Frances E. Willard

Frances Elizabeth Caroline Willard was born in Churchville, New York, on September 28, 1839. When she was just two years old, her parents moved to Oberlin, Ohio. France had an older brother named Oliver and a younger sister named Mary.





Mr. Willard became ill while they lived in Ohio, and the doctors suggested that outdoor life would help him to recover. The family moved to a farm near Janesville, Wisconsin when Frances was seven years old.

Mr. Willard was a great scholar. When the family moved to Wisconsin, he brought all of his books with him. Oliver grew tired of loading and reloading books when the wagons became stuck in the mud holes. His father always replied that they could do without almost anything but books.




Mr. Willard bought nearly 1000 acres of land along the banks of the Rock River. A house was built among three large oak trees and was called Forest Home by Frances. Mr. Willard later gave some land on which the first school was built. This was also the first real school that Frances and Mary attended. Before that the children had lessons in their home. Mrs. Willard taught them. When the school was built, Miss Burdick was hired to teach the Willard children. The original school is now located on the Rock County 4-H Fairgrounds.








Frances Willard became the founder of the Women's Christian Temperance Union, (WCTU.) She became famous for her efforts to improve family living. Frances Willard died on February 17, 1898. A book written by Clara Ingram Judson called Pioneer Girl tells of the early years of Frances Willard.



She is the first woman to be represented by a statue in Statuary Hall in the U. S. Capitol in Washington, D.C. The statue was donated by the state of Illnois.











Frances E. Willard National Statuary Hall Collection, Washington, D.C.