History / Social
The Belton Woman's Commonwealth: a 19th-century self-governing commune
A group of Protestant women in Belton formed a self-supporting commune in the 1870s, ran a hotel and laundry, and left behind the foundation for the city's first public library.
In the late 1860s, a Belton woman named Martha McWhirter started a weekly Bible study and prayer group for local Protestant women. Over the next decade, the group built beliefs around religious perfectionism and celibacy. Women who joined left their husbands and pooled their money and resources. Membership averaged about thirty.
The women were called Sanctificationists. They became financially independent. They opened the Central Hotel, which had become successful by 1887 and was Belton's largest and most modern for years. They also ran a steam laundry and farms. The book collection they built up at the hotel grew popular with the public. It moved to a larger space and in 1903 became the city's public library.
The group faced hostility and pressure from the community at first. Over time, their business success earned them respect. In 1898 or 1899 the women chose to retire and moved to Washington, D.C. The Texas State Historical Association has a full account at tshaonline.org.
Source to confirm: TSHA Handbook – Belton Woman's Commonwealth