September 30, 1885 Manistee was 44 years and a few months old. Already a bustling city with thirty four lumber mills, five having salt plants connected, iron works, five shipbuilding yards, three large fleets of ships (owned by Manistee interest) and the third largest lake port in the world according to tonnage shipped. At this time, water transportation was the only convenient and economical means of transportation, although one railroad built in 1881 did connect Grand Rapids and Manistee.
Approximately 2,500 citizens including several millionaires had withstood the ravages of the Manistee fire of October 8th and 9th 1871. After fourteen years of rebuilding, Manistee again became a prosperous thriving city.
Manistee mothers were disturbed. Their daughters were spending their leisure hours at a roller rink – a questionable place of amusement. What were the mothers to do?
September 30, 1885 on the invitation of Mrs. E.B. Fairfield, a preliminary meeting was held at her home for the purpose of organizing a literary club.
Mrs. Fairfield, now the wife of the Pastor of the Congregational Church had ever looked to the good of the young people of Manistee. Many who had been connected with the high school of the city.
A plan for a literary club was devised. At the second meeting on October 2, 1885 at Mrs. Fairfield’s home officers were elected and a constitution and bylaws were adopted. Three people were appointed to each of the following committees: work, finance and entertainment.
The constitution had six articles (1) The association shall be called “The Lakeside Club”. (2) The object of this club shall be social, intellectual and moral improvement of its member. (3) Officers. (4) Any lady over 16 years of age may be a member of this club by signing her name to the application and paying a fee of 50 cents. (5) Semi-annual meeting with election of officers twice a year. (6) Amendments.
The first eight articles in the bylaws were routine. The ninth article was that each member shall pay a 50-cent initiation fee and 5 cents each remaining month of the year.
Lottie Sands, Mrs. Richard Smith, joined The Lakeside Club October 12, 1885 at the age of seventeen. Mrs. Smith, now 98 years old, is mentally alert and lives in Phoenix Arizona. Although Mrs. Smith spends the greater part of the club year in Phoenix and could not be an active member, she retained her associate membership and in 1956 became a life member. Two letter written by Mrs. Smith to the club this year shows her interest is still with The Lakeside Club.
Canary yellow was chosen and accepted as the club color. A critic was appointed at each meeting. Her duties were to criticize pronunciation and to produce answers to any weighty questions that arose.
The first club song was written by Miss Sinclair and set to music by another member, Miss Olney. It was sung December 7, 1885 and greeted with much applause. After the sweet strains of the club song had been heard but once, it vanished and the committee was unable to explain its disappearance satisfactorily.
The Chairman of the Work Committee provided each member with fancy work to be done by her for a contemplated fair.
Thirty-one ladies were the organizers of the club and have been charter members:
Mrs. Mary Fairfield Carrie Canfield
Sarah Gallegher Nellie Walker
Lizzie Bruce Mrs. Eugene Nexstaff
Nellie Nancy Kate Marcy
Lola Keatley Mrs. C.M. Cutcheon
Annie Sinclair Mrs. Jacob Lucas
Fannie Hodskin Mrs. Evan T. Davis
Kate Seymour Mrs. Ella T. Russell
Lottie Durr Lottie Suttall
Nettie Cook Nattie Sands
Lori Narcy Georgia Gunsolly
Lizzie Crosby Mrs. G. W. Gillette
Addie Littlefield Josephine Reynolds
Leo Brown Eva Woodrow
Ada Harris Fannie Woodrow
Carrie Carr
But unfortunately the club did not take out a charter until 3 ½ years after it was organized.
The program for the first year consisted of several reading from “Aurora Heights”, “Raphael” and his works. Mrs. Stone, from Kalamazoo lectured on “History”. Mrs. Adsit’s from Chicago subject was “ Art”. Mrs. Felch of Milwaukee talked on “Hygiene”. Club discussions lasted several meeting on “Heredity “ and “Resolve that Co-Education is Beneficial to the Sexes”. The members for each meeting provided musical selections, vocal and instrumental.
