Consider This with Christine Zak Edmonds
How Peoria Women Built Their Own Clubhouse
Clip: Season 7 Episode 5 | 48sVideo has Closed Captions
The remarkable story of Peoria women building their own clubhouse in the 1890s.
Founded in 1878, the Peoria Women’s Club quickly outgrew its early meeting spaces. Lynette Steger explains how members formed a stock company, sold shares and built their own clubhouse in downtown Peoria at a time when women could not yet vote, creating what became the first women’s clubhouse of its kind in Illinois.
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Consider This with Christine Zak Edmonds is a local public television program presented by WTVP
Consider This with Christine Zak Edmonds
How Peoria Women Built Their Own Clubhouse
Clip: Season 7 Episode 5 | 48sVideo has Closed Captions
Founded in 1878, the Peoria Women’s Club quickly outgrew its early meeting spaces. Lynette Steger explains how members formed a stock company, sold shares and built their own clubhouse in downtown Peoria at a time when women could not yet vote, creating what became the first women’s clubhouse of its kind in Illinois.
Problems playing video? | Closed Captioning Feedback
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Learn Moreabout PBS online sponsorshipthe actual building itself has been there since-- - [Lynette] 1893.
- 1893.
But the club itself was established when?
- [Lynette] 1878.
So Clara Parsons Bourland, who was our founder, initially had people come to her house and meet in her living room.
And as the club grew, they started going to the hotels in downtown Peoria and it kept growing and growing in part because of our Shakespeare Club, which has been a fascinating thing to discover recently.
They got to the point that they needed to build a clubhouse.
And so by 1892, they built a stock company before women could even own businesses.
- [Christine] Or vote.
- Or vote.
- [Christine] Or vote.
- Sold $10 shares of stock and actually built their own clubhouse, the first in Illinois, in downtown Peoria.
- Wow.
NewRestoring the Peoria Women’s Club
Video has Closed Captions
Clip: S7 Ep5 | 1m 4s | A local coffee partnership is helping restore the Peoria Women’s Club kitchen. (1m 4s)
NewA Women’s Club for a New Generation
Video has Closed Captions
Clip: S7 Ep5 | 1m 12s | The Peoria Women’s Club is finding new ways to connect generations of women. (1m 12s)
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Consider This with Christine Zak Edmonds is a local public television program presented by WTVP