Biggest Hat Photo Contest Continued

Here is the winning photo in our Biggest Hat photo contest in the over age of 3 category. Isn't JJ a cutie?

For July, we are looking for photos of the Most Patriotic Baby. Details on the Hope Cottage Facebook page.

Big Hats Rule

Hope Cottage put out a call for pictures of babies in the biggest hats, beating the heat and shielding themselves from the rays of the hot Texas sun. Here is one of the winning photos - baby Chloe in her swim hat. Isn't she a cutie?

For July, we are looking for the Most Patriotic Baby. Post a picture of your little patriot on the Hope Cottage Facebook page by July 10th. Most patriotic baby wins a prize!

All the Little Babies

This is one of my favorite pictures from Hope Cottage - probably because it says so much about our rich history. It was taken in the 1940's and says much about Hope Cottage at the time because we have black and white babies in the same crib. While Dallas was segregated, Hope Cottage was not. The sign is thanking those people who made gifts to Hope Cottage through the Community Chest. For those of you who always wondered what Community Chest was in your Monopoly game, it is what is now the United Way. Hope Cottage is one of the original thirteen agencies in the Dallas Metro United Way and one of only three or four still in existence.

When I first came on board, I would joke about the picture saying "Oh, where was this? At Northpark right next to the SPCA booth?" (laugh and giggle) "Did we put our babies on display?" (giggle, giggle). You can imagine how my giggles stopped when I ran across the articles below. Evidently Hope Cottage DID put their babies in the window. Enjoy another piece from our history.

Hope Cottage Babies Shown in Window Display
(December 1, 1921) One of the most novel features of the Welfare Council campaign is the Hope Cottage window of the Goldsmith Company, corner Ervay and Elm streets. Real babies from Hope Cottage, in charge of nurses, were in the window all day Thursday and each day, including Friday and Saturday.

The purpose of the exhibition is to impress the public with the importance of saving the babies of the poor, as well as the foundlings, that are from time to time placed on door steps. Hope Cottage shares in the proceeds of the welfare campaign. The Goldsmith window is especially heated to take care of the babies, some of whom are less than three months old. Great crowds gathered and blocked sidewalk traffic all day long. The hours for the exhibition of children Friday and Saturday are from 10:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.

Babies in Store Window Draw Big Crowds
(December 1921) Babies from Hope Cottage had a lark Saturday.

Hope Cottage is one of the 10 agencies supported by the Welfare Council, and Saturday from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. five bright looking youngsters asked the public to help them.

No, they didn't talk , for they can't. Only "nurse" could understand their language. But out in front of A. Harris large baby display window, men, women and children crowded up close, almost entirely blocking the sidewalks.

In the unusual surroundings, the babies seemed to think it great sport.

"We keep the window heated at the right temperature," said Issac. I. Lorch, secretary of A. Harris & Co.

The nurse heats the milk required by the babies at the lunch counter. The babies are delivered at the new playground by taxi. The girls in the store are "just crazy" over them. "They could pretty near have anything we've got," said Lorch.

On Christmas, the store will remember Hope Cottage babies, in addition to contributions from 50 cents to $5 made by employees for the welfare drive. "I think the babies are the most important of all," declared Lorch.

Each Christmas, the store gets its odds and ends together, dividing perhaps 50 dozens of children hosiery, baby garments and articles taken from broken lots. Last year 16 different charitable organizations, including Hope Cottage, each received a big box.

Hope Cottage Babies Do Their Bit for Charity in Windows of Store

(December 1921) Seven bouncing baby boys from Hope Cottage proved an attractive window display for Goldsmith's store Monday. Mrs. Emma Wylie Ballard, assisted by two undergraduate nurses, transported the tots in taxicabs to and from the home. They are advertising the charity drive.

The youngest boy in the squad was Ben Ward Duncan, born in July, and found three days after (article stops here)

(article continues) We are grateful to the Goldsmith management for making it possible for the Dallas people to see a few of our babies. We invite all interested to visit Hope Cottage and get acquainted with many other darling little ones.

Two new article reprints

Two more news articles in our Hope Cottage History month. Interestingly, both are dated July 14, 1921, but unfortunately, neither article indicates the name of the paper.

