Frances Klock

Share article to

Body

Full Article

Frances S. Klock (1844–1908) was one of the first three women—along with Clara Cressingham and Carrie Clyde Holly—to serve as a state legislator in the United States. The three ran for office in 1894, one year after women in Colorado achieved the right to vote. In addition to serving as a member of the State House of Representatives in 1895, Klock also served in the Woman’s Relief Corps and the Ladies auxiliary of the Grand Army of the Republic (GAR). She was also an officer in the Colorado branch of the women’s auxiliary to the American Protective Association (APA).

Early Life

Frances S. Krake was born in North Lee, Massachusetts, on January 1, 1844. In 1858 her father, Nelson Krake, was elected as a town constable. When she was fifteen years old, her family moved to Fond du Lac, Wisconsin. Around the time of the move, she married John I. Klock, who was about seven years her senior. John and Frances lived with her family in 1860. The following year, the Civil War broke out and the three men of the house—her father, brother, and husband—all enlisted for the Union. Only John Klock survived, and he was seriously injured.

Frances and John moved to Denver sometime in 1871, while Colorado was still a territory. Frances’s mother, Lucinda Krake, lived with them until her death in 1888.

Grand Army of the Republic

After the Civil War, Klock worked for the Woman’s Relief Corps of the GAR. The main purpose of the Woman’s Relief Corps was to look after the well-being of Union veterans. In January 1886, at a GAR convention in Pueblo, Klock presided over the installation of Woman’s Relief Corps officers and was selected as an alternate delegate to the group’s national convention. Her long-term dedication to taking care of Civil War veterans and to helping the organization may have played a role in her election to office. According to at least one newspaper article, “She received a heavy soldier vote.”

Legislature

Unlike Cressingham and Holly, who were active suffragists, Klock was apparently not active in the women’s suffrage movement before Colorado women achieved the vote in 1893. Nevertheless, in 1894 she campaigned and won election as a state representative from Arapahoe County, which then included Denver.

In the legislature, Klock took a leadership role by chairing the Committee on Indian and Military Affairs, where she continued to support the goals of the GAR. She proposed that Colorado accept land ceded to the state by the US Congress to maintain a soldiers’ and sailors’ home at Fort Lyon near Las Animas. She also proposed a bill to pay off a debt to the National Guard. Neither bill passed, but her activities in the legislature show her ongoing interest in military and veteran affairs.

Klock’s other main activity in the state legislature involved the State Home and Industrial School for Girls. In 1887 the Colorado General Assembly passed a law creating the institution, which was intended as a reformatory school where girls who routinely got into trouble would be educated. Despite establishing the home, the state did not allocate funds for its operation. Instead, Governor Alva Adams contracted with a convent of Benedictine (Catholic) Sisters to run the reformatory in the House of the Good Shepherd, a local branch of a worldwide Catholic institution dedicated to the reform of delinquent girls and young women.

By 1895 the State Home still had no state funding. Klock introduced a bill to remedy that situation. Meanwhile, the Benedictine Sisters who ran the reformatory also had not been paid for their work, and the State House voted down a bill to reimburse them because of strong anti-Catholic sentiment. To compensate for the House’s refusal to pay the Benedictine Sisters, the State Senate amended Klock’s funding bill to not only fund the State Home in the future but also reimburse the Sisters for their costs.

The amendment created a conflict of interest for Klock. At the time, she served as president of the Colorado women’s branch of the powerful American Protective Association, a staunchly anti-Catholic group that tried to keep Catholics out of civil activities. Klock left no records beyond her actions to illuminate her own thinking on the subject. Deciding she could not violate the APA’s tenets, Klock voted against the Senate amendment to her own funding bill, which ultimately failed.

After serving a single term in the legislature, Klock did not run for reelection.

State Home and Industrial School for Girls in Practice

Despite her legislative failure, Klock was instrumental in the creation of a State Home and Industrial School for Girls to replace the one housed by the Benedictine Sisters. On June 20, 1895, after the end of the legislative session, Governor Albert McIntire appointed Klock to the home’s board, where she served as its president. Because the state still made no appropriation, each county contributed some money and Klock sought private funding for the institution. She was successful enough that it opened on September 16, 1895.

