To better understand our findings at the Women’s League Cabin site, two groups used documentary records and oral history to contextualize the cabin in Carleton history. Use the drop-down menu under “Histories” to visit these pages, or click the links below.
The oral and documentary histories page explores the history of the cabin and students’ relationships to it. Built in 1939 and demolished at the end of the twentieth century, the cabin was a site for retreats, parties, and other recreational gatherings. However, it also had numerous financial and maintenance issues. This page explores both sides of the story through interviews with Carleton alumni and staff, as well as timelines full of documents, photos, and other archival snippets related to the cabin.
The Women at Carleton page looks at some ways gender played out on Carleton’s campus. It elucidates the history of the Women’s League, the group that ran the cabin and also acted as a strong governing body for female residential and social life, and its counterpart the Men’s League. Contextualizing these histories are explanations of different gendered expectations and experiences through Carleton’s history. This page also looks at the impact of gender on architectural design, comparing Gridley Hall, the first women’s dorm, with Burton Hall, the first male dorm on campus.
More Information:
