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Part of the American
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Elizabeth Gerberding 1857 ~ 1902
Mrs. Elizabeth Gerberding is the leader
of the fight for municipal reform in the city of San Francisco.
To the women who took a part in this great revolt against graft
the men owe much. Mrs. Gerberding was born in a little mining
town in California in 1857. Her parents moved to San Francisco
when she was but eight years of age. Soon after an early
marriage she was thrown on her own resources, and for some years
made her living and educated her children by teaching. This
struggle brought out and developed in her the courage she has
shown throughout the Great War for civic righteousness in San
Francisco.
In 1894 she married Albert Gerberding, coming in close
connection with those who were afterwards in the forefront for
public weal. Mr. Gerberding's father was the owner and publisher
of The Bulletin, the paper which in the early days helped to put
down the lawlessness of organized theft and which today
represents the public feeling which has brought to San Francisco
a decent government Mrs. Gerberding succeeded in getting
representative women to show by their presence at the trials of
these officials the stand of the best element of society. A
League of Justice was formed. Mrs. Gerberding became the only
woman member of the executive committee. On her own initiative
she formed the Woman's League of Justice which soon had a
membership of five hundred. This became a strong auxiliary in
the graft prosecution; the value of their moral support to those
engaged in the prosecution was incalculable.
Of Mrs. Gerberding's active work for the betterment of San
Francisco, this is but a part. She formed the California women's
Heney Club of San Francisco, and as president made it a real
power for good. This organization became the Woman's Civic Club
of San Francisco.
Immediately there was new work for this club to do. On a trip
east, Mrs. Gerberding discovered that an active propaganda was
afoot to defeat the Hetch Hetchy water project on the ground of
the preservation of natural resources. Persons had even
succeeded in getting the Federation of Woman's Clubs to pass
resolutions against the grant.
Mrs. Gerberding went back to San Francisco and persuaded the
Century Club, the oldest woman's club on the Pacific coast, to
withdraw in protest from the federation. The women of San
Francisco are in a great fight for pure water.
Since her husband died in 1902, leaving her comfortably provided
for, Mrs. Gerberding has been militant for her city. She loves
San Francisco as only the native Californian can. The men who
have fought the good fight for San Francisco know how often she
has poured the balm of her sympathy upon their wounds and filled
them with renewed energy and courage.
Women of
America
Source: The Part Taken by Women in
American History, By Mrs. John A. Logan, Published by The Perry-Nalle
Publishing Company, Wilmington, Delaware, 1912.
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