The first talks about overcrowding at Hope Cottage. It appears in the early 20th century, you didn't have to be a licensed agency to care for foundlings. That all changed in 1921. The second article asks the question how much is it worth to take care of babies. I think you will find the response of one county commissioner interesting. Which brings up a fundraiser's question - how much do you think it is worth to make sure a child has a good home and a great start in life?

New Law Cause of Overcrowding Hope Cottage
(July 14, 1921) Enforcement of the recently enacted State maternity bill is responsible for the present overcrowded condition of Hope Cottage, Mrs. Emma Wylie Ballard, director of child welfare department of the Dallas County Humane Society, declared yesterday.

The provision of the bill prohibiting the keeping of institutions for the care of babies, or maternity hospitals, without license resulted in the population of Hope Cottage doubling within a comparatively short time, Mrs. Ballard said.

Prior to the enactment of the State law foundlings were kept in the handiest place. The city ordinance was in effect, and babies at Hope Cottage then were largely from Dallas. Since its enactment babies from Dallas County have been sent to Hope Cottage, and although the capacity was only twenty-five, there are now fifty being cared for, Mrs. Ballard said. Nine maternity homes and hospitals in Dallas county are sending babies to Hope Cottage for care at this time, according to Dr. W.T. Davidson, Director of Public Health.

Saving Babies
(July 14, 1921) How much is a baby worth? Representative of Hope Cottage, foundlings' home, asked the County Commissioners Court the other day for an appropriation to help carry on the work of saving abandoned waifs.

County Commissioner C.D. Smith wanted to know how much it cost to keep each baby at the cottage each month. The records show it cost $29 per month for each baby.

"That's too much," thought Smith.

And so Smith and his brother commissioners re going to figure out first, some way of keeping a baby on less than $29 a month, and then consider the propositon of apropriating from the county treasury a small sum to help salvage for humanity Dallas county's greatest tragedy - her unwanted babies.

Dallas-co (sic) appropriates each year a rather large sum toward maintenance of the Dallas-co agricultural agen'ts office, which helps to save the cotton, and the corn, and the cows and hogs of our county. They have figured how much it costs to sae a fine Holstein heifer from tick fever, or a cotton filed from the boll weevil.

But babies - they're different. The commissioners claim to be members of that sterling class of men sometimes called "old fashioned". It is rather surprising to see them subscribing to the doctrine that "babies cost too much", which is the questionable product of modernist thought.

Founders Day Picnic a Great Success

Despite record heat, we managed to have a GREAT time at the 23rd Annual Founder's Day Picnic at Hope Cottage. For two hours, we played games, ate hot dogs and reconnected with our past and made new plans for the future. A big thank you goes out to all the volunteers who made the day possible. You can see more photos from the event on the Hope Cottage Pregnancy and Adoption Facebook page and check out some videos on Youtube. Our user name on Youtube is HopeCottageFamily. Watch the Hope Cottage website and Facebook pages about the 2010 Holiday Reunion Party.

Founders Month

Hope Cottage was founded in June 1918 by Emma Wylie Ballard and thus, during the month of June I will be sharing old newspaper articles from our archives. These are especially poignant as tomorrow is the 23rd Annual Founder's Day Picnic at Hope Cottage. The weather forecast is hot and steamy, but at least we will have some inside space with air conditioning which is more than early Hope Babies had! I can't wait for everyone to see the "decorations" at the picnic. Without giving too much away, let me just say - it is a walk down memory lane.

So postings, will be random and in no particular chronological order. While reading some of these early articles, it occurs to me that while many things at Hope Cottage have changed, some things still remain the same. Hope Cottage makes families!

Hope Cottage to Observe Birthday with Open House

(June 18, 1922) Babies at Hope Cottage for foundlings will be hosts to their friends in Dallas next Tuesday afternoon from 1 to 5 o'clock. Mrs. Emma Wylie Ballard, superintendent, has issued an open invitation to the public to attend the reception being given to celebrate the fourth anniversary of the institution.

Hope Cottage was established four years ago this month. More than 500 babies have been taken care of there since the institution opened. These babies are now scattered all over the state with families who adopted them.

Babies taken care of in the home are picked from doorsteps where they are deserted, taken from hospitals where mothers die, and from any other of the numerous places where homeless babies are left. There are fifty in the home now.

Happy Birthday Hope Cottage - may you be here for another 92 years!