Preparing to march to the Mother Thompson Home
Lead Summary
By
Steve Roush-
Ladies and gentlemen, during my chat with the daughter of famous temperance crusader Eliza Jane Trimble Thompson on the porch of the Mother Thompson Home in Hillsboro, I realized I had not yet asked the daughter’s name – but it turns out I did not have to do so.
As she read an 1887 account of her parents’ golden anniversary celebration from an old scrapbook, she identified herself as Mrs. Marie Thompson Rives.
“Mrs. Rives,” I say, “thank you for all these wonderful recollections. I’ve seen the famous photo of the Mother Thompson Home with the hundreds of women from the National Woman’s Christian Temperance Union. Could you please tell me about that happy occasion?”
“Why, certainly,” she says, gently turning the pages of the old book. “To set the scene, here are some extracts from the Hillsboro paper of Friday, Oct. 9, 1903, that show the interest taken in those reforms that were encouraged by Mother Thompson, and the following letter from the president of the National Woman’s Christian Temperance Union is self-explanatory:
“‘The 30th National Convention of the Woman’s Christian Temperance Union will be held in Cincinnati in November, and one of the features of the important occasion will be a visit to this place, the home of the great Crusade movement. The date for this visit has been fixed for Monday, Nov. 16.
“‘The following communication from the National President of the Woman’s Christian Temperance Union has been received by the local union:
“‘Evanston, Ill., Sept. 30.
“‘Mrs. E. J. Thompson: Beloved Friend and Comrade, Miss Anna Gordon and I reached national headquarters a few days ago and are busily engaged in preparing for the 30th annual Convention of the National Woman’s Christian Temperance Union at Cincinnati, Nov. 13-20.
“We are receiving letters from every section of the country inquiring about the proposed visit to Hillsboro, which will be made on Monday, Nov. 16.
“‘We have planned something like this: Have a special train leave Cincinnati about 7 a.m., reaching Hillsboro about 9.
“There will be at least 500 in the party. The delegates will walk the street of the historic Crusade town which leads to the Presbyterian Church, holding a meeting there, to be participated in by Crusaders and members of the Convention.
“At close of meeting, to partake of the simplest sort of a lunch. I mention the lunch because it has been suggested to us that Hillsboro people would like to have us break bread with them. I mention it, too, because I wish to emphasize our wish that the lunch be very simple and such as can be served with the least trouble to our hostess. After lunch we will again form in line and walk to your home, and thence to the station.
“Because of the great pressure of Convention work, we shall feel obliged to leave Hillsboro as early in the afternoon as possible, in order to enable us to hold a short business meeting after reaching Cincinnati. We should spend about four hours in Hillsboro, and they will be hours heavily freighted with precious memories and blessed realities, and I am confident that we shall all be strengthened to go forward with renewed hope and inspiration for the
work we all love and seek to promote.
“‘With love to you and the members of your family, the local Union and all Hillsboro Crusaders, I am very sincerely yours, Lillian M.N. Stevens.”
Let’s pause for now, and we’ll continue next week.
Steve Roush is a vice president of an international media company and a columnist and contributing writer for The Highland County Press.
As she read an 1887 account of her parents’ golden anniversary celebration from an old scrapbook, she identified herself as Mrs. Marie Thompson Rives.
“Mrs. Rives,” I say, “thank you for all these wonderful recollections. I’ve seen the famous photo of the Mother Thompson Home with the hundreds of women from the National Woman’s Christian Temperance Union. Could you please tell me about that happy occasion?”
“Why, certainly,” she says, gently turning the pages of the old book. “To set the scene, here are some extracts from the Hillsboro paper of Friday, Oct. 9, 1903, that show the interest taken in those reforms that were encouraged by Mother Thompson, and the following letter from the president of the National Woman’s Christian Temperance Union is self-explanatory:
“‘The 30th National Convention of the Woman’s Christian Temperance Union will be held in Cincinnati in November, and one of the features of the important occasion will be a visit to this place, the home of the great Crusade movement. The date for this visit has been fixed for Monday, Nov. 16.
“‘The following communication from the National President of the Woman’s Christian Temperance Union has been received by the local union:
“‘Evanston, Ill., Sept. 30.
“‘Mrs. E. J. Thompson: Beloved Friend and Comrade, Miss Anna Gordon and I reached national headquarters a few days ago and are busily engaged in preparing for the 30th annual Convention of the National Woman’s Christian Temperance Union at Cincinnati, Nov. 13-20.
“We are receiving letters from every section of the country inquiring about the proposed visit to Hillsboro, which will be made on Monday, Nov. 16.
“‘We have planned something like this: Have a special train leave Cincinnati about 7 a.m., reaching Hillsboro about 9.
“There will be at least 500 in the party. The delegates will walk the street of the historic Crusade town which leads to the Presbyterian Church, holding a meeting there, to be participated in by Crusaders and members of the Convention.
“At close of meeting, to partake of the simplest sort of a lunch. I mention the lunch because it has been suggested to us that Hillsboro people would like to have us break bread with them. I mention it, too, because I wish to emphasize our wish that the lunch be very simple and such as can be served with the least trouble to our hostess. After lunch we will again form in line and walk to your home, and thence to the station.
“Because of the great pressure of Convention work, we shall feel obliged to leave Hillsboro as early in the afternoon as possible, in order to enable us to hold a short business meeting after reaching Cincinnati. We should spend about four hours in Hillsboro, and they will be hours heavily freighted with precious memories and blessed realities, and I am confident that we shall all be strengthened to go forward with renewed hope and inspiration for the
work we all love and seek to promote.
“‘With love to you and the members of your family, the local Union and all Hillsboro Crusaders, I am very sincerely yours, Lillian M.N. Stevens.”
Let’s pause for now, and we’ll continue next week.
Steve Roush is a vice president of an international media company and a columnist and contributing writer for The Highland County Press.