ELYRIA — Formed in 1908 to discuss women’s suffrage, the Elyria Woman’s Club Inc. is steeped in the history of the city.

For 100 years, members have fed the hungry, improved the spirits of the troops and labored over various civic projects.

While their efforts may not be as visible today as they were during their heyday when they had more than 250 members and a waiting list to join, the club still works with civic mindedness and community spirit.

“We’re less obvious and noticeable,” says Janet Bird, Elyria Woman’s Club chairwoman of the trustees and co-chairwoman of the centennial committee. “Most of our work is behind the scenes now. We’re not so much out on the streets, probably because women’s rights are not so much of an issue anymore, which is a good thing. Today our focus is more on civics and community.”

But the Elyria Woman’s Club will be in the spotlight this month and next as it celebrates its 100th anniversary with two special events at the historic Monteith Hall — the place where it all started.

In 1908, Mrs. William Gates, a socially prominent and philanthropic Elyria woman, invited a few women to her East Avenue mansion to meet some leaders in the suffrage movement. This led to the founding of the Woman’s Club.

Soon after, 12 women met at the home of Mrs. W.W. Dean on Third Street to organize a club to study political conditions affecting women, especially the right to vote.

The original name was “The Era Club,” but before long it was changed to “Political Study Club,” auxiliary to the Ohio Suffrage Association. It was the first women’s civic group in Ohio.

Two years later, still unable to vote, the group’s members nominated their president, Emma S. Olds, to run for the school board. She won by a landslide and was the first woman on the board.

In 1916, the club’s name was changed to the Women’s Civic Club and in 1927 the club was incorporated as the Elyria Woman’s Club, settling into the former Wooster home at the corner of Fourth Street and Middle Avenue. Twenty-seven years later, that locale was outgrown, and the club bought the Gates mansion on East Avenue.

Over the years, the group was instrumental in getting city garbage collection started and establishing a Juvenile Court. The Woman’s Club also got playgrounds built for the schools and a public restroom in the former Health Department.     

During World War I, the club donated money to the Red Cross, sent money for foreign relief, and set up food counters at the railroad station to feed troops passing through. After the war, its members furnished hot lunches and milk to undernourished children in the schools and helped establish a free baby clinic at the Health Department.

In the Depression years, the club provided 200 quarts of milk a month to needy children in town and distributed clothing.

In 1949, the women raised $3,000 for the Hospital Building Fund. During its heyday in the 1960s — when there was a waiting list to join — club members coordinated a yearly dress drive at Christmas for girls to have a new dress for the holidays.

Today, the club has 70 members, 65 of whom are active.

“It’s definitely been declining in recent years,” Bird said. “Our meetings are held during the day, which is probably part of it since most women need to work these days. We have started the Woman’s Club Circle, which meets in the evenings to try to accommodate those women. We’ve had a good response so far, and we’re hoping it will continue to grow. We’re always looking for more people to join us.”

Currently, The Elyria Woman’s Club contributes to local charities and events, donating toys to the Not Forgotten Box and sending needed items to the servicemen and women in Iraq.

Perhaps what makes the club so special is its dedication to continuing education.

“The way we come together with open minds to learn something new is what makes us unique,” Bird said. “We’re lifelong learners in that respect.”

Betty Bergman-Camp, a member of the trustees and past president of the club, has been attending meetings for more than 50 years and what she loves the most is the camaraderie.

“It’s a wonderful group of women,” she said. “A lot of us have become very close friends. We also do a lot of good things for the city and people in need of help.”

One of the group’s biggest endeavors of late has been the preservation of Monteith Hall, which is in need of almost constant repairs. A new roof was put on a few years ago. The pillars out front now need repaired. And it will cost $2,000 just to clean the marble floor in the solarium.

“We’ve been working so hard to keep Monteith Hall going,” Bergman-Camp says. “It’s one of the truly historic homes in town, and it’s a big building in need of big repairs.”

The group is hoping an Edwardian tea scheduled for next month will help bring in funds, but for now, the focus is on showcasing the club and Monteith Hall at the open house.

The event will feature tours, a slideshow, raffles, a bake sale and white elephant exchange — and it’s free.

Club members and some willing husbands will dress up as John and Abigail Monteith, who built the house, as well as their son-in-law and daughter, Mr. and Mrs. Nahum Gates, and perform a skit.

Visitors will be able to see the original sandstone walls, indoor cistern and the site of the Underground Railroad tunnel in the cellar.

“This is a rare opportunity to see one of the most beautiful historic homes of Elyria and certainly one of the oldest,” Bird says. “I certainly think it’s something people need to see.”

“It’s going to be a lot of fun,” Bergman-Camp adds. “People need to stop in for a visit.”

Contact Christina Jolliffe at 329-7155 or ctnews@chroniclet.com.
 

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CENTENNIAL CELEBRATIONS

WHAT: Open house

WHEN: 2 to 5 p.m. Oct. 26

WHERE: Elyria Woman’s Club, 218 East Ave., Elyria

COST: Free

 

WHAT: An Edwardian Tea

WHEN: 1 to 3 p.m. Nov. 18

WHERE: Elyria Woman’s Club, 218 East Ave., Elyria

COST: $15 per person. Tickets are available by calling (440) 322-0524. Guests are encouraged to wear hats and gloves and to bring their favorite teacup.

MONTIETH HALL

Located at 218 East Ave., it was named for the family who built the house in 1835, and it is one of the most historic homes in Elyria. Because of its history as a stop on the Underground Railroad and as a meeting place for many civic events in Elyria, it was the first building locally to be placed on the National Register of Historic Places.

 

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