The Red & White Ribbon Club

For much of the 1870s, America was in the grip of a financial panic. It would be the worst financial situation that the country would experience until the Great Depression of the 1930s. During times like this, people can find a myriad of things to question in their lives as their finances challenge their day-to-day lives. One such aspect was temperance or abstaining from alcoholic beverages. While nothing new, temperance usually tried to protect one’s family or soul. On a more practical level, people started thinking that abstaining from alcohol might be a good thing to do when money was scarce. During the late 1870s, many people in McHenry joined what was known as the Red Ribbon Club.

Starting in 1872 in Maine as the Blue Ribbon Club, the group became the Red Ribbon Club in 1874. Women would form their own group, the White Ribbon Club, and run their own meetings. During the next few years, the club spread throughout the country, mainly through charismatic speakers. Members were sworn to sign an oath or take a pledge and wear a red ribbon showing their dedication to the cause. The White Ribbon Club also was against the use of tobacco. In some areas, people would combine their ribbons, red & white, to show their solidarity against both alcohol and tobacco. The Clubs have a few aspects of their message, that made them very popular. One was that they saw the abuse of alcoholic beverages as part of a larger societal problem and didn’t blame the individual. Also, as noted in a Chicago Daily Tribune article, the Clubs kept two things out of their message that most temperance organizations discussed: politics and religion.

Like many other parts of the county, the Red & White Ribbon Clubs made their way to McHenry in 1877. The group met at the Universalist Church, which was then on Court Street. Meetings were held on Thursday evenings, while the White Ribbons held theirs on Saturday afternoons. Most meetings consisted of readings, singing, and lectures. In many cases instead of liquor being served, the group gave out sweets, such as ice cream. The first president of the Red Ribbon Club was J.M. McComber and one of the notable local speakers was A.H. Hanley, who ran the mill on what is now Crystal Lake Blacktop. Both groups in McHenry peaked in 1878, as did most of the Ribbon Clubs in McHenry County. However, during that year, the Ribbon Clubs held some big events. For the Fourth of July, the Club held a huge picnic at Wheeler’s Grove, which is just roughly north of where the V.F.W. is today. The program featured a choir, prayers, and lectures from local speakers. Ladies from the White Ribbon Club provided the food for the dinner. Also during an opening for the new Smith & Snyder’s store, the Red Ribbon Club provided music and dinner.

In the next few years, the Red & White Ribbon Clubs would merge together with other groups such as the Women’s Christian Temperance Union. The WCTU ended up using the white ribbon in its logo. While over time, the names of the groups may have changed, the message remained the same. However, during a brief burst of popularity, McHenry experienced the Red and White Ribbon fever.

Sources

• “Church Property Is Given To Local Masonic Lodge.” The McHenry Plaindealer. (McHenry, IL) 17 Mar 1938, 1. Newspapers.com. Web. 5 Jun 2023.
• “Tickets are issued…” The McHenry Plaindealer. (McHenry, IL) 12 Jun 1878, 5. Newspapers.com. Web. 5 Jun 2023.
• “Ringwood” The McHenry Plaindealer. (McHenry, IL) 4 Jul 1877, 5. Newspapers.com. Web. 5 Jun 2023.
• “The last meeting…” The McHenry Plaindealer. (McHenry, IL) 2 Jul 1879, 5. Newspapers.com. Web. 5 Jun 2023.
• “The following is the programme..” The McHenry Plaindealer. (McHenry, IL) 28 Jan 1880, 5. Newspapers.com. Web. 5 Jun 2023.
• “Fourth of July Celebration at McHenry” The McHenry Plaindealer. (McHenry, IL) 26 Jun 1878, 5. Newspapers.com. Web. 5 Jun 2023.
• “Fourth of July Celebration at McHenry” The McHenry Plaindealer. (McHenry, IL) 3 Jul 1878, 5. Newspapers.com. Web. 5 Jun 2023.
• “The Red Ribbon Party at Smith & Snyder’s.” The McHenry Plaindealer. (McHenry, IL) 19 Jun 1878, 5. Newspapers.com. Web. 5 Jun 2023.