{"id":1814,"date":"2016-11-12T22:11:45","date_gmt":"2016-11-12T22:11:45","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.dixonhistory.com\/news\/?p=1814"},"modified":"2024-02-02T10:04:57","modified_gmt":"2024-02-02T15:04:57","slug":"temperance-cursaders-gave-fountain-to-salem-city","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.dixonhistory.com\/news\/temperance-cursaders-gave-fountain-to-salem-city\/","title":{"rendered":"Temperance Crusaders Gave Fountain to Salem City"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Two years ago, I spent a fine summer day in South Jersey, becoming familiar with Salem City while contemplating research strategies for investigating the community\u2019s recent past.\u00a0 My interest focused on seeking out narratives associated with the City’s transformations in the post-World War II decades, so I concentrated on identifying archived materials and interviewing sources.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It was the first time I had walked the streets of this intriguing place, and it was a productive, enjoyable day.\u00a0\u00a0 I talked to helpful officials, paged through aging newspapers, and dug into old bound volumes of public records while visiting the Register of Wills, Clerk of the Court, County Archives, Sheriff, District Attorney, and Historical Society.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

These are all methods I have honed over decades of rummaging around small towns, seeking to understand the distinctive sense of place that gives a community its rich, deep, and varied heritage.\u00a0 However, history isn\u2019t confined to the archives, so part of my orientation involved strolling around the old Quaker community, visually sorting out the landscape of the past.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

While exploring the remarkable built and natural environment, the close-at-hand markers of yesteryear intrigued me.  Broad streets lined with historic homes, which the WPA Writers Guide remarked \u201cwould stir the envy in a Williamsburg reconstruction,\u201d and so much more caught my attention in a community that was brimming with history.<\/p>\n\n\n

\n
\"The<\/a>
The WCTU’s temperance fountain in Salem City.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

Then, I discovered a water fountain across from the old courthouse in Martin Luther King, Jr., Memorial Park.\u00a0 Chiseled into the uniquely designed stone were the words, \u201cLet him that is thirsty come. W.C.T.U. 1901.\u201d\u00a0 Hundreds of strollers pass this relic off Market Street daily, paying scant attention.\u00a0 Perhaps one or two pause to contemplate the unique artifact, a survivor of the passage of generations, and its inscription.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

But I wondered about the 115-year-old-monument in the center of the bustling courthouse town and what it symbolized.  Who put it there, what was its story, and what did its sponsors want us to remember?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

To delve into those questions, I returned to the Historical Society in a few weeks for a second visit as I was becoming Salem County curious.\u00a0 There I discovered a wonderfully resourced organization, staffed by helpful professionals and dedicated volunteers.\u00a0 This amazing team promptly oriented me to a strong group of resources for my little investigation, so I was off digging for evidentiary traces of the past.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Here is how my little inquiry unfolded.  The Woman\u2019s Christian Temperance Union urged its network of local unions to erect drinking fountains in 1874 so \u201cmen could get a drink of water without entering saloons and staying for stronger drinks ((Harriet F. Van Meter, “First Quarter Century of the Woman’s Christian Temperance Union, Salem, New Jersey,” Google Books, 1909, |PAGE|, accessed October 01, 2020, https:\/\/www.google.com\/books\/edition\/First_Quarter_Century_of_the_Woman_s_Chr\/iRwyAQAAMAAJ?hl=en&gbpv=1&bsq=salem)).  Designed to do more than quench thirst, it was hoped they would serve as a substitute for the temptation to visit dark saloons or seek out the stronger drink.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Around this time in Salem County, the sentiment against the liquor trade was growing as people worked to close saloons.  A chapter was organized in the county seat in February 1884, when \u201ca little band\u201d of twenty-four ladies met at the Broadway Methodist Episcopal Church ((Harriet F. Van Meter, “First Quarter Century of the Woman’s Christian Temperance Union, Salem, New Jersey,” Google Books, 1909, |PAGE|, accessed October 01, 2020, https:\/\/www.google.com\/books\/edition\/First_Quarter_Century_of_the_Woman_s_Chr\/iRwyAQAAMAAJ?hl=en&gbpv=1&bsq=salem)).<\/p>\n\n\n

