Administrative/Biographical History
Organized in Cleveland, Ohio in 1874, the Woman’s Christian Temperance Union is the oldest, continuous dues-paying women’s organization in existence. The WCTU of Dakota was organized in 1882 at Canton, SD, prior to which local unions had been organized in a number of towns. On September 14, 1889 the WCTU of Dakota divided into separate state organizations for North Dakota and South Dakota. The WCTU of North Dakota campaigned for women’s suffrage and against gambling and the use of alcohol, tobacco and other drugs. Adelaide M. Kinnear served as first President of the WCTU of North Dakota (1889-1893). Elizabeth Preston Anderson, an educator who succeeded Kinnear as President (1893-1933), was a tireless social and political activist. The WCTU of North Dakota celebrated its centenary in 1989. In recent years the number of local unions and members have dwindled.