After several months the club voted one-fifth of the money in the treasury for charity. The first act of charity was recorded as $2.50 being spent for wallpaper to brighten the home of a deserving elderly lady.
On September 20, 1886, a motion was made by Mrs. Fairfield, which was carried, that the money in the treasury, after deducting the one-fifth for charity, should be used for books, which she hoped, might be the foundation for a woman’s library association in Manistee.
In January, the second year, forty books purchased by the club were covered by the club members to preserve them in their circulatory travels. No meetings were held in February and March due to many members desiring to attend a series of revival meeting held at the Congregational Church. During April, the club took up the study of French from a dapper young professor – nine lessons for $18.00. In June. The club voted to buy a copy of Roberts Rules of Order. During this year many European countries were studied.
January 21, 1889 – Mrs. Joseph Wallace was voted an honorary member, the first to receive this distinction in The Lakeside Club. In February, it was voted to enlarge the club and take in thirty associate members. These members paid $5.00 initiation fee and were exempt from all work and payment of monthly dues. They would also be allowed use of the library books.
In March 1889 the club became incorporated and took out Articles of Association the under the provision of Act 79 of the Public Acts of the State of Michigan. There were were only eighteen signers:
Charter Members
Mary Fairfield Hattie Dovel Rose Reynolds
Jennie N. Cardozo Louise Joys Kittie A. McLeod
Mary A. Leonard Flora M. Zimmer Kate Marcy
Maude W. Russell Carrie L. Carr Lawrence Jentoft
Ella H. Robinson Georgia Gunnsolly Emily R. Magoon
Frances Mee Lottie Durr Harriet C. McPherson
In June the articles regarding fines was changed to read 5 cents for tardiness, 10 cents cents for absence and a fine of 25 cents was the penalty for failure to perform any work work assigned.
In September 1889 the first yearbook was issued.
In February 1890 the club received an invitation to send delegates to a convention of of of Women’s clubs to be held in Grand Rapids.
February 4, 1891 – The president of Vassar College appealed to the club for a donation to help carry out a plan to establish a chair of astronomy at Vassar. Each member gave 25 cents toward the project.
November 23, 1891 – It was voted to enlarge the club membership and rent Union Hall Parlors for a meeting place so quests could be invited. Until this time all the meetings had been held at the homes of a few club members. Mrs. Andrew Dovel opened her home for meetings for a year’s duration. Mrs. Louie and several others opened their homes for club meetings and also for many lovely receptions.
The Union Hall did not give the warmth the club was accustomed to so they decided to rent the Congregational Church rooms for $1 per meeting.
October 29, 1894 – The Lakeside Club joined the National Federation of Women’s Clubs.
April 15, 1895 – The club voted to increase the membership to fifty active and fifty associate members.
October 14, 1895 – Miss Edith Vincent became an active member.
October 14, 1965 – At the Northwestern District Convention of Michigan State Women’s Clubs held in Charlevoix Michigan, Miss Vincent was selected the jewel of the Northwestern District.
The fall of 1895, Mrs. A.O. Wheeler and Mrs. W.F. Baker were delegates to the first meeting of the Michigan State Federation of Women’s Clubs held in Lansing.
January 9, 1896 a special meeting was held. Mrs. Gertrude Andrews of New York addressed the club on “Physical Culture”. In May, a play was held, “Living Pictures” with proceeds to be used for books for the club library. The present library was a room in the Union School.
At the October 1896 convention held in Detroit, Mrs. F.E. Whitley was elected Second Vice President of the Michigan State Federation of Women’s Clubs and Mrs. H. R. Reynolds was appointed a member of the Michigan State Program Committee.
November 16, 1896 – By request, our club motto “ In All Things Supreme Excellence”, the nane of the club flower and a photograph of Mrs. Fairfield ,the founder of the club, were sent to the President of the General Federation.
By January 1897 the City of Manistee had grown to approximately twelve thousand and Lakeside Club had also grown. When the club wished to entertain, it didn’t have enough dishes. A committee was appointed to look into the purchase of dishes. They thought the price of suitable dishes too high. Each member, however, agreed to purchase one cup, one saucer and one plate and present it the club. That still did not cover the quest problem and a month later eight dozen Havilland plates, sups and saucers were authorized and purchased. On February 22 “Patriotic Day” a special program was held with 69 members and 70 guests using the club china for the first time. Now, 1966, we have nearly all of the dishes and they are being used for all our teas and luncheons held in the clubrooms.
