Sara Jane Crafts

Sara Jane Crafts (, Timanus; pen name, Mrs. Wilbur F. Crafts; August 15, 1845 – May 2, 1930) was an American social reformer, author, lecturer, and teacher. She lectured and taught at Chautauquas, as well as a lecturer at State and International Sunday school conventions. Crafts was an editor and contributor to various periodicals, and published several books between 1876 and 1911. Craft was a social reformer who traveled the world advocating on behalf of Sunday schools, temperance, and anti-opium. She was also "one of the first women to conduct convention sessions" in the U.S.

Early life and education Sara Jane Timanus was born in Cincinnati, Ohio, August 15, 1845. Sara had two younger siblings, John and Fannie. Her parents were Jesse and Jane (Means) Timanus.

Between 1880 and 1913, she traveled extensively in Europe and the Orient in the interest of temperance, anti-opium, and reform movements. In 1904, she was in the Orient and Palestine. Three years later, she was in Australia, China, Japan, and Korea. In 1910, she was in Norway and Sweden. She organized Sunday schools in Iceland in 1913. Her travels also included Holland, Switzerland, and Italy.

In 1895, Crafts founded and served as superintendent of the International Reform Bureau. Beginning in 1896, she was the editor-in-chief of the 20th-Century Quarterly. From 1901 till 1903, she was also the editor-in-chief of the Christian Statesman, the official organ of the National Reform Association, which was a monthly journal devoted to the maintenance of Christian principles of civil government. She was also a member of the National Geographic Society, British Esperanto Association, and the Archaeological Institute of America. Burial was in Westerly, Rhode Island.

Selected works Open Letters to Primary Teachers: With Hints for Intermediate Class Teachers, 1876 (Text) Primary Normal Outlines Course in Esperanto

With W. F. Crafts Childhood, The Text Book of the Age, 1874 (Text) Plain Uses of the Blackboard, 1881 Intoxicants and Opium, 1900 (Text) Intoxicants & opium in all lands and times, a twentieth century survey of intemperance, based on a symposium of testimony from one hundred missionaries and travelers, 1904 World Book of Temperance, 1908 (Text) Intoxicating drinks and, drugs in all lands and times, a twentieth century survey of temperance, based on a symposium of testimony from one hundred missionaries and travelers, 1911

With Edward Eggleston The Infant Class: Hints on Primary Religious Instruction., 1870

With Jenny B. Merrill Songs for Little Folks and Little Pilgrim Songs