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Kane, Elizabeth Wood, 1836-1909

 Person

Dates

  • Existence: 1836 - 1909

biographical statement

Elizabeth Wood Kane (1836-1909) was a prominent Pennsylvania prohibitionist, philanthropist, and physician.

Elizabeth Denniston Wood was born on May 12, 1836 to William Wood and Harriet Amelia Kane, and was raised in England. Her family emigrated to New York in 1844. In 1853 she married Thomas L. Kane. With her husband and four children, Harriet Amelia Kane (1854-1896); Elisha Kent Kane (1856-1935); Evan O'Neill Kane (1861-1932); and Thomas Leiper Kane, Jr. (1863-1929), Elizabeth founded the town of Kane, Pennsylvania. She worked tirelessly for the prohibition of alcohol both in Kane, and the wider United States. Her 1872 travels with her husband in Utah are recorded in her book "Twelve Mormon Homes." She obtained a medical degree from the Women's Medical College in Philadelphia in 1883. After her husband's death later that year, she became more involved in social and philanthropic causes including the Women's Christian Temperance Union, and the Kane Summit Hospital Association. She died peacefully while sleeping May 25, 1909.

Citation:
Story of John Kane of Dutchess County, New York, 1921: p. 3 (born and raised in England, emigrated to New York) p. 4-5 (married to Thomas L. Kane in 1853) p. 5 (founded Kane, Pennsylvania with her husband) p. 6 (worked to promote prohibition in Kane, PA) p. 6 (traveled to Utah and wrote "Twelve Mormon Homes) p. 7-8 (graduated from Philadelphia Woman's College as a physician, was a local and regional delegate to prohibition conferences, including WCTU activities) p. 9-10 (died May 25, 1909)

Ancestry.org, via WWW, Jan. 29, 2013: (Elizabeth Denniston Wood; four children: Harriet Amelia Kane (1854-1896); Elisha Kent Kane (1856-1935); Evan O'Neill Kane (1861-1932); and Thomas Leiper Kane, Jr. (1863-1929))

Familysearch.org, via WWW, Apr. 17, 2013 (Elizabeth Dennistoun Wood; b. May 12, 1836 in Bootle, England; d. May 25, 1909 in Kane, Pa.; m. Apr. 21, 1853; five children: Harriet Amelia, Elisha Kent, Evan O'Neill, Thomas Leiper, Joshua Francis)

Found in 1 Collection or Record:

Elizabeth Wood Kane history of the settlement of Kane, Pennsylvania, 1868-1869

 Sub-Series — Multiple Containers
Identifier: MSS 3190 Series 3 Sub-Series 2
Scope and Contents

Contains two copies of Kane's two-volume history of the settlement of Kane, Pennsylvania. One is a hand-written manuscript, while the other is a carbon-copy of a typeset edition. The book is about the founding of Kane, Pennsylvania by Kane and her husband in the mid-1800s. It mostly relates personal experiences relating to her time there, and is dedicated to her grandchildren. Items date from about 1868.

Dates: Other: 1868-1869
Found in: L. Tom Perry Special Collections / MSS 3190, Kane family collection / Elizabeth Wood Kane papers

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