Sandusky Federation of Women's Clubs records

Collection – Multiple Containers

Identifier: MS-0228

Staff Only

Collection Overview

Abstract

The history of this social organization is reflected in the collection which consists of meeting minutes, Executive Board minutes, financial records, correspondence, printed materials, and newsclippings.

Dates

Creation: March 1908-1987

Extent

2.30 Cubic Feet (5 legal boxes)

1 Volumes (1 oversized scrapbook)

Creator

Sandusky Federation of Women's Clubs (Ohio) (Organization)

Scope and Contents

The records of the Sandusky Federation of Women's Clubs document the history of this organization and its members from 1908-1987. Predominately consisting of meeting minutes, Executive Board minutes, financial records, correspondence, printed material, and newsclippings, these records document the growth of women's religious, social, and educational organizations and their impact on the community of Sandusky, Ohio.

This collection, as stated above, contains two sets of minutes, the Executive Board minutes, dating from 1908-1959, and the meeting minutes, which date from 1908-1960 (with final minutes from May 6, 1987). Individually as well as in combination, these records provide an excellent insight into the operation fo the organization. Through both executive and open discussions and votes on various issues one can decipher the opinion of not only the women's clubs, but also that of Sandusky in general for the time period covered.

Although somewhat sparse and covering a lesser amount of time, the correspondence, both incoming and outgoing, documents the interaction between the member clubs of the Federation as well as the communication between both the State and General Federations and the Sandusky Federation of Women's Clubs.

Through the years, club members took care to document the history of the Federation. These interesting records, which are for the most part undated, state various aspects of the Federation development. Complementing these are history of many of the Federation's member clubs.

Completing the Collection are many items such as newsclippings, financial records, and many printed materials which further document the Federation's various projects and events.

Biographical / Historical

One of the earliest women's clubs in Sandusky was the Congregational Ladies Reading Circle which was organized in 1881 with seven members. It grew in membership with forty-one members being listed in 1901. The name of the club was later changed to the Monday Literary Club. The Coterie started in 1895 among the Methodists with twenty-nine charter members. Also in 1895, an Episcopal group formed the 19th Century Club with nineteen active members. Associate members were added soon as more women wanted to join the club. The Presbyterian Study Club or organized at a Sunday School picnic on Johnson's Island during the summer of 1896 with meetings starting in October of that year. Later the group changed their name to the Progressive Study Club. Sandusky Fortnightly was started by a group of Episcopal women during the early part of 1898. They had a program arranged and calendars printed for the first meeting in October 1898. All of these groups became non-denominational within a few years. These were the active study clubs who helped to form the Sandusky Federation of Women's Clubs in 1899, although the Coterie did not sign as a Federation member club until 1901.

A constitution printed in 1901 had Coterie, Catholic Women's Study Club, and the Woman's Christian Temperance Union as member groups in addition to Sandusky Fortnightly, 19th Century Club, Presbyterian Study, and Monday Literary; the last four named being charter members. Other groups which started near this date and later came into the Federation were the 20th Century Club in 1900 and the Art Study Club and Sunshine Society in 1901. The Federation was disbanded on May 6, 1987.

Other the years, several women's clubs joined and left the Federation (see list of member clubs). As stated in the Federation constitution, the object of the organization was to bring into communication with each other the various organizations of women in and out of the city for united effort along lines of general interest and improvement for the betterment of existing conditions in the city.

Conditions Governing Access

No known access restriction.

Conditions Governing Use

Researchers using this collection assume full responsibility for conforming to the laws of libel, privacy, and copyright, and are responsible for securing permissions necessary for publication or reproduction.

Language of Materials

English

Additional Description

Immediate Source of Acquisition

The records of the Sandusky Federation were donated to the Center for Archival Collections in March 1982 through the cooperation of Ann Bowers, manuscript curator for the CAC, and J. Steinbrenner, director of the Sandusky Library.