White Ribbon Bulletin Collection
Washington State Historical Society
Advertisement for White Ribbon Shoes, 1907, White Ribbon Bulletin 6 (10), page 07.
The Woman's Christian Temperance Union was established in 1874 as a vehicle for women to combat the effects of alcohol on the family and society. The WCTU continues to exist today and is the oldest continuing non-sectarian women's organization worldwide. Women in the WCTU abstain from alcohol and define temperance as "moderation in all things healthful; total abstinence from all things harmful." The WCTU led the campaign for prohibition, and organized for other social issues like labor, public health, and suffrage. The organization's symbol, the white ribbon bow, was selected to symbolize purity.
The Washington State Historical Society has digitized its collection of the White Ribbon Bulletin. The monthly White Ribbon Bulletin was "the official organ of the Western Washington W. C. T. U." The collection runs from Volume 1, Number 1 (January 1902) to Volume 9, Number 12 (December, 1910). Scans were created from microfilm of bound periodicals.