Within a few years, however, the State Home was rocked by scandal, which caused Governor Adams to ask Klock and the remainder of the board to resign in 1898. The scandal involved accusations of mistreatment of the girls, including locking them in dark basement rooms and spraying them with cold water. Contemporary newspapers reveal contradictory opinions coming from all directions about how to reform the home. Some people demanded greater strictness and others greater compassion. These contradictory recommendations for reforming the home show the difficulty that the home’s leadership faced. After the board was ousted, troubles continued and some of the girls ended up in jail.

Klock continued to apply her organizational and oratorical skills to the American Protective Association and the Grand Army of the Republic. In 1896, at the same time she served as president of the State Home and Industrial School for Girls, she was also an officer for the Ladies auxiliary of the GAR and was reelected president of the Colorado Woman’s APA. At the same time, she was elected supreme vice-president of the national organization of the Woman’s APA. In 1903–4 she served as president of the Ladies of the GAR’s Colorado Department, and later she continued to assist the leadership of the GAR’s Ladies auxiliary in the state.

Death

On October 5, 1908, Klock died after a long, unspecified illness. She was buried in the family tomb in Denver’s Riverside Cemetery.

Legacy

Klock’s election to office and her activity in the Colorado State Legislature, along with that of Carrie Clyde Holly and Clara Cressingham, were reported in papers across the country. We take women’s ability to legislate for granted now, but in Klock’s day it was revelatory, helping to open the doors for future generations of women to serve in local, state, and federal government. Yet Klock’s leadership of the anti-Catholic APA serves as a reminder that women who worked to exercise their own rights did not necessarily believe in equality for all and sometimes proved willing to restrict the rights of others based on religion or race.

10th Grade

Frances S. Klock (1844–1908) was one of the first three women—along with Clara Cressingham and Carrie Clyde Holly—to serve as a state legislator in the United States. The three ran for office in 1894. That was one year after women in Colorado achieved the right to vote. Klock also served in the Woman’s Relief Corps and the Ladies auxiliary of the Grand Army of the Republic (GAR). She was also an officer in the Colorado branch of the women’s auxiliary to the American Protective Association (APA).

Early Life

Frances S. Krake was born in North Lee, Massachusetts, on January 1, 1844. In 1858 her father, Nelson Krake, was elected as a town constable. When she was fifteen years old, her family moved to Fond du Lac, Wisconsin. Around the time of the move, she married John I. Klock, who was about seven years older. John and Frances lived with her family in 1860. The following year, the Civil War broke out. Her father, brother, and husband all enlisted for the Union. Only John Klock survived. He was seriously injured.

Frances and John moved to Denver sometime in 1871, while Colorado was still a territory. Frances’s mother, Lucinda Krake, lived with them until her death in 1888.

Grand Army of the Republic

After the Civil War, Klock worked for the Woman’s Relief Corps of the GAR. The main purpose of the Woman’s Relief Corps was to look after the well-being of Union veterans. In January 1886, at a GAR convention in Pueblo, Klock presided over the installation of Woman’s Relief Corps officers. She was selected as an alternate delegate to the group’s national convention. Her long-term dedication to taking care of Civil War veterans and to helping the organization may have played a role in her election to office. According to at least one newspaper article, “She received a heavy soldier vote.”

Legislature

Unlike Cressingham and Holly, who were active suffragists, Klock was not active in the women’s suffrage movement before Colorado women achieved the vote in 1893. In 1894 she campaigned and won election as a state representative from Arapahoe County. At the time, this included Denver.

In the legislature, Klock took a leadership role. She chaired the Committee on Indian and Military Affairs, where she continued to support the goals of the GAR. She proposed that Colorado accept land ceded to the state by the US Congress to maintain a soldiers’ and sailors’ home at Fort Lyon near Las Animas. She also proposed a bill to pay off a debt to the National Guard. Neither bill passed. However, her activities in the legislature show her ongoing interest in military and veteran affairs.