\n
\"A<\/a>
A Victorian-era trade card for beer.
source: Boston Public Library Online Digital Collection<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

The municipality had several barrooms and saloons at this time.\u00a0 In 1886, for example, the City granted licenses under protest to J. G. Garwood, C. C. Ford of the Nelson House, and Schaefer\u2019s Hotel, later known as Johnson\u2019s Hotel.\u00a0 Licenses to sell liquor by the quart were granted to Reeves Stretch, Peter Prendergast, and Daniel Brown.\u00a0 Also in 1886, licenses to sell malt liquor were granted to J. P. Robinson, the Kirkwood House., and Thomas A. Newkirk.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Union annually \u201cagitated\u201d against new and old licenses, and they regularly canvased for voters and women opposed to the liquor business.\u00a0 This vigorous crusading finally caused the City Council to exercise the power of its corporate charter in 1887, which provided complete local control over the retail liquor business.\u00a0 Promptly at noon on the 25th<\/sup> of March, hotels and saloons in the municipality closed their bars and stopped selling intoxicating beverages, the Salem Sunbeam observed.<\/p>\n\n\n

\n
\"Salem<\/a>
Salem City Tavern Licenses from March 25, 1896. Signed by Jonathan W. Acton From the collection of the Salem County Historical Society<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

New jug taverns or quart places located conveniently near the city line bustled with trade, during this brief dry spell.  Some of the popular watering-places included the \u201cWhistlin\u2019 Buoy,\u201d just across from the Penn\u2019s Neck Bridge, Reeves Stretch\u2019s place on the Hancock\u2019s Bridge road, Oakwood Beach, Sam McLoughlin\u2019s and Wilks Willet\u2019s place in Claysville ((Salem Sunbeam, April 12, 1933)).  And there were rumors about floating barrooms.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

When a new Common Council organized following the election of 1888, the officials ended the drought ((Salem Sunbeam)).  But the strong group of united women continued the crusade against the evils of drink.  By 1894, the chapter discussed the need for a public pump near Market Street to provide drinking water.   The members met with Mayor Acton, hoping the City would allow the Union to at least attach a cup and chain to a public pump.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

As time passed, the Union became more interested in a dedicated fountain, and a committee of Mary J. Pancoast, Mary E. Lawrence, Letitia Fogg and President Sarah J. Wagg were directed to provide stewardship on this important matter.  The Salem Sunbeam observed that the temperance group seemed to be applying the practical illustration of \u201cI was thirsty and ye gave me drink.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A Temperance Fountain for the City<\/h5>\n\n\n\n

The time had arrived for the city to have a convenient refreshment for thirsty individuals, a published history noted ((Harriet F. Van Meter, “First Quarter Century of the Woman’s Christian Temperance Union, Salem, New Jersey,” Google Books, 1909, |PAGE|, accessed October 01, 2020, https:\/\/www.google.com\/books\/edition\/First_Quarter_Century_of_the_Woman_s_Chr\/iRwyAQAAMAAJ?hl=en&gbpv=1&bsq=salem)).   It was supposed that many would like to share in the expense to \u201csmarten up this city and take pride in doing here what other citizens had accomplished in an adjacent town, the history noted.  However, this met with only \u201cslender results\u201d so the WCTU developed a new money-making approach, rummage sales.  The first one was held on April 24, 1901 and there was a hunt for rummage in general and gifts of merchants and families added fresh stock to the ongoing event.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

