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Martha L. Addis

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Martha L. Addis
A black-and-white photograph of a white woman with dark wavy hair and a dimpled chin; she is wearing a dress or blouse with an embroidered square neckline
Martha L. Addis, from a 1920 publication
Born
Martha Lillian Addis

(1878-02-24)February 24, 1878
Ellis, Kansas
DiedAugust 18, 1942(1942-08-18) (aged 64)
Topeka, Kansas
Occupation(s)Jeweler, businesswoman, clubwoman

Martha Lillian Addis (February 24, 1878 – August 18, 1942) was an American jeweler, businesswoman, and clubwoman, based in Topeka, Kansas.

Early life

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Martha Lillian Addis was born in Ellis, Kansas, the daughter of Edward S. Addis and Alice L. Reynolds Addis (later Jeffrey). Her father was from Ohio, and was a wounded veteran of the American Civil War. Her mother was born in Wisconsin. "Miss Addis was self educated and has achieved unusual success in spite of the greatest handicaps," noted a 1925 newspaper report, without elaborating on the nature of the obstacles she faced.[1]

Career

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In 1906,[2] M. L. Addis opened the Addis Jewelry and Gift Store in Topeka, and was described as "one of the few women jewelers in the United States" in 1920.[3] She was vice-president of the Kansas Retail Jewelers Association,[4][5] and active in the American National Retail Jewelers Association (ANRJA).[6][7][8][9] In 1922, she addressed the Nebraska Retail Jewelers' convention, the only woman on the program.[10] In addition to designing, selling, and repairing jewelry, she had a noted business in phonograph machines, painted china, cut glass, clocks, watches and silverware.[2][11]

As a well-known woman jeweler, she was the target of crimes: in 1915, her purse was snatched, but she chased the thief and cornered him under a porch.[12] In 1921, she suffered a loss when $2000 worth of rings were stolen in a store robbery.[13] Two men were suspected of robbing $600 worth of jewelry from Addis in 1927.[14]

Addis offered her store as a meeting place for various community groups. She was president of the Business and Professional Women's Club of Topeka.[15][16] She was president of the Shawnee County Old Settlers' Association.[17]

Personal life

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Addis's home burned down in 1923.[18] In 1935, she was injured in a car accident.[19] She died in 1942, aged 64 years, in Topeka.

References

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  1. ^ "Third Annual B. P. W. C. Banquet". The Jewell County Monitor. 1925-04-10. p. 1. Retrieved 2021-06-07 – via Newspapers.com.
  2. ^ a b "Jewelry Store Window Attractive". The Topeka Daily Capital. 1907-09-08. p. 6. Retrieved 2021-06-07 – via Newspapers.com.
  3. ^ "Kansas Jewelers Coming to Topeka This Morning". The Topeka Daily Capital. 1920-05-10. p. 1. Retrieved 2021-06-07 – via Newspapers.com.
  4. ^ "Kansas Jewelers Hold Two-Day Convention". The Jewelers' Circular. 82: 111. April 20, 1921.
  5. ^ "Fearl is Elected By The Jewelers". The Hutchinson Gazette. 1921-04-13. p. 5. Retrieved 2021-06-07 – via Newspapers.com.
  6. ^ "Full Report of the ANRJA Convention" The Jewelers' Circular 81(September 1, 1920): 136-137.
  7. ^ "Hopkins & Holland Building" Topeka Landmarks Registry (January 2014): 4.
  8. ^ "Full Report of the A.N.R.J.A. Convention" The Jewelers' Circular 81(September 1920): 151.
  9. ^ "Miss Addis Returns". The Topeka Daily Capital. 1919-09-11. p. 11. Retrieved 2021-06-07 – via Newspapers.com.
  10. ^ "Topeka Woman Addresses Convention". The Topeka Daily Capital. 1922-02-19. p. 37. Retrieved 2021-06-08 – via Newspapers.com.
  11. ^ "Has Her Own Methods of Selling" (PDF). The Talking Machine World. 11: 64. November 15, 1915.
  12. ^ "Purse Snatcher Held". The Topeka State Journal. 1915-12-04. p. 5. Retrieved 2021-06-07 – via Newspapers.com.
  13. ^ "Loss of $2000 in Jewelry". The Topeka State Journal. 1921-01-19. p. 6. Retrieved 2021-06-07 – via Newspapers.com.
  14. ^ "Combing Wichita for Capital City Jewelry Thieves". The Wichita Eagle. 1927-08-25. p. 5. Retrieved 2021-06-08 – via Newspapers.com.
  15. ^ "B. P. W. C. Annual Banquet". The Jewell County Monitor. 1925-04-03. p. 1. Retrieved 2021-06-07 – via Newspapers.com.
  16. ^ "Topek B. P. W. to Give Vaudeville Review Here". The Morning Chronicle. 1925-04-26. p. 1. Retrieved 2021-06-07 – via Newspapers.com.
  17. ^ "Kansas Historical Notes: February 1936" Kansas Historical Society.
  18. ^ "Bad Fire in Topeka". The Wichita Eagle. 1923-02-09. p. 1. Retrieved 2021-06-08 – via Newspapers.com.
  19. ^ "Localettes". The Emporia Gazette. 1935-10-18. p. 8. Retrieved 2021-06-08 – via Newspapers.com.
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