Evanston women's history project

The Evanston Community Foundation is coordinating the Evanston Women's History Project (EWHP), a three-year collaborative effort of Evanston organizations. The Project will document and celebrate significant women's history in Evanston, as well as the continuing contributions of women to the community. The Project is funded through the leadership of several Foundation donors and the Foundation's Fund for Women and Girls.

“This project is a great example of the Foundation's ability to connect local resources of knowledge, funding, and individual and organizational interest so that we might celebrate this community of strong women,” says Sara Schastok, Executive Director of the Foundation.

Creative collaboration

EWHP is headquartered at the Evanston History Center. Project partners in this creative collaborative effort include the Woman's Club of Evanston, Shorefront, and the Evanston/North Shore YWCA.

EWHP is coordinated by Lori Osborne, a local public historian and archivist. Stella Ress serves as Research Assistant and staff at the Frances Willard House.

Goals

Overall, EWHP's goals are to bring Evanston women's history to life and to make Evanston a destination for women's history for tourists and scholars. Since Evanston 's founding in the 1850's, local women have been key players in our community and nationally – and that history is still being created.

Key components of the project include:

• creating a database of notable Evanston women;

• being designated as a national thematic historic district;

• building educational and tourism materials to assist people of all ages in learning the stories and visiting the historical sites.

“We think girls and young women will be inspired in their own lives by understanding this history,” says Osborne. “From Dr. Isabella Garnett, one of the first African American physicians in Illinois and co-founder of the Evanston Sanitarium, to Elizabeth Boynton Harbert, founder of the Woman's Club of Evanston and president of the Illinois Woman Suffrage Association, to our current city manager and mayor, Evanston women have made their mark.”

In addition to the involvement of the partner agencies, EWHP will rely on the work of interested independent researchers and scholars. For a taste of women's history, please click here.

For more information, contact Lori Osborne, Project Coordinator at (847) 328-7500 or ewhp@sbcglobal.net.