Carry Nation

Carry A. Nation (Carrie A. Nation)

Carry A. Nation was a key member of the Women's Christian Temperance Union (WCTU) in the late 1800s and early 1900s.

Carry Amelia Moore was born in Garrard County, Ky., on Nov. 25, 1846. Her family moved several times before settling in Cass County, Mo.

Although her father signed her name as "Carry" Amelia Moore in the family Bible, she used the spelling "Carrie" through much of her life. She reverted to "Carry" to help promote her temperance activities.

In 1880, Kansas became the first state adopt a constitutional amendment banning alcoholic beverages. However, the law was not always enforced.

Two online exhibits have been developed by the Kansas Museum of History:

"Carry A. Nation: The Famous and Original Bar Room Smasher" addresses the reformer's life and times. It is a companion piece to "Sinners and Saints: Vice and Reform in Kansas." (1)

She retired to Eureka Springs, Ark. Her home became known as “Hatchet Hall.” Across the street from the house is a spring named for her.

Nation collapsed during a speech in an Eureka Springs park and was taken to a Leavenworth, Kansas hospital, where she died June 9, 1911. (2)

1. Kansas Historical Society, http://www.kshs.org/exhibits/carry/carry1.htm 2. Arkansas Department of Heritage