The Woman’s Club’s First Achievement: The Public Water Fountain
In 1894, the Woman’s Club submitted a proposal to the Village Fathers asking for a public water fountain to be built on the corner of Wilmette Ave. and Central Ave.
The proposed water fountain would provide free drinking water for both “man and beast” – one pool of water would be positioned for passersby, while another would be stationed lower for horses, Wilmette’s dominant form of transportation.
When the Village Fathers rejected the proposal, the Woman’s Club funded the construction of the fountain by raising their own money.
The water fountain, pictured in the bottom-left corner, provided the community with free drinking water for decades until its eventual removal.