April 18, 1898 – The club again appointed a committee to interview the City Council in regards to beautifying the unsightly spot at the tip of Pine Street steps. Late it was beautified and a cannon placed there.
October 25, 26, and 27 1898 – Upon invitation of The Lakeside Club, the Michigan State Federation of Women’s Clubs held its fourth annual convention in Manistee. The meetings were held in the Congregational Church Parlors. The officers of the Federation and about 130 delegates were entertained in the homes of club members. Mrs. Rebecca Law, President of the National Federation, honored the club with her presence and delivered an address. A reception was given and delegates treated with a wholehearted royalty that they never forgot. Most of the delegates had the idea that Manistee was a little hamlet surrounded by pinewoods.
Through the generous donations of our club members, $493.34 was raised entirely within the club to defray the expenses of this meeting. After all bills were paid, $64.34 remained which by vote of the club was not to go into the treasury but be kept as a special fund for future use.
One of our members, Mrs. D.D. Wheeler was elected First Vice President of the Michigan State Federation of Women’s Clubs.
When Federation guests were at the depot ready to make their departure, and enthusiastic delegate scribbled the following lines:
This queer little City of sand and salt
Is a jolly good place to come and halt,
In it I’ve had such an excellent time
I feel I must burst into rhyme
Farewell to the City of salt and sand
Where we were welcomed with heart and with hand,
Such true hospitality may well be your pride,
All hail to the City and to The Lakeside
And so the convention came to a close.
December 11, 1899 – Club members and guests enjoyed stereopticon views and a paper on “Washington Our National Capital” during an interesting program given by Dr. and Mrs. Brodie who had recently returned from Washington DC.
June 10, 1900 – The club voted to leave the Congregational Church and hold its meetings in the Unity Church.
The club and many other interesting programs sponsored lecture courses by Prof. Zublin of the University of Chicago and social affairs were held in 1900. The club was also extremely civic minded. They voted to send a petition to the city fathers “to prohibit prize fighting within the city limits’. Many members were active in the W.C.T.U.
State conventions were held regularly in Lansing, Jackson, Kalamazoo, Ann Arbor and other Michigan cities with the General Federation Conventions as near home as Milwaukee, Wisconsin.
The first Board of Directors, seven in number, was elected in May of 1900. Miss Edith Vincent being one of the members. Previously she had held the offices of Secretary and also Treasurer.
November 11, 1901 – Mrs. Lena Cohn made a motion that the President appoints a committee to look up and formulate plans for inaugurating a public library in Manistee. The motion was carried and Mrs. Cohn, Mrs. E.D. Wheeler and Mrs. C.D. Gardner were the committee appointed. Mrs. Cohn asked ten other members to the committee.
The committee wrote Andrew Carnegie for information. Andrew Carnegie answered,” He would build a library in any city which met certain requirements” which Manistee did.
On November 26 an evening meeting was held. Guests were invited and Reverend Barth gave an interesting talk on “The Relations of the Club to the City”.
February 18, 1902 – Mrs. Cohn made a motion, which carried, to use the special fund created after the State Federation Convention in October 1898 toward purchasing a site for a public library. The sum was $64.34.
On April 21, a special meeting was held at which The Lakeside Club ratified the pledge of the library committee to furnish a site for a public library and voted to head the list with $500.
On October 13 it was announced at this meeting that The Lakeside Club had raised $5000 for the site of the new library. Mr. And Mrs. E.D. Wheeler each contributed $1000 to The Lakeside Fund so the club should be credited with raising $7000, the entire amount paid for the library site.
Two interesting programs appearing in the 1903 yearbook were: A program on “Wireless Telegraphy” given by Prof. Shipman of Manistee High School and a lecture given by Jane Addams of Hull House Chicago.
