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Searchable Stewartville Tweedsmuir History 7 Book 1 digitized by Jim Austin THE ORIGIN AND DEVEIDPMET of the STOREY CREEK INSTI TUTE, The Women '5 Institute movement as almost everyone knows , had its origin in the historic village of Stoney Creek--four miles east of Hamilton on the highway leading to Niagara Falls and in the County of Wentworth. It is a strange coincidence that both the Farmers' Institute and the Women's Institute she should have their origin in Wentworth County. For 15 years before the first W.I. was formed there was in Wentworth a Farmers's Institute . organized through the efforts and influence of the late Public School Inspector, Mr. J.H. Smith, ably assisted by Mr. Erland Lee, onefit of the most intelliyent and broadminded farmers of Saltfleet Township, And it was at an evening meeting of this Farmers‘s Institute, at which . the womeg wgre Present, that Mrs. Adelaide Headless (“after giving an address on Mr.Lae's invitation) suggested that the women form an Institute for the women , similar to the Fanner' Institute for the men. As it was too late inthe evening to discuss the matter, it was decided that the women would meet the following week. On Friday, February 19th 1897l---49 years ago yostsrday--â€"Mrs. Headless again came tq/Sfi/ Stoney Creek and found awaiting her in Squire's Ball -â€"---101 women and one man--needless to say that man was Mr. Lee and he acted as chairman for the evening. After much discussion and argument, it was decided to organize a “Woman's Department of Domestic Ebonomy in affiliation with the Farmer's Institute " to be known as the "The Women's Institute of Ssltfleet ' now called "Stoney Creek W.I. The following officers were electedâ€"--Hon. Pres. Mrs. Hoodless...Pres..Hrs. ELD.Smilth.. Sec. Mrs. M.Nash.....Treas. Mrs. J.H.McNeilly O , , .