As cash came in, the ladies examined models and perfected plans to erect the town\u2019s \u201cown source of public drinking water.\u201d\u00a0 The Sunbeam reported that Anne W. Maylin reminded the eager ladies that one was also needed for horses.\u00a0 The decision was made in favor of a stone fountain, and Foster Bros.’s offer was accepted.\u00a0 It included everything except the plumbing for $135, less a $3 gift of the marble firm for the inscription.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The stone column was placed in front of the Surrogate\u2019s Office on September 9, 1901.\u00a0 A triple-plated silver cup and strong, unbreakable chain were added as the gift of Thomas Hilliard Sr.\u00a0 \u201cThe cup was handsomely inscribed \u201cW.C.T.U.\u201d \u00a0\u00a0But it was stolen inside of nine months for which \u201ctheft a liberal dose of Jersey Justice was hinted as applicable.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In October 1901, the Union appeared at a council meeting to officially present \u201cto the city the beautiful drinking foundation now in placement on the pavement in front of the county building.\u201d Mayor Gwynne accepted the gift, \u201csaying that the city would prize it not merely for its intrinsic worth and it utility for the beautiful spirt, which promoted it.  He had no doubt that for \u201cmany years thirsty wayfarers would bless the members of the WCTU for their thoughtfulness.  The city accepted it gratefully and would guard it carefully, not the least of their duty, and they would plenty of water and good water,\u201d the Sunbeam reported on October 4, 1901<\/p>\n\n\n\n

As the nation edged slowly toward totally outlawing alcohol, the local WCTU had made its mark (a cup of free cold water at all hours) with a permanent monument as the ladies continued to wage war on spirits.  This fountain helped conquer thirst, perhaps competing with the saloons. Sometime not too long before December 21, 1978, It was moved \u201cto Salem\u2019s new little park on Market Street,\u201d the Sunbeam reported.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A Symbol of the Temperance Movement in Salem City<\/h5>\n\n\n\n

Thus my little mystery, a venture into yesteryear, was solved.\u00a0 It wasn\u2019t just any water fountain.\u00a0 It was one of thousands erected nationwide by the Woman\u2019s Christian Temperance Union as the group that got prohibition passed sought to encourage people to drink water instead of alcohol.\u00a0 Salem had an active union.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

But now I was hooked. Salem County curious, if you will.\u00a0 During my brief visits, I became intrigued with the multifaceted history around me in the county, as well as how the past and present intersected.\u00a0 There were surviving traces of earlier times wherever I turned — grand cemeteries, public spaces, old houses and buildings, churches, and monuments — and these survivors of the passage of centuries all stimulated my inquisitiveness.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Along the way, I learned where to turn for the best help for unlocking the secrets of time.\u00a0 The Salem County Historical Society has an enormous treasure trove of photographs, newspapers, manuscripts, books, and ephemera.\u00a0 This vibrant organization was doing a wonderful job of fulfilling its mission, serving as the heritage keepers in the South Jersey county while helpfully sharing the area\u2019s stories with inquisitive types.\u00a0 It is the place to learn more about the past, the culture, and the people.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

So if you are Salem County curious \u2013 for whatever reason your interest is sparked — be sure to visit the Society.\u00a0 A group of helpful volunteers will help you mine a comprehensive collection of sources for nuggets of information as you piece together your puzzle.\u00a0 Since that time two years ago, I have been back many times working on my broader investigation, but now that I am curious all sorts of things are constantly distracting me.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Republished with permission from the Quarterly Newsletter of the Salem County Historical Society<\/a>. Summer 2016<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"temperance<\/a>
The WCTU temperance fountain in the center of Salem<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

For more on Temperance Fountains<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