Klock’s other main activity in the state legislature involved the State Home and Industrial School for Girls. In 1887 the Colorado General Assembly passed a law creating the institution, which was intended as a reformatory school where girls who routinely got into trouble would be educated. Despite establishing the home, the state did not allocate funds for its operation. Instead, Governor Alva Adams contracted with a convent of Benedictine (Catholic) Sisters to run the reformatory in the House of the Good Shepherd, a local branch of a worldwide Catholic institution dedicated to the reform of delinquent girls and young women.

After serving a single term in the legislature, Klock did not run for reelection.

State Home and Industrial School for Girls in Practice

Death

On October 5, 1908, Klock died after a long, unspecified illness. She was buried in the family tomb in Denver’s Riverside Cemetery.

Legacy

8th Grade

Frances S. Klock (1844–1908) was one of the first three women—along with Clara Cressingham and Carrie Clyde Holly—to serve as a state legislator in the United States. The three ran for office in 1894. That was one year after women in Colorado achieved the right to vote. Klock also served in the Woman’s Relief Corps and the Ladies auxiliary of the Grand Army of the Republic (GAR). She was an officer in the Colorado branch of the women’s auxiliary to the American Protective Association (APA).

Early Life

Frances S. Krake was born in North Lee, Massachusetts, on January 1, 1844. In 1858 her father, Nelson Krake, was elected as a town constable. When she was fifteen years old, her family moved to Fond du Lac, Wisconsin. Around the time of the move, she married John I. Klock. He was about seven years older. John and Frances lived with her family in 1860. The following year, the Civil War broke out. Her father, brother, and husband all enlisted for the Union. Only John Klock survived. He was seriously injured.

Frances and John moved to Denver in 1871, while Colorado was a territory. Frances’s mother, Lucinda Krake, lived with them until her death in 1888.

Grand Army of the Republic

After the Civil War, Klock worked for the Woman’s Relief Corps of the GAR. The main purpose of the Woman’s Relief Corps was to look after the well-being of Union veterans. In January 1886, she was selected as an alternate delegate to the group’s national convention. Her long-term dedication to taking care of Civil War veterans may have played a role in her election to office. According to at least one newspaper article, “She received a heavy soldier vote.”

Legislature

Klock was not active in the women’s suffrage movement before Colorado women achieved the vote in 1893. In 1894, she campaigned and won election as a state representative from Arapahoe County. At the time, that included Denver.

In the legislature, Klock took a leadership role. She chaired the Committee on Indian and Military Affairs. She continued to support the goals of the GAR. She proposed that Colorado accept land ceded to the state by the US Congress to maintain a soldiers’ and sailors’ home at Fort Lyon. She also proposed a bill to pay off a debt to the National Guard. Neither bill passed. However, her activities in the legislature showed her ongoing interest in veteran affairs.

Klock’s other main activity in the state legislature involved the State Home and Industrial School for Girls. In 1887 the Colorado General Assembly passed a law creating the institution. It was intended as a school where girls who got into trouble would be educated. However, the state did not provide funds for its operation. Governor Alva Adams contracted with a convent of Benedictine (Catholic) Sisters to run the school. It was located in the House of the Good Shepherd, a local branch of a worldwide Catholic institution dedicated to the reform of girls and young women.

By 1895 the State Home still had no state funding. Klock introduced a bill to change that situation. Meanwhile, the Benedictine Sisters who ran the school had not been paid for their work. The State House voted down a bill to reimburse them because of strong anti-Catholic sentiment. To compensate for the House’s refusal to pay the Benedictine Sisters, the State Senate amended Klock’s funding bill. The amendment would not only fund the State Home in the future but also reimburse the Sisters for their costs.

The amendment created a conflict of interest for Klock. At the time, she served as president of the Colorado women’s branch of the powerful American Protective Association. The association was a staunchly anti-Catholic group. They tried to keep Catholics out of civil activities. Deciding she could not violate the APA’s tenets, Klock voted against the Senate amendment to her own funding bill. It ultimately failed.

After serving a single term in the legislature, Klock did not run for reelection.

