and Paulina R. Brown. Her father died when she was a young girl. Her mother died in Moline in 1909. She was educated in the local public schools and at

Mount Carroll Seminary The Mount Carroll Seminary was the name of Shimer College from 1853 to 1896. The Seminary was located in Mount Carroll, Illinois, in the United States. A pioneering institution in its time and place, the Mount Carroll Seminary served as a center ...

Mount Carroll, Illinois Mount Carroll is a city in and the county seat of Carroll County, Illinois, United States. The population was 1,479 at the 2020 census. History Mount Carroll began life as a mill town around 1841. In 1843, a referendum moved the county seat fro ...

Career

For many years, Metzgar was identified with

social movement A social movement is either a loosely or carefully organized effort by a large group of people to achieve a particular goal, typically a Social issue, social or Political movement, political one. This may be to carry out a social change, or to re ...

s in her home city and State, being particularly active in temperance and charitable work. Joining the WCTU in 1874, she took a prominent part in its activities, serving for several years as president of the Moline City and Rock Island County Union and of the Congressional District Union. She also served as vice-president of the

Illinois Illinois ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Midwestern United States, Midwestern United States. It borders on Lake Michigan to its northeast, the Mississippi River to its west, and the Wabash River, Wabash and Ohio River, Ohio rivers to its ...

State Union, and held at different times the offices of State superintendent of the Purity, Law Enforcement, and Legislative departments of Union work, as well as that of District superintendent. As Legislative superintendent, she was influential in securing the enactment of: the law requiring police matrons in the cities of the State; the law requiring scientific temperance instruction in the public schools. From 1881, she was a member of the

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 ...

and gave it her full support. She was president of the Moline Woman's Club in 1913–14, and was for years chairman of the legislative committee of that body, being honorary chairman at the time of her death. She was at one time president of Bethany Home Protective association. She was member of the Baptist church of Moline since childhood and was also a member of the

Daughters of the American Revolution The National Society Daughters of the American Revolution (often abbreviated as DAR or NSDAR) is a lineage-based membership service organization for women who are directly descended from a patriot of the American Revolutionary War. A non-p ...

and the Woman's Relief Corps. Before the office of police matron was established, she was called on to help in the work of the office, and seeing the need of a woman in that office, she organized the lobby at

Springfield, Illinois Springfield is the List of capitals in the United States, capital city of the U.S. state of Illinois. Its population was 114,394 at the 2020 United States census, which makes it the state's List of cities in Illinois, seventh-most populous cit ...

which, under her direction, brought about the passage of the police matron bill. She also helped pass the scientific instruction bill in public schools, as well as the bill by which the state of Illinois appropriated for a

statue of Frances Willard ''Frances E. Willard'' is a marble sculpture depicting the American educator, temperance reformer, and women's suffragist of the same name, created by Helen Farnsworth Mears and installed in the United States Capitol's National Statuary Hall, in ...

Statuary Hall The National Statuary Hall is a chamber in the United States Capitol devoted to sculptures of prominent Americans. The hall, also known as the Old Hall of the House, is a large, two-story, semicircular room with a second story gallery along the ...

Washington, D.C. Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly known as Washington or D.C., is the capital city and federal district of the United States. The city is on the Potomac River, across from Virginia, and shares land borders with ...

She kept up her work even after her health failed.

Personal life

In 1867, she married Marcellus R. Metzgar, of Port Byron, afterward removing to

Davenport, Iowa Davenport ( ) is a city in Scott County, Iowa, United States, and its county seat. It is situated along the Mississippi River on the eastern border of the state. Davenport had a population of 101,724 as of the 2020 United States census, 2020 cen ...

, (1881) and then to

Moline, Illinois Moline ( ) is a city in Rock Island County, Illinois, United States. With a population of 42,985 in the 2020 census, it is the largest city in Rock Island County and the List of municipalities in Illinois, ninth-most populous in Illinois outside ...

(1884). The last few years of her life were spent in

Florida Florida ( ; ) is a U.S. state, state in the Southeastern United States, Southeastern region of the United States. It borders the Gulf of Mexico to the west, Alabama to the northwest, Georgia (U.S. state), Georgia to the north, the Atlantic ...

. Mary E. Metzgar died in Moline, Illinois, April 11, 1919, the cause of death being a poor state of health following a stroke of paralysis a few years earlier.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Metzgar, Mary E. 1849 births 1919 deaths People from Rock Island County, Illinois Shimer College alumni Clubwomen American social reformers Temperance activists from Illinois Daughters of the American Revolution people Presidents of the Woman's Christian Temperance Union