A Temperance Fountain on Broadway<\/a> (Pitman, NJ)<\/p>\n\n\n\n

WCTU’s Temperance Fountain on Penn Square<\/a> (Reading, PA)<\/p>\n\n\n\n

“Drink and Be Greateful”<\/a> – The Temperance Fountain in Bloomington, IN<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Two years ago, I spent a fine summer day in South Jersey, becoming familiar with Salem City while contemplating research strategies for investigating the community\u2019s recent past.\u00a0 My interest focused on seeking out narratives associated with the City’s transformations in the post-World War II decades, so I concentrated on identifying archived materials and interviewing sources….<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[209,203],"tags":[168,167,164,166,165,169],"class_list":["post-1814","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-new-jersey","category-prohibition","tag-fountain","tag-prohibition","tag-salem","tag-temperance","tag-wctu","tag-wctu-fountain"],"yoast_head":"\nTemperance Crusaders Gave Fountain to Salem City - Mike's History Blog<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"The WCTU's Temperance Fountain in the center of Salem, NJ. 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For the few requiring inpatient care, a trip to distant hospitals in Camden, Bridgeton or Wilmington, DE was required. But in the first two decades of the twentieth century medicine\u2026","rel":"","context":"Similar post","block_context":{"text":"Similar post","link":""},"img":{"alt_text":"The Salem County Hospital in the 1930s or 1940s","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.dixonhistory.com\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/06\/vintage-photos-of-salem-county-hospitaljpg-8e0e82379fcbc83d.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.dixonhistory.com\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/06\/vintage-photos-of-salem-county-hospitaljpg-8e0e82379fcbc83d.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.dixonhistory.com\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/06\/vintage-photos-of-salem-county-hospitaljpg-8e0e82379fcbc83d.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.dixonhistory.com\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/06\/vintage-photos-of-salem-county-hospitaljpg-8e0e82379fcbc83d.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":1924,"url":"https:\/\/www.dixonhistory.com\/news\/suffrage-army-marches-in-salem\/","url_meta":{"origin":1814,"position":3},"title":"The Suffrage Army Marches in Salem","author":"Mike","date":"July 31, 2018","format":false,"excerpt":"WOMEN'S SUFFRAGE -- I have been studying social late 19th and early 20th-century progressive movements in some of South Jersey's rural counties, the fieldwork concentrating on temperance, prohibition, prison reform, crime control, and voting rights. As it concerns women's suffrage New Jersey has a complicated history since the State's 1776\u2026","rel":"","context":"Similar post","block_context":{"text":"Similar post","link":""},"img":{"alt_text":"The suffrage army marches in Salem.","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.dixonhistory.com\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/07\/suffrage-_0163-1024x871.jpg?resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.dixonhistory.com\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/07\/suffrage-_0163-1024x871.jpg?resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.dixonhistory.com\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/07\/suffrage-_0163-1024x871.jpg?resize=525%2C300 1.5x"},"classes":[]},{"id":1410,"url":"https:\/\/www.dixonhistory.com\/news\/online-references-for-the-study-of-temperance-and-prohibition\/","url_meta":{"origin":1814,"position":4},"title":"Online References for the Study of Temperance and Prohibition","author":"Mike","date":"March 31, 2014","format":false,"excerpt":"As a visiting scholar and member of the speakers\u2019 bureau at the Delaware Humanities Forum, I lecture on several subjects examining the past in the First State.\u00a0 The one on temperance and prohibition has received lots of attention lately, as organizations invite me to outline historical attempts to regulate the\u2026","rel":"","context":"Similar post","block_context":{"text":"Similar post","link":""},"img":{"alt_text":"prohibition in delaware","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.dixonhistory.com\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/03\/beer-2d.jpg?resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":6303,"url":"https:\/\/www.dixonhistory.com\/news\/booze-on-delaware-river\/","url_meta":{"origin":1814,"position":5},"title":"Floating Booze Boat on Delaware River Calls up Questions of State Boundary","author":"Mike","date":"April 1, 2024","format":false,"excerpt":"In the summer of 1916, the well-known \"Charlestown Booze Boat,\" Uno, made waves in Penns Grove, NJ, becoming the talk of the dry town. Anchored just off the New Jersey shore in the Delaware River, this floating speakeasy from Maryland quickly became a popular destination for those seeking to tipple\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "New Jersey"","block_context":{"text":"New Jersey","link":"https:\/\/www.dixonhistory.com\/news\/category\/new-jersey\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.dixonhistory.com\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/2024-06-29_15-29-24.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.dixonhistory.com\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/2024-06-29_15-29-24.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.dixonhistory.com\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/2024-06-29_15-29-24.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.dixonhistory.com\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/2024-06-29_15-29-24.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x"},"classes":[]}],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.dixonhistory.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1814","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.dixonhistory.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.dixonhistory.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.dixonhistory.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.dixonhistory.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1814"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.dixonhistory.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1814\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.dixonhistory.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1814"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.dixonhistory.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1814"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.dixonhistory.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1814"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}