State Home and Industrial School for Girls in Practice

Klock was instrumental in the creation of a State Home and Industrial School for Girls to replace the one housed by the Benedictine Sisters. On June 20, 1895, after the end of the legislative session, Governor Albert McIntire appointed Klock to the home’s board. She served as its president. Because the state still made no appropriation, each county contributed some money. Klock also sought private funding for the institution. She was successful. The home opened on September 16, 1895.

Within a few years, however, the State Home was rocked by scandal. Governor Adams asked Klock and the remainder of the board to resign in 1898. The scandal involved accusations of mistreatment of the girls. There were differing opinions about how to reform the home. Some people demanded greater strictness and others greater compassion. These contradictory recommendations show the difficulty that the home’s leadership faced. After the board was ousted, troubles continued. Some of the girls ended up in jail.

Klock continued to apply her skills to the American Protective Association and the Grand Army of the Republic. In 1896, she was also an officer for the Ladies auxiliary of the GAR. Klock was reelected president of the Colorado Woman’s APA. She was also serving as elected supreme vice-president of the national organization of the Woman’s APA. In 1903–4 she served as president of the Ladies of the GAR’s Colorado Department. Later, she continued to assist the leadership of the GAR’s Ladies auxiliary in the state.

Death

On October 5, 1908, Klock died after a long, unspecified illness. She was buried in the family tomb in Denver’s Riverside Cemetery.

Legacy

Klock’s election and her activity in the Colorado State Legislature was reported in papers across the country. Yet Klock’s leadership of the anti-Catholic APA serves as a reminder that women did not necessarily believe in equality for all. They sometimes proved willing to restrict the rights of others based on religion or race.

4th Grade

Frances S. Klock (1844–1908) was one of the first three women—along with Clara Cressingham and Carrie Clyde Holly—to serve as a state legislator in the United States. The three ran for office in 1894. That was one year after women in Colorado achieved the right to vote. Klock also served in the Woman’s Relief Corps and the Ladies auxiliary of the Grand Army of the Republic (GAR). She was an officer in the Colorado branch of the women’s auxiliary to the American Protective Association (APA).

Early Life

Frances S. Krake was born in North Lee, Massachusetts, on January 1, 1844. When she was fifteen years old, her family moved to Fond du Lac, Wisconsin. Around the time of the move, she married John I. Klock. He was about seven years older. John and Frances lived with her family in 1860. The following year, the Civil War broke out. Her father, brother, and husband all enlisted for the Union. Only John Klock survived. He was seriously injured.

Frances and John moved to Denver in 1871, while Colorado was a territory. Frances’s mother lived with them until her death in 1888.

Grand Army of the Republic

After the Civil War, Klock worked for the Woman’s Relief Corps of the GAR. The purpose of the Woman’s Relief Corps was to look after Union veterans. Her dedication to taking care of Civil War veterans may have played a role in her election. According to at least one newspaper article, “She received a heavy soldier vote.”

Legislature

In the legislature, Klock took a leadership role. She chaired the Committee on Indian and Military Affairs. She continued to support the goals of the GAR. She proposed that Colorado accept land offered to the state by the US Congress to maintain a soldiers’ and sailors’ home at Fort Lyon. She also proposed a bill to pay off a debt to the National Guard. Neither bill passed. However, her activities showed her ongoing interest in veteran affairs.

Klock’s other main activity in the state legislature involved the State Home and Industrial School for Girls. In 1887 the Colorado General Assembly passed a law creating the home. It was a place where troubled girls would be educated. However, the state did not provide funds for its operation. Governor Alva Adams contracted with a convent of Benedictine (Catholic) Sisters to run the school. The home was located in the House of the Good Shepherd, a local branch of a worldwide Catholic institution dedicated to the reform of girls and young women.

By 1895 the State Home still had no state funding. Klock introduced a bill to change the situation. Meanwhile, the Benedictine Sisters who ran the school had not been paid for their work. The State House voted down a bill to pay them because of strong anti-Catholic sentiment. To make up for the House’s refusal to pay the Benedictine Sisters, the State Senate amended Klock’s funding bill. The amendment would fund the State Home in the future and reimburse the Sisters for their costs.

