IN A TIME WITHOUT the internet or college courses available to everyone, a group of Mendocino women met to further their education. They would go on to make a wider impact than they could have expected or planned.
On October 30, 1908, Stella West organized a meeting with Olive Brown, Grace Fisher, Emma Coombs, Nellie Murray, Laura Lammers and Edith Peirsol, a group that would become the Mendocino Study Club. Their purpose was for “the highest intellectual and spiritual development of its members through avenues of study or works that seemed profitable.” As women gained more autonomy during the Progressive Era, women’s clubs grew in popularity nationwide.
The Study Club adopted the Bay View Reading Course, a program aimed at adults who could not attend college. The first year’s subjects included Italian history and art. Later courses added dramatic readings of plays and musicals relevant to the subject. Some members wrote and performed skits at local fundraisers, one of the club’s first forays into community service. The Bay View Magazine posted their last study course in 1921, and the following year the women shifted fully towards public service.
The women soon realized that they could make a significant impact in their community. One of their first acts included starting a fund for local children to receive medical and dental care. They oversaw the local American Red Cross Drive and collected funds for the War Victory Commission during World War I. During World War II, the club opened its building for services such as an emergency hospital, draft registration headquarters and Red Cross classes on nursing and sewing. Childcare was provided for mothers attending classes.
In 1946, the club wrote to the Mendocino County Board of Supervisors in support of opening a branch library in Mendocino, but no action was taken. Daisy MacCallum, a member and former Study Club president, began the charge for the club to open its own library instead.
The Mendocino Community Library opened the following year, becoming the county’s first lending library. It was managed by club women, including Helen Thomsen, who acted as library director for 48 years. The library is still operating today.
The Study Club’s first 50 years saw great growth in its reach and impact on Mendocino. The group absorbed the membership of organizations like the Women’s Improvement Club and recruited members through their presence in Mendocino. Study Club membership grew from 42 to 67. The group would continue to grow for many decades to come.
Kelley House Museum curator Averee McNear writes a weekly column on Mendocino County history for Mendocino Voice. To learn more, visit kelleyhousemuseum.org.