History: Local: Community Organizations
Sussex Prohibition Club
W. C. T. U.
Transcribed by Michael R. Reilly
Updated 01/08/2006
A temperance lecture will be given at the Town Hall, Sussex, on Wednesday evening, Feb. 15th, under the direction of the W. C. T. U. Waukesha Freeman, Thursday, February 9, 1888 [Note: The Woman's Christian Temperance Union (W. C. T. U.) was organized in 1874 by women who were concerned about the problems alcohol was causing their families and society. The members chose total abstinence from all alcohol as their life style and protection of the home as their watchword.]
Rev. J. H. Bowker lectures on Prohibition at North Lisbon, on the evening of the 27th, and at Sussex on the 28th. Waukesha Freeman, Thursday, March 22, 1888
Temperance - Mrs. Eva C. Brown, of Whitewater, will be with the W. C. T. U., of Lisbon, on Tuesday, May 8th. She will give a chalk-talk to the children at 4 o'clock P.M., and a Gospel Temperance Lecture at 7 P.M. Be sure and let the children come and don't forget to come yourself. Lisbon W. C. T. U. Waukesha Freeman, Thursday, April 26, 1888
Prohibition County Convention - There will be a Prohibition Party Convention for Waukesha county held at the Court House, in the village of Waukesha, on Friday, the 18th of May, 1888, at two o'clock P.M., for the purpose of electing nineteen delegates to attend the State Convention, which meets at Madison, May 23rd. Each town, village, and city will be entitled to five delegates to said Convention for each representative in the County Board. Dated April 19th, 1888; William Bone, Chairman of County Committee. Waukesha Freeman, Thursday, April 26, 1888
The Prohibition Club will discuss the Woman's Suffrage question at their next meeting, Monday evening, May 14th, and will have a full literary programme, in which ladies are to take a prominent part. Waukesha Freeman, Thursday, May 10, 1888.
The I. O. G. T. and W. C. T. U. have decided to build a temperance hall 24x46 and will commence its erection at once. [Note - International Organization of Good Templars is an organization of men and women of all ages who promote the ideals of temperance, peace and brotherhood.]
The officers of the Prohibition Club are as follows: G. McKerrow, President; A. Ridley, Vice-President; T. E. Turner, Secretary and Chas. Will, Treasurer. Chas. Wills is to represent the club at the state convention at Madison. Waukesha Freeman, Thursday, May 17, 1888.
The debate at the Town Hall on the question, "Resolved that Woman Suffrage should be made a plank in the party platforms," was decided in favor of the negative. Waukesha Freeman, Thursday, May 24, 1888.
Temperance But Not Prohibition The Debate at Sussex is Won by the Moderate Men The long anticipated debate at Sussex, as to whether prohibition is the most effective means of furthering temperance, took place last night at the Hall, and attracted a very large audience - many more than could be accommodated. Four long hours did the battle rage - Geo. McKerrow leading the affirmative and supported by Chas. Will and the Rev. Turner, and Frank W. Harland serving as captain to the negative, with Sam Breese and James A. McKenzie as lieutenants. Messrs. Welch, McGill and Rodgers, all of Sussex, acted as judges, and their decision stood two to one in favor of the non-prohibitionists. The losers however magnanimously gave a vote of thanks to the visiting gentleman who carried off the honors.
Lisbon - The debate at the Town Hall on the 19th did not turn out to be prohibition against anti-prohibition, but simply a comparing of prohibition and moral suasion. The moral suasion debaters received two votes of the committee and the prohibitionists one vote, and that vote of a Republication.
W. H. Edwards has a patent clothes broom which contains a bottle. Will is prepared for a prohibition law. Waukesha Freeman, Thursday, July 26, 1888.
James T. Weaver, Lisbon, running for Waukesha County Treasurer, on the Prohibition Party ticket. Waukesha Freeman, October 11, 1890.
Charles H. Will, Sussex running for county Treasurer on Prohibition ticket. Waukesha Freeman, September 22, 1892.
C. G. Daniels will open an ice cream parlor in the building known as the old Boots' saloon. Waukesha Freeman, May 31, 1906
Arraigned on Charge of Selling Moonshine William White, Waukesha, appeared in municipal court Monday on a charge of selling liquor in the town of Lisbon. It was alleged by the complaintant, John P. Stier, county supervisor of Sussex, that the defendant was peddling moonshine in that township. The case was postponed until Feb. 23, and bail was fixed in the sum of $500. Waukesha Freeman, February 17, 1921.