The amendment created a conflict of interest for Klock. At the time, she served as president of the Colorado women’s branch of the American Protective Association. The association was an anti-Catholic group. They tried to keep Catholics out of civil activities. Klock decided she could not violate the APA’s tenets. She voted against the Senate amendment to her own funding bill. The bill failed.

Klock served a single term in the legislature. She did not run for reelection.

State Home and Industrial School for Girls in Practice

Klock helped create a State Home and Industrial School for Girls to replace the one housed by the Benedictine Sisters. Governor Albert McIntire appointed Klock to the home’s board. She served as its president. Because the state still did not provide funding, each county contributed some money. Klock also sought private funding for the home. She was successful. The home opened on September 16, 1895.

Within a few years, the State Home was rocked by scandal. There were accusations the girls were mistreated. Governor Adams asked Klock and the board to resign in 1898. After the board was ousted, troubles continued. Some of the girls ended up in jail.

Klock continued her work with the American Protective Association and the Grand Army of the Republic. Klock was reelected president of the Colorado Woman’s APA. In 1903–4 she served as president of the Ladies of the GAR’s Colorado Department.

Death

On October 5, 1908, Klock died after a long illness. She was buried in the family tomb in Denver’s Riverside Cemetery.

Legacy

Klock’s election was reported in papers across the country. Her leadership of the anti-Catholic APA serves as a reminder that women did not necessarily believe in equality for all. Some women were willing to restrict the rights of others.

Author:

Gaughan, Judy E.

References:

Aspen Daily Times, October 7, 1908.

Aspen Democrat, November 6, 1903.

Aspen Tribune, December 17, 1895; October 10, 1896.

Berkshire County Eagle (Lee, MA), April 9, 1858.

Brooklyn Citizen (Brooklyn, NY), October 9, 1896.

Boulder Daily Camera, June 20, 1895.

Castle Rock Journal, February 4, 1898.

Columbus Enquirer (Columbus, OH), December 2, 1894.

Colorado Daily Chieftain (Pueblo), January 26, 1886; January 28, 1886; January 3, 1896.

Colorado Transcript (Golden), March 23, 1905.

Daily Sentinel (Grand Junction), March 18, 1897.

Delta Independent, April 29, 1896.

Pam Epstein, “The American Protective Association,” 1896, Vassar College.

Harrisburg Daily Independent (Harrisburg, PA), October 11, 1894.

Herald Democrat (Leadville), May 18, 1896.

House Journal of the General Assembly of the State of Colorado, Sixth Session (Denver: Smith-Brooks Printing, 1887).

House Journal of the General Assembly of the State of Colorado, Tenth Session (Denver: Smith-Brooks Printing, 1895).

Indiana Tribune (Indianapolis), March 24, 1895.

Leadville Daily/Evening Chronicle, May 15, 1896.

New Era (Walden), October 22, 1908.

Saint Paul (MN) Globe, January 21, 1895.

Salida Mail, September 17, 1895.

Kristine Schmucker, “Women’s Relief Corp,” Harvey County Historical Museum, November 13, 2015.

Senate Journal of the General Assembly of the State of Colorado, Tenth Session (Denver: Smith-Brooks Printing, 1895).

J. S. Young, The Government of the People of the State of Colorado (Philadelphia: Eldredge and Brother, 1900).

Additional Information:

Marcia Tremmel Goldstein, “Meet Me at the Ballot Box”: Women’s Innovations in Party and Electoral Politics in Post-suffrage Colorado, 1893–1898 (PhD diss., University of Colorado–Boulder, 2007).

“History,” Ladies of the Grand Army of the Republic.

National Woman’s Relief Corps

“Women Who Served in the Colorado House of Representatives,” Strong Sisters: Elected Women in Colorado.

Cassandra L. Yacovazzi, Escaped Nuns: True Womanhood and the Campaign Against Convents in Antebellum America (New York: Oxford University Press, 2018).

Theme:

Category:

Person:

Keywords:

colorado women's history