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Women’s Community Center Records, 1973-1985

 Collection
Identifier: University Historical Collection 357

Content Description

The collection holds important information concerning the Eau Claire community in relation to the Women’s Community Center during the 1970s-1980s, regarding the abuse of women and children. It retains records detailing information on the operations of the Women’s Community Center and their relationship with other groups, centers, and individuals such as physician consults. The documents within the collection show the strides made by the center to bring awareness to their efforts within the community.

The collection is split into 2 series. Series 1 of Subject Files includes incorporation papers, Refuge House information, programs and volunteer information, physician surveys, media exposure, financial records, meeting minutes, organization contacts, correspondence, and various forms of communication between other groups or businesses in the region that dealt with the Women’s Community Center of Eau Claire, Wisconsin. Series 2 contains the monthly newsletter that was created and mailed out by the Women’s Community Center to women in the Eau Claire community.

Dates

  • Creation: 1973-1985

Creator

Access Restrictions

Collection is open to the public.

Use Restrictions

Researchers are responsible for using in accordance with 17 U.S.C. Copyright not owned by the University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire

Biographical/Historical Note

The Women’s Community Center officially became incorporated on September 8, 1976. The center was created with the desire of bringing awareness to abused women and children within the community and allow women to be the best that they could be. Refuge houses were created in an effort to provide a safe haven for women and their children to live while they got resituated and to a place where they could move out on their own. The Women’s Community Center had a few permanent positions that dealt with operations of the facility, and many more that were on a voluntary basis. By 1978 there was an estimated 101 women and their children or 68 families that were using the refuge services offered by the center. In an effort to fund the Women’s Community Center members sold subscriptions to a monthly newsletter and partnered with the University of Wisconsin Eau Claire for various fundraisers. In 1988 the doors were closed on the Women’s Community Center due to lack of funding, but other places in the community such as the Bolton Refuge House continue their work today.

Extent

1.2 Linear Feet (3 archives boxes)

Language of Materials

English

Summary

A compilation of records from the Women’s Community Center of Eau Claire, Wisconsin dating from 1973-1985. The collection documents the center’s collaboration efforts within the community and with UW-Eau Claire in its attempts to raise funding and awareness for abused women and children within the community. The collection holds documents showing the creation of the center, its by-laws, events, newspaper clippings, surveys, expense books, meeting minutes, and the dissolution of the center. There is a bound book with financial records as well as checkbook balance logs.

Acquisition Information

Donated to the Special Collections Department, William D. McIntyre Library, University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire by Marian Ritland, 2014.

Accession Number

15-041

Related Materials

Eau Claire Mss DA: National Organization for Women. Eau Claire Chapter (Wis.) Records, 1972-1973, 1978-1984

Learn more about Bolton Refuge House here: Bolton Refuge House

Reference Code

UHC357

Processing Note

Processed by Danica Seyfert in March 2015

Status
Published
Author
Guinevere Fischer
Date
December 1, 2023
Language of description
English
Script of description
Latin

Repository Details

Part of the Special Collections and Archives, McIntyre Library, UW-Eau Claire Repository

Contact:
Special Collections and Archives, McIntyre Library
University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire
103 Garfield Avenue
Eau Claire WI 54701 United States
715-836-2739