In 1871, educators and historians Elroy M. Avery and his wife, Catherine,
came to Cleveland. Avery became superintendent of schools in East
Cleveland. Mrs. Avery was principle of the high school.
Catherine Avery became chair of the Executive Committee of the Women's
Department of the First Centennial Commission.
Over her signature was written the letter from the women of 1896 to the
women of 1996, the letter that was put in the time capsule at Western
Reserve University to be opened for Cleveland's bicentennial this year.
The letter reports on how things were 100 years ago and asks about how
things are now, 100 years later.
"We bequeath to you a city of a century, prosperous and beautiful and yet
far from our ideal," the letter says.
Would anyone disagree that Cleveland today is quite a bit the same?
The letter from 1896 continues, "Many of the people are poor and some are
vainly seeking work at living wages. Often they, who have employment, are
forced to filch hours for work from the hours that should be given to rest,
recreation and study."
Ummm; sound familiar?
"Some of our children are robbed of their childhood," the letter says, and
"Vice parades our streets and disease lurks in many places that men and
women call their homes."
That was 100 years ago? Or just yesterday?
"Sometimes some of the reins of government slip from the hands of the
people, and public honors ill-fit some who wear them."
Check today's headlines for similarities.
"Man's inhumanity to man makes countless thousands mourn."
And then, Mrs. Avery asks, "How are things with you?"
Local women of 1996 over the past several months met in four forums to try
to answer Mrs. Avery, to try to tell her how things are with us now. The
answers filled 70 pages. That response since has been condensed to eight pages.
Mrs. Avery's letter is not all unpleasant.
"The world family is better," she writes from 1896. "This hundred years
has given to the world the locomotive and steamboat, the telegraph,
telephone, photograph, electric light, electric motor and many other wise
and beneficent discoveries."
She asks, "Have you invented a flying machine or found the North Pole?
What have you done?"
Well, now, that is a question, isn't it?
Much has been done, of course. How much of it is really important? How
much will be around 100 years hence?
Today's women are going to try to answer that one, too.
On Oct. 6, at the Cleveland Convention Center, Women Celebrating the
Bicentennial will gather for what they call "a dialogue across the
centuries" to articulate what has been done in the past 100 years, what we
have now, and to envision life in 2096.
One-hundred years ago, the women wrote that "In this first centennial year
of our city, we have planned many important works for the 'Greater
Cleveland' of tomorrow."
To be accomplished, says the letter of 1896: "...improvement of the
harbor, the widening, straightening and cleansing of our narrow, crooked and
befouled river, the sanitary disposal of garbage, a fitting home for the
Public library, the extension and completion of the adequate park and
boulevard system, the addition of kindergartens to our public schools."
Wow!
A lot of that, indeed, has been accomplished and surpassed!
The harbor certainly has been improved and its appearance enhanced by new
monuments of culture and technology...the river is not so befouled...the
library's homes are built and abuilding...parks and boulevards are improved
(chuckholes or potholes or whatever your choice of oath-inspiration are part
of advancement, if not improvement)...there are kindergartens, but the
condition of the school system is a big question.
When they gather Oct. 6th, today's women will ask their own questions of
the women of 2096, will ask in their own way, "How are things with you?
What have you done?"
Catherine Avery ended her letter:
"Standing by this casket soon to be sealed, we of today try to fix our
vision on you, who a century hence will stand by it as we now do. The
vision can last but a moment, but before it ends and we fade in the past, we
would send up our earnest prayer for our country, our state, our city, and
for you. Amen."
Indeed, "Amen."
Many feel that the women's letter from 1896 is one of the most meaningful
moments of this bicentennial year.
Shakespeare wrote something about "past and prologue." The women of
1896 have, as Mrs. Avery wrote, faded "in the past." Lin Emmons, a woman of
1996, now has that as prologue to the women's forum in October.
Lin Emmons is chair for the Oct. 6 forum, and expects it to provide "...a
wonderful dialogue." Questions formulated by today's women will be put into
a letter to the women of 2096, a letter that will be sealed in a time
capsule to be opened 100 years from now.
Perhaps that letter will be one of the most meaningful moments of the
tricentennial of Cleveland in the way in which it asks, "How are things with
you? What have you done?"