In March the club voted to contribute $25 toward the Lucinda Store Memorial Fund. The fund was raised by the Women’s Clubs of Michigan to establish a University of Michigan scholarship.
In September the first chapter of “Max” was written by club members, this being the club’s first venture in original story writing.
On October 26 the club voted to adopt Mrs. Emma Fox’s Rules of Order of Parliamentary Law, which the club continued to use until September 1965.
September 19, 1904 – A request was made to the Library Board to so arrange the new Carnegie Library Building that a suitable room be set aside for educational and literary purposes and that The Lakeside Club be accorded the privilege of occupying said room for their meetings. The privilege was granted the club, stipulating it would be rent-free.
December 12, 1904 – The interesting story of “Max” was published and sold, scoring another successful venture of The Lakeside Club.
In 1905 Manistee citizens saw the completion of the $35,000 Carnegie Library Building and the successful beginning of its good work. The Lakeside Club was proud to think that the idea originated with its members. The Lakeside Club took the initiative steps and had it not been for the stick to-itivenss of the clubwomen the lot on the corner of Maple and First Street might have been covered with a luxurious growth of burdock and thistles for some years.
By December 1905 4,744 books were on the shelves of the new library and on January 8, 1906 The Lakeside Club held its first meeting in the auditorium of the library free of rent.
Though the years The Lakeside Club had been active in numerous worthwhile projects. They encouraged and contributed generously to the Humane Society. For many years a contribution of $50 was given to the Free Bed and Mercy Hospital. Around the turn of the century property was rapidly being cleared. The Lakeside Club protected many clumps of tree. Sections of the City were beautified. One project was supplying school children with flower seeds, followed by a flower show with prizes in the fall. Admission was charged for the show, which netted a nice profit for the purchase of library books. The club also supplied refuse cans and placed them around the city. They put on a drive to keep sidewalks free from ice and snow and in early years the club encouraged people to keep sand swept from sidewalks.
Clubwomen worked for woman suffrage. A complete survey of progress, condition s and equipment of various schools in the city were carried on for years. The club had it's own student loan fund. It also has helped sponsor student scholarship to the Interlochen School of Music.
The Lakeside Club worked with three other clubs renovating the Ramsdell Theater building and beautifying the Manistee riverbanks and city parks.
There had always been a Christmas contribution of some kind to the poor, unfortunate or shut-ins in the County Medical Care Facility. Giving of Christmas cheer to the needy has given happiness to the club members too. The upkeep of a semi private room at the Mercy Community Hospital had been another of the club services of late years.
For many years trees were planted on school grounds and parks in memory of deceased members. The Lakeside Memorial trees stand as a living memorial to members who have served and passed on.
In October 1921 the club voted to purchase a scrapbook and all the important functions and various happenings of the club life were to be saved and entered in this book. And so the club activities have been kept from year to year.
The Lakeside Club changed its meeting place to the Chippewa Hotel for several years, them back to the Masonic Temple for a short duration and again back to the clubrooms on the second floor of the library.
A clubhouse of their own was the dream of the Lakeside ladies for many years. By the fall of 1933 $200 had been placed in Government Bonds. The endowment fund grew to $5000. The dream for a clubhouse vanished with rising prices and some of this money was used to equip a kitchen and make the library clubrooms more comfortable and attractive.
Junior Lakeside was organized in 1934. The Lakeside Club acted as a mother club until they became fully organized.
The operating meeting of the fiftieth year for The Lakeside Club was held at the Hotel Chippewa on September 16, 1935. It was a delightful meeting with 96 members and guests present.
Mrs. W. E. Chapman, President of the Michigan State Federation of Women’s Clubs, accepted the initiation of The Lakeside Club and other local federated clubs to hold their 42nd annual convention in Manistee on October 5-9, 1936.
Mrs. John L. Sweetnam, Past President of The Lakeside Club, was General Chairman. The hostesses were: Business Woman’s Club, Tuesday Musical, County Federation of Michigan Federation of Women’s Club, Junior Lakeside Club, Past Presidents of Lakeside Club and The Lakeside Club. At this meeting Mrs. John L. Sweetnam, who had previously served on many state committees, was voted Second Vice President of the Michigan Federation of Women’s Club. A change of the convention was also voted on. The state conventions were to be held in April instead of October.
