Carry Nation Birthplace

Inscription

Birthplace of Carry A. Nation

With hatchet in hand, this famous Kentuckian harassed saloon owners across U.S. Four miles from here on Carry Nation Rd. is house where she was born, 1846; lived there five years and in other Ky. towns before moving west. After Kansas banned liquor, Carry began crusade there in 1899, smashing furniture, mirrors, bottles. Home on National Register of Historic Places. Over.

Lady with the Hatchet

Carry Nation gave direction to the antiliquor movement, which led to Prohibition, 1920-33. Driven by bitterness from first marriage to an alcoholic, she had “visions” which commanded militant pursuit of temperance. Carry’s methods put her in jail some 30 times. She died in 1911 and was buried in Belton, Mo. The words, “She hath done what she could,” engraved on her monument.

Photo Ken Smith, HMDB.org