History Speaks at the Woodson History Center: Women’s Work During Prohibition
Prohibition didn’t just ban alcohol sales. It changed society’s view of work within the home and changed the ways women participated in politics and business. Take a deeper look at those changes when the Marathon County Historical Society presents “Women’s Work During Prohibition,” another topic in our History Speaks series, at 2 p.m. Saturday, October 5, at the Woodson History Center, 410 McIndoe St.,
Wausau. The speaker is Alison Staudinger, an associate professor at the University of Wisconsin-Green Bay.
Prohibition was a nationwide constitutional ban on the sale, production, importation, and transportation of alcoholic beverages, mandated under the Eighteenth Amendment to the U.S. Constitution. Some women were outspoken proponents of Prohibition, claiming that the cost and effects of alcohol were detrimental to women, children, and family economics. There were also women who spoke out publicly against Prohibition and worked to repeal the amendment, claiming the original intention was lost and that the law had made things worse for mothers and children. Over the course of thirteen ‘dry’ years, some women’s work, and attitudes, changed to match the times. This talk will focus on the stories of real Wisconsin women and consider how the value of their work changed during Prohibition and how it is valued today.
Presenter Alison Staudinger teaches Democracy and Justice Studies, Women’s and Gender Studies and Political Science at UW-Green Bay. She researches how people use collective practices of reading and writing to make meaning and, ultimately, political change.
There is no admission fee; however, donations are appreciated. Registration is not required. The Historical Society is grateful to Janke Book Store and to Compass Properties for their sponsorship of the History Speaks series.
Visitors might also enjoy a guided tour of the Yawkey House Museum, or visiting our free exhibit spaces. Milking Time: Evolution of the Dairy Industry in Marathon County, shows the hard work that went into creating fields after forests were logged off, and the progress made in breeding, testing, medicine and education that enabled dairying to develop into a viable business option. Rural
Electrification: Outlet for Change depicts life before and after electricity made its slow way into rural areas of Marathon County in the 1930s and ‘40s. Our Stories: The History of Marathon County features reminiscences of how people arrived in this area, and how they worked and played in days gone by.
For more information, please call the Marathon County Historical Society at 715-842-5750.