One of the social highlights of the convention was a delightful tea served in the home of Mrs. B. B. Larsen and daughters, Miss Ethel and Marion. Only words of highest praise were heard about this convention.
March, 1941, Mrs. John L. Sweetnam, an outstanding member, winning the admiration of Michigan Federated Club members, was elected President of Michigan State Federation of Women’s’ Clubs.
Mrs. Sweetnam is another one of our State Presidents who shall long be remembered and praised for her excellent work. She is remembered for her untiring efforts and great accomplishments during the years she served on committees and in office as Vice-President and President of Michigan State Federation of Women’s’ Clubs.
Through the years many changes have been made in our by-laws. The number of meetings have been changed from once a week to once a month, with each second packed full of business and delightful programs. Always the meetings concern the members with activity of the mind and with civic projects.
The information, entertaining and unique programs have been given by popular speakers from distant cities, the Federated Club officers and The Lakeside Club members. Concerts have been given and more often local talent used.
May 15, 1961, at the close of The Lakeside Club’s 75th year, a lovely luncheon was served in the Methodist Church parlors with a delightful musical program following. The special guest speaker was Mrs. Malcomb D. McQueen, the State Federation President.
September 20, 1965, the 80th anniversary of the organization of The Lakeside Club was celebrated with a luncheon and program held at the Manistee Golf and Country Club. The theme of the program was "Through the Years." The honored guests were: Mrs. James A. Quinn, President of the Michigan State Federation of Women’s’ Clubs; Mrs. Charles L. Rose, First Vice President; Mrs. C. Edgar Miller, President of the Northwestern District; Mrs. Harry Zimmerman, President of Manistee County Federation; and Mrs. Earle Dahlquist, a Junior Lakeside Club member and a Girls town Board of Director. At this time an inspiring message was read from Mrs. Wm. H. Hasebrock, President of the General Federation of Women’s’ Clubs.
Meetings of the year 1966 are just as outstanding as they were in the beginning, 1885. The club shares its outstanding programs with guests and guest clubs. For example, one of the programs on April 18, 1966. The Lakeside Club invited five local clubs as their guests to hear Mr. Solom Rizk, one of the nation’s most popular lecturers, speak about the unbelievable opportunities, freedom and fullness of life he found in America in contrast to the bare existence of his early childhood in Syria. The club made arrangements for Mr. Rizk to speak before three student groups in our two high schools, and to the All-City Parents-Teachers Association. He was happy to have the opportunity to tell what America means to him and what it should mean to our youth in America.
Through the years our officers have been those willing to give their time and put forth efforts to carry out issues arising nationally and locally; to aid in community improvement and bring worthwhile programs to the club members and occasionally guests. Many of the club presidents have been mothers, daughters and granddaughters of the earlier Lakeside members.
At the close of the first 20 years of The Lakeside Club, it was said, "What we most need and must have before we can broaden out as we should, is confidence in each other, charity and unity." September, 1932, Mrs. Harry Jones stressed the fact that the home can no longer be isolated from the community and that women’s’ clubs are the means of bringing these groups together.
Today with many worthwhile projects demanding our attention, the Clubwomen have much work ahead of them. Young people need greater help now than they did 80 years ago. Books are still a problem but not in the same way. In 1886, when The Lakeside Club started collecting books for its library, the members used the following as their yardstick: "There are books that wear and books that wear out. Books to life must have purity of style and be true to human nature." Today many of the paperbacks sold on the newsstands and elsewhere are quite the opposite. The air we breathe has changed; the water in the streams, rivers and lakes is no longer pure and clean. Clubwomen have work to do.
The Lakeside Club has accomplished many worthwhile things but great goals lie ahead. The powers of women are beyond comprehension; they have great heights to attain and can reach them only by working together. "In unity there is strength."
May The Lakeside Club always be the motivating link in this great power, "the General Federation of Women’s Clubs."
Compiled by
Breta P. Sweetnam