Stevens Point Women's Club

Stevens Point Women's Club. . , The Stevens Point Women's Club has supported schools, women, labor forces, suffrage, and much more. Still today they show their love and support of this community as well as they did during the Great War, later named World War 1 (WW1). , , In 1921, three years after the end of WW1, the city of Stevens Point purchased land just north and west of what is now known as the Church Street underpass with the intention of using the land as a park. , , Shortly afterward, the Stevens Point Woman's Club started a drive to have the City Park Commission change the name of the park to South Side Memorial Park and raised $1800 to build a memorial to honor the men of Portage County who defended their nation. In July 1923, the park was dedicated with Rear Admiral Albert W. Grant, a native son, being the main speaker. He praised members of the Women's Club for their efforts to erect the memorial. , , This was a fitting location for a memorial as most if not all solders [sic] would have left or return [sic] from the war from the train platform just south of the park. , , Continuing their involvement with the park they helped sponsor the monument rededication in 2010. , , When America entered the Great War large numbers of women were recruited into jobs vacated by men who had gone to fight in the war. , , Their employment opportunities expanded beyond traditional women's professions, such as teaching and domestic work. , , Women were now employed in clerical positions, sales, garment and textile factories, transportation, construction, war production as well as in the Red Cross. , , In 1917 food and other vital materials were rationed by the government so enough supplies were available for war production, soldiers and civilians. This was needed so there was enough food and material to maintain strength and vitality of the troops and citizens. , , Television and radio had not been invented yet so posters urging citizens to voluntarily reduce their personal consumption of meat, wheat, fats, sugar, metals and other material were posted throughout communities. , , As artistic works, the posters range in style from graphically vibrant works by well-known designers to simple text. The poster was a major tool for broad dissemination of information during the war. , , Americans on the home front and those on the war front had to make sacrifices to win the war. , , Special thanks to the 2004 UWSP Interpretive Sign class for their work on the initial development of the WW1 signs. Students: Nick Adams, Ryan Eggers, Hillary Jung, Katie McCarthy and Tammy Weiss. Teachers: Brenda Lackey and Jim Buchholz.