Evanston Woman’s Board History
in thousands of lives. The doorstep inspired a poem in 1926 by 16 year old Elmer Eck, who was a member of the Settlement’s Boy Scout Troop #11. He wrote: What a tale it would tell if but once it could speak Of sadness, gloom and despair, It would tell of the strong, of the brave, of the weak, And those willing to do and to dare. Northwestern University Settlement is more than food baskets or clothing. Many hundreds of residents, those people who literally lived and worked at the Settlement, gave courageously and selflessly to make the Settlement a vibrant and warm place. They reveled in the challenges that came each day, the opportunities to use their knowledge, idealism, dedication and courage to make West Town a better place to live. Residents’ work could be as important as providing a family with enough food to make it through the next meal or as simple as arranging for members of a boys club to visit ailing members. The Settlement became an island of hope in a sea of poverty and despair. While Division Street saloons offered temporary solace, the Settlement gave people the courage and the means to overcome poverty. The Settlement did not aid the indigent alone. Its many benefactors also benefited in being able to rest secure knowing that their support – financial, material and philanthropic – was being channeled by dedicated Settlement residents who made the generosity stretch to the furthest degree. The Settlement gave them the opportunity for philanthropy that would directly benefit people suffering in the inner city.” 4
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The Worn Doorstep, pp. 5-6.
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