By Dennis McCaslin - Editor and Publisher
Carry "Carrie" Amelia Moore Nation, was a formidable figure in the temperance movement, known for her radical approach to combating alcohol consumption. In later life, Nation moved from the midwest to Eureka Springs where she lived until her death in 1911, forever tying her legacy to the Carroll County community.
Born on November 25, 1846, in Garrard County, Kentucky, Nation’s life was marked by her fervent dedication to the cause of temperance and her unyielding spirit.
Nation’s journey began in Kentucky, where she was born into a family with strong religious convictions. Her early life was shaped by personal tragedies, including the death of her first husband, Dr. Charles Gloyd in 1867, who was a severe alcoholic. This loss fueled her determination to fight against the destructive influence of alcohol on families and communities.
In 1874, she married David A. Nation, a lawyer, journalist, and preacher. This marriage, "full of strife and unhappiness" lasted until 1901, when they divorced after almost seventeen years of marriage.
Nation’s most famous tactic was her use of a hatchet to demolish barrooms, a method that earned her the nickname “Hatchet Granny.”
A formidable woman, nearly 6 feet tall and weighing 175 pounds, she dressed in stark black and white clothing.
She would enter saloons, singing hymns and praying, before smashing bottles and bar fixtures with her hatchet. Her actions led to numerous arrests and physical assaults, but she remained undeterred.
In April 1901, Nation went to Kansas City, Missouri, a city known for its wide opposition to the temperance movement, and smashed liquor in various bars on 12th Street in downtown Kansas City.
She was arrested, taken to court, and fined $500 (equivalent to $18,300 in 2024) although the judge suspended the fine under the condition that she never return to Kansas City.
She was arrested more than 32 times—one report is that she was placed in the Washington, D.C., poorhouse for three days for refusing to pay a $35 fine.
Nation also conducted women's rights marches in Topeka, Kansas. She led hundreds of women that were part of the Home Defender's Army to march in opposition to saloons. In Amarillo, Texas, she received a strong response, as she was sponsored by the surveyor W. D. Twichell, an active Methodist layman.
Nation eventually leveraged her notoriety to promote her cause through various speaking tours and vaudeville performances. After gaining fame for her saloon-smashing crusades, she embarked on a lecture tour organized by a New York promoter.
In addition to her speaking engagements, Nation sold merchandise, including miniature hatchets, to cover her legal fees and support her activism. Her efforts extended internationally, with tours in the British Isles in 1908
In the later years of her life, Carrie Nation moved to Eureka Springs, where she continued her crusade against alcohol. She purchased property in the town, including a farm and a building she named “Hatchet Hall.” Nation intended to turn Hatchet Hall into a school of prohibition, where she could educate others about the dangers of alcohol.
Eureka Springs became a significant part of Nation’s life. She delivered her final speech in the town, passionately advocating for temperance until the very end.
In poor health, she collapsed during a speech in a Eureka Springs park, after proclaiming, "I have done what I could." Nation was taken to a hospital in Leavenworth, Kansas., where she died on June 11 at the age of 65.
She is buried in the southeastern side of Belton Cemetery in Belton, Missouri. The Woman's Christian Temperance Union later erected a stone inscribed "Faithful to the Cause of Prohibition, She Hath Done What She Could" and the name "Carry A. Nation".
However, her legacy lives on in Eureka Springs and Carroll County. Hatchet Hall, once a museum dedicated to her memory, stands as a testament to her unwavering commitment to the temperance movement.
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