Organizational records, 1894, 2023, and undated

Summary

Creator:

Mount Pleasant Woman's Club (Mich.)

Abstract:

The collection includes: correspondence, meeting minutes, committee reports, scrapbooks, photographs and negatives, and printed materials of the organization, and items relating to the Michigan State Federation of Women's Clubs. The collection is ongoing.

Extent:

16.25 cubic feet (in 14 boxes, 25 Oversized volumes, 4 Oversized folders)

Language:

English

Authors:

Collection processed and finding aid created by Marian Matyn, 2000; M. Black, M. Matyn, 2024

Background

Scope and Content:

The Mount Pleasant Woman’s Club organizational records consist of materials from 1894 forward which document the activities of this community organization. The collection was originally subdivided into three series, Minutes, General Administration, and Scrapbooks.

The Minutes series contains Club meeting minutes from 1894 to 1996, and 1999-2003, which are part of the Recording Secretary’s Files. Both sets of minutes are arranged chronologically. These provide the richest source of information on club activities throughout the years. They are nearly complete with only two gaps, 1902-1905 and 1916-1917. Information from these time periods can be found in Scrapbook 1. Some of the bound volumes of minutes contain membership lists, attendance records, bills and receipts.

The General Administration series consists of materials from 1896 to 1998 which primarily document activities of club committees and divisions. Types of materials found here include: reports, committee minutes, histories of the Club, Mount Pleasant Community Calendars, the constitution and bylaws, correspondence, newspaper and magazine clippings, annual programs, certificates, awards, and a photograph. Major topics of this subgroup include; Club House Committee, Health Division, Home and Garden Division, and the Michigan State Federation of Women’s Clubs. A wide variety of information is present in the subgroup, but tends to be quite scattered and not comprehensive.

The Scrapbooks series includes Scrapbooks which primarily contain, and may include annual and specific meeting programs, reports, bylaws, photographs and recipes. It appears that the books were created by several different sources and seem to form a couple of different roughly chronological series: Volumes 1-5 cover the years 1895 to 1960 and Volumes 6-8 span the years 1939 to 1960. Volumes 9 and 10 are special cases; 9 contains only annual programs, while 10 is primarily made up of photographs which document a wide variety of Mount Pleasant area topics. Subjects covered in volume 10 include: schools, farming, barns, sports, agricultural extension service, oil and gas, girl scouts, Central Michigan College, churches, and recipes.

Several printed works pertaining specifically to the Michigan State Federation of Women’s Clubs were transferred from this collection to the Clarke book collection.

Portions of this collection were microfilmed by the Clarke Historical Library in 1994. The master negatives are on file in the microfilming department of CHL.

Additions to the collection since 1994 include various administrative materials, meeting minutes, guest books, photographic materials, and more oversized Scrapbooks.

The 2024 addition to the Mount Pleasant Women’s Club collection, mostly found in Boxes 13-14, is mostly composed of materials organized by year. Within these folders are newsletters, members’ volunteer hours, ESO (Epsilon Sigma Omicron) reports, yearbooks, awards, certificates, photographs, correspondence, handbooks, executive board meeting minutes, treasurer’s reports, budgets, dues reports, End of the Year reports and narratives, bylaws, new member’s handbook, Northeastern District newsletters, and GFWC Michigan statistical report forms. This addition also contains photographs of general gatherings, a club centennial event, the arts group, bird housebuilding, and nature walks; a trifold, handbook, programs, materials related to the ESO book reading club including yearly and cumulative statistics, scrapbook materials, photocopies of newspaper clippings, and correspondence with the Embers restaurant from whom the club rented out space for their meetings. Materials related to finances include audit reports, a general ledger, the treasurer’s book and reports. Included with the treasurer’s book are three Exchange Saving Bank account books and materials related to the leasing of a meeting place from St. John’s Episcopal Church. Box 10 contains membership cards that are sorted into active and inactive members as of 2024. They are arranged alphabetically. Some cards have notes about due payments or why the member is no longer active because they are deceased, moved away, or left the group. Behind some cards is correspondence from that member about why they are rescinding their membership. The cards date from approximately 1950 and 2010. Ten items were interfiled into Box 1-12.

Boxes 1-3, 6, 13-14 are cubic foot boxes. Boxes 4, 7, 9-12 are .5 cubic foot boxes. Box 5 is a flat scrapbook box, Box 8 is a .25 cubic foot box. The Oversized scrapbooks are unboxed, stored flat with flags in them. Most of the collection is in very good condition. The exceptions to this are a few scrapbooks and the guest book with wooden covers, the pages of which are quite acidic.

Biographical / Historical:

Organizational History:

On January 8, 1894 forty women met in Mrs. John Ryan’s parlor and established the Mount Pleasant Woman’s Club in Mount Pleasant, Michigan, for the purposes of intellectual and social interaction. Lydia Kniss, principal at the Normal School, was elected the first president and served in that capacity for nearly three years. The women met every Monday afternoon and their annual dues were one dollar.

During its formative years, the Club was primarily concerned with study and intellectual enlightenment. Such topics as ancient history, United States territorial possessions, and the telephone were assigned and discussed. Following this period, the Club became increasingly focused on civic activities. Pushing for a city public rest room, helping the county detention home, assisting in war efforts, and supporting community health have all been important activities for the Club.

None of the Club’s activities has generated more activity than Veterans’ Memorial Public Library in Mount Pleasant, Michigan. The Club’s first gift to the library in 1909 consisted of: all books owned by the club, the $135 reserve fund, and financial support for one of the members to attend summer library school in Ann Arbor in order to become the public librarian. Challenged in late 1920 to raise $1,000 for equipment for the new library, the ladies responded by raising $2,643.12 in three months.

In 1895 the club was one of forty-seven founding members of the Michigan State Federation of Women’s Clubs. One of the highlights of the club’s history was a surprise visit by Democratic presidential candidate William Jennings Bryan in 1902, who gave a short address regarding education and women. (This information is from the collection.)

In 2024 the Club continues to exist, although membership was declining.

Acquisition Information:

Acc#53564, 69690, 69831, 71735, MS#Mm-99, 73762, 78030

Arrangement:

Arrangement is by series, than alphabetical by topic within each series.

Subjects

Click on terms below to find any related finding aids on this site.

Names:

Mount Pleasant Woman's Club (Mich.)
Michigan State Federation of Women's Clubs.
General Federation of Women's Clubs.

Places:

Mount Pleasant (Mich.)--History.
Mount Pleasant (Mich.)--Societies and clubs.
Mount Pleasant (Mich.)--Social life and customs.