Mary Austin Agate was a member of the  Pittsford WCTU. The WCTU stands for Woman's Christian Temperance Union. Christian women joined because they wanted to ban alcohol liquors. They wanted to do this because they believed alcohol was hurting their families and communities. The WCTU also wanted women to have the right to vote. They held community gatherings. On Thursday, February 24, 1881, Mary wrote in her diary about trying on a costume for a WCTU Tea. She says she will look silly in the costume, but she writes, "I've concluded to make a laughing stock of myself with the rest for the benefit of the cause so dear to my heart –TEMPERANCE."  On Monday, July 4, 1881, Mary wrote about how blessed she felt that her husband didn't drink and was a good man. "It makes me feel my John is almost divine," she wrote.  Also in her diary, on Sunday, October 8, 1881, Mary wrote about her children going to Temperance School. The women wanted to teach the children how bad liquor was and tell them what it could do and how it could ruin their society.  A news clipping in the Democrat and Chronicle, from December 11, 1891, said that Mrs. John Agate held "...a very interesting parlor meeting of the Pittsford WTCU...". Their meeting included prayers, readings from the Bible and singing. Temperance was very important to Mary. She writes about it many times in her diary and is very involved in the Temperance Union.