In the spring of 1914, a group of women gathered in Jamestown to take lessons in domestic science. It was just another day for these women who had already been practicing the skills they were about to review. The Women’s Club spent the day going over the curriculum taught at Jamestown High School, perhaps serving as mentors to younger women in the community.
The concept of domestic science in 1910 was broad and encompassed topics such as bacteriology for cleanliness, physiology related to food and health, and the physics of heating and lighting homes. The members of the Women’s Club understood the importance of personal efficiency in running a household, as mentioned in The Jamestown Alert article about their review of domestic sciences.
Despite the age gap between them, there was no indication of condescension from the older women towards the younger students. While there may have been moments where a club member thought differently about certain practices, it was clear that these women were looking to pass down their expertise to future generations of homemakers.
For more information on this topic, author Keith Norman can be contacted through www.KeithNormanBooks.com.
