Ellen
Gates Starr was
born in Laona, Illinois, in 1859. Starr was a student at the Rockford
Female Seminary (1877-78) where she met Jane
Addams. Starr taught for ten years in Chicago
before joining Addams in 1888 of a tour of Europe. While in London
they visited Toynbee Hall.
Inspired by the success of this project, they became determined to
establish a similar social settlement in Chicago.
When Addams and Starr returned to Chicago in 1889, they purchased
a large dilapidated mansion formerly owned by the wealthy businessman,
Charles J. Hull. Hull House was opened
as a kindergarten but soon expanded to include a day nursery, an infancy
care centre and further education classes. Starr and Addams were later
joined by other social reformers such as Edith
Abbott, Grace Abbott, Florence
Kelley, Julia Lathrop, Alice
Hamilton, Mary McDowell, Alzina
Stevens and Sophonisba Breckinridge
at the settlement.
As well as teaching at Hull House Starr
was active in the campaign to reform child
labour laws and industrial working conditions in Chicago.
Starr, a member of the Women's Trade Union League,
she helped organize striking garment workers in 1896, 1910 and 1915.
In 1930 Ellen Gates Starr retired to a Roman Catholic convent in Suffern,
New York County, where she died on 10th February, 1940.
(1)
Nora Marks, Chicago Tribune (19th May, 1890)
Miss Jane Addams and Miss Ellen
Starr got tired of keeping their culture, and wealth, and social capacity
to themselves. These young women believe that all luxury is right
that can be shared. They have taken their books, pictures, learning,
gentle manner, esthetic taste, to South Halsted Street.
Monday afternoon a club of young women meets and read Romola,
aided by pictures of Florence, contemporary art, and lectures by Miss
Starr on Florentine artists.
There is a wide, bright livery stable at No. 331 South Halsted Street
that could be secured for a moderate rental. Skylights could be put
in and the brick walls decorated. Then it could be be a gallery for
loan exhibits, a studio for instruction, a dance-hall.
"Why not?" says Miss Starr. "The worst thing about
these crowded districts is the fact of there being no private places
for dancing. Young people will dance. These people cannot do it in
private houses - hence public balls. Why not a dance where the amusement
could be indulged in innocently and without danger?"
(2)
Ellen Gates Starr, letter to Mary Blaisdell (18th May, 1890)
The article in the Chicago
Tribune (about Hull House) was disgustingly vulgar and horrid.
There were some consolations - she didn't call the neighborhood "slums".
The worst thing was her saying at the end, of the college extension
it will be greater than any charity. Why she wanted to slap it in
the face by comparing it with a charity, I can't grasp.
Now comes the great item of news. Miss Culver has given us the house
rent free for four years, amounting to $2800 and we have decided to
call the house Hull House.
(3)
Mary
Kenney
wrote about Ellen Gates Starr and Hull
House in her unpublished autobiography.
Miss Starr I quickly learned
to love dearly. She had a sense of humour unequaled by anyone I'd
ever known. At my first appearance in Hull House, she seemed to sense
my defiance and laughed. I was sensitive and I gave her a cold stare.
When I went to live in Hull House I tried to ignore Miss Starr, but
she came to me, and after we talked things over, we became friends.
It was a great privilege to have her as a friend. She was like an
older sister. When I made mistakes, she "took me in hand,"
and she wasn't afraid to tell me just what she thought.
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