Carry A. Nation Grave and Monument

Carry A. Nation's final resting place is located in Belton, Missouri in the town’s cemetery where she is buried next to her parents and sister. Nation was a prolific figure in the Temperance and Women's Suffrage movements of the late 19th and early 20th century, and today, she is often widely known for her opposition to saloons. While the caricature of an ax wielding saloon buster remains, she defined herself as a loving “home defender” and was a prolific public speaker. Thirteen years after her passing in 1911, a stone monument was placed next to her grave to commemorate Nation’s life and influence. The monument was donated by members of the Women's Christian Temperance Union(WCTU) in Belton. The engraving on the monument states " Carry A. Nation, 1846-1911, Faithful to the Cause of Prohibition, She Hath Done What She Could." Today people may visit the site and reflect on her legacy as an activist and her impact on American history.

Carrie Amelia Moore was born on her family farm located in Garrard County, Kentucky on November 25, 1846. She spent her childhood on the farm and was raised by the enslaved people on the farm who she recalled as being more instrumental in her upbringing than her parents. Carrie grew up going to a Campbellite church with her family in addition to learning religious practices from the people her family enslaved. These influences led her to adopt strong beliefs, and she officially became a Christian at 10 years old during a service held at Hickman's Mill Christian Church located south of Kansas City. Carrie married Charles Gloyd, who was a boarder living at the Moore farm in Cass County in November of 1867. Carry gave birth to their daughter Charline a few months before Charles died. They were only married 16 months and in that time his alcoholism continued to worsen. Charles’ passing was largely impacted by his drinking, fueling Carrie’s hatred for alcohol.Years later in 1874, Carrie remarried to David Nation.​​ They had a tumultuous marriage and David would go on to divorce her in 1901. Carrie kept her second husband’s last name and officially change her name to “Carry” in 1903 so that her name would reflect her mission. 

Today the City of Belton Honors Carry’s legacy in several ways. The Belton Museum has a dedicated building called “Carry Nation Carriage House” which holds an exhibit including her funeral hearse and the original wooden grave marker. The town also hosts a festival in her honor called “Carry Nation Days”. Carry spent part of her childhood and most of her twenties in the Kansas City area. In 1856, her family left Kentucky, eventually settling down in Cass County, Missouri at a farm near the town of Belton. Carry would continue to move around and come back for different reasons throughout the years. When Carrie’s parents passed away, she made it clear she was to be buried beside them in Belton, MO. 

Carry protested because she was unable to vote. She famously says “You refused me the vote and I had to use a rock". When she smashed bar rooms, she believed she was following God’s will. The first smashing of her career occurred in Kiowa, Kansas in June of 1900. She destroyed 3-6 establishments in one day with brickbats and other found items. She would continue to smash all over America. Resulting in her being arrested multiple times and spending time in jail. Nation was not only a renowned hatchet wielding activist, she was also a genius marketer. Smashing didn’t pay the bills so she channeled her entrepreneurial spirit in selling merchandise during her lectures. She founded two publications, “The Smasher’s Mail” and “The Hatchet”. She authored a detailed autobiography titled “The use and need of the life of Carry A. Nation”. 

At her final speaking conference in Eureka Springs Arkansas in 1911, Her last public statement was "I have done what I could." This is represented on the stone monument which states “Faithful to the Cause of Prohibition, She Hath Done What She Could." Carry Nation was very dedicated to the Women's Christian Temperance Union, she started her own chapter in Medicine Lodge Kansas. The organization's involvement in her funeral and monument showcase the impact she had on the organization. Carry A. Nation died June 9, 1911 in Leavenworth, Kansas. Her funeral service was held at the Central Christian Church in Kansas City, Kansas on June 10th, 1911. The sermon at her funeral included readings from her favorite book from the Bible, Psalms. A quartet sang peaceful hymns unlike the ones she marched to for her smashings. Her casket was adorned with white carnations, a symbol of her service to the WCTU. After her internment in the Belton Cemetery, her grave was marked with a wooden marker. In 1924 it was replaced by a stone monument that was donated by members of the Women's Christian Temperance Union in Belton. 

Carry grew up in a war zone, the Civil War affected her worldview. She suffered many losses and personal traumas. Like many of the women in her time she recognized the destruction caused by alcohol and was denied the power to help decide the legislation around it. Even as a child Carry had a dynamic spirit, she channeled this natural characteristic along with her passion to make a difference in her world. Her militant methods were unconventional, especially for a woman. 

Carry performed the “Hatchet Granny” character to sell her point and it worked. She got her message across the world, and it was clear. The media during her time sensationalized almost every move she made, they even spun her death as some scandal. Today most view her as that exaggerated persona that she put on, but that's not the real person she was. She was a mother, a wife, and a daughter. She was a teacher, a Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine, an entrepreneur. She is more complex and multifaceted than her caricature allows her to be. The Prohibition and Women's Suffrage movements were successful. Kansas, where she spent most of her time protesting, had some of the country's strictest liquor laws. Women got the right to vote less than 10 years after her death. She molded American society but she is not remembered as a heroine. Despite the backlash and everyone's opinions of her, she was effective and deserves to be recognized for her efforts. This monument stands as a reminder of her and the complexity of her legacy.

Grace, Fran. Carry A. Nation Retelling the Life. Bloomington & Indianapolis, Indiana. Indian University Press, 2001.

Kansas State Historical Society. The Famous and Original Bar Room Smasher, kshs.org. Accessed December 13th, 2024. https://www.kshs.org/p/carry-a-nation-part-1/10589.

Nation, Carry Amelia. The use and need of the life of Carry A. Nation. Topeka, F. M. Steves & sons, 1908. Pdf. Retrieved from the Library of Congress, <www.loc.gov/item/08022604/>.