(1846-1911) temperance leader famous for smashing saloons with a hatchet

Carry Amelia Moore was born on November 25, 1846, in Garrard County, Kentucky. In 1867, she was married to Dr. Charles Gloyd, a drunkard who died soon after their marriage. She then taught school and rented rooms. In 1877, she married David Nation, a lawyer and minister.

A very religious woman, Nation often claimed to have visions. She also believed that she was divinely protected, a belief that intensified after a fire in 1889 that burned much of her hometown down but left her hotel untouched.

The Nations settled in Medicine Lodge, Kansas in 1889. Although an 1880 state law forbade the sale of liquor in Kansas, the law was not enforced. Taking it upon herself to see to it that temperance laws were enforced, Nation began a campaign to close the saloons in Medicine Lodge, first by praying in front of them and later by smashing them. After successfully ending liquor sales in Medicine Lodge she began taking on the saloons of other major Kansas cities. When she attempted to close saloons in states where liquor sales were legal, she was often arrested for disturbing the peace.

Although many people considered her intolerant, she impressed many others with her sincerity and courage. An eloquent speaker, she also adamantly opposed tobacco and immodesty in women's dress. Her husband was not one of her fans, however; he divorced her for desertion in 1901.

Questions or comments about this page?