Albion Fellows Bacon

"Born in Evansville, Indiana, in 1865, Albion Fellows Bacon was reared in the nearby hamlet of McCutchanville. Following graduation from Evansville High School, she worked for several years as a secretary and court reporter, toured Europe with her sister, married local merchant Hilary Bacon in 1888, and settled into a seemingly comfortable routine of middle-class domesticity. In 1892, however, she was afflicted with an illness that lasted for several years, an illness that may have resulted from a real or perceived absence of outlets for her intelligence and creativity.". "Bacon eventually found such outlets in a myriad of voluntary associations and social welfare campaigns. She became best-known for her work on behalf of tenement reform and was instrumental in the passage of legislation to improve housing conditions in the state. She was also involved in child welfare work, city planning and zoning, and a variety of public health efforts. Bacon became Indiana's foremost "municipal housekeeper," a Progressive Era term for women who applied their domestic skills to social problems plaguing their communities. She also found time to write articles related to her social reform efforts, as well as articles and booklets that proclaimed her religious faith. She published one volume of children's stories, and authored several pageants. One subject she did not write about was women's suffrage. While she did not oppose votes for women, suffrage was never her priority. But the reality of her participation in public affairs did advance the cause of women's political equality and provided a role model for future generations."--BOOK JACKET.