Woman's Club of Spokane
Est. 1907
Affiliated with General Federation of Women's Clubs
1905. Spokane City Hall. Spokane Woman's Club Movement Begins.
Link to an article from the Spokane Daily Chronicle dated Mar. 25, 1905 titled, "Shall Spokane Women Build a Clubhouse?"
May Arkwright Hutton: club member
and famous suffragette; she was the first woman to have a seat at a Democratic National Convention. May is sometimes credited with bringing the suffrage movement in the USA back to life.
In 1910, she donated the funds to purchase the Woman's Club of Spokane clubhouse property. If you spend time in the clubhouse NW Room, know that May used to hang out there too.
She and her husband made their money in the mining camps of Idaho. She was one tough lady with a huge heart for women's and childrens issues.
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1907. Woman's Club of Spokane founded.
1908. Club joins GFWC, the General Federation of Women's Clubs [Established in 1890 and chartered by Congress in 1901].Strong educational programming and club activities in the GFWC "departments" encouraged local women to continue their education, and to volunteer to improve their community.
1909. Club incorporates as a charitable organization. Club membership grows to 343.
Title. Double click me.
1910. Built the Woman's Club Cottage at 9th Ave. and Walnut St. The new clubhouse open on November 10, 1910, just 5 days after women achieved suffrage in Washington State
1910-1924. Link to articles from the Spokane Daily Chronicle and The Spokesman-Review.
1919. Creating historic tableau was a favorite activitiy in the early club years. Here club women re-create the signing of the Declaration of Independence. The tables, chairs and the painting of the first club president Mrs. Emery, seen on the back wall, are still in the clubhouse today.
Sonora Smart Dodd, the founder of Father's Day, was a member of the Woman's Club of Spokane for over 30 years.
1928. Link to articles from the Spokane Daily Chronicle and The Spokesman-Review regarding the history of the 1928 clubhouse expansion.
1928. Woman's Club of Spokane Clubhouse expanded to 11,000 square feet. Building was dedicated Nov. 28, 1928.
1935. Link to an article from the Spokane Daily Chronicle dated Dec. 6, 1935 regarding the Spokane Woman's Club financial troubles during the Depression.
1936. Paid off the clubhouse mortgage.
1953. One of the first kindergartens in Spokane was established in the basement of the Woman's Club as a collaboration between the Cliff Cannon neighborhood council and the club. Public schools did not have kindergarten at this time.
2010, A 25' flagpole donated by the Woodsmen of America was installed in time for for a June, 2014, Flag day ceremony. Here are our team of military veteran volunteers are lifting the flagpole into place. On FlagDay the Fairchild AirforceBase colorguard installed the flag with full honors.
2013. Official 501C3 IRS status achieved and Second Century Capital Campaign developed to improve building accessibility.
