"Don't make the mistake of thinking that a 'no' on Nov. 5th will forever kill woman suffrage in Wisconsin. It will simply prolong the agitation and increase the expense. Injustic always spurs one on the added effort." -Eau Claire Leader, October 27, 1912
Wisconsin suffragists pressured the legislature for a statewide referendum on women's voting rights in 1912. The referendum was defeated, with nearly two-thirds of male voters in the state voting against women's suffrage. Still, in the Chippewa Valley, the relatively close results from the 1912 referendum showed that women organizing for suffrage were winning over suporters.
Eau Claire Voted For: 2,074 (46%) Against: 2,445 (54%) |
Chippewa Voted For: 1,939 (42%) Against: 2,725 (58%) |
From the first meeting of the Eau Claire Women's Club in 1895 to the 1912 referendum and beyond, the women of the Chippewa Valley were active in organizing for suffrage. Women of the Chippewa Valley campaigned with vigor despite harsh opposition, as seen in the news from various publications, but perhaps most importantly viewed in the letters between Eau Claire suffragists around 1912...

A sample ballot printed in the Dunn County News to familiarize voters with what to expect when election day came in November. Dunn County News. October 29, 1912.

At the time of the 1912 Referendum, the City of Eau Claire boasted a population of about 18,000. Image courtesy L.E. Phillips Memorial Public Library.