What is the Twentieth Century Club?

Manchester streetscape in the 1870s. Photo courtesy of the Manchester Area Historical Society collection.

submitted by Donna Clark

Have you ever heard of the Twentieth Century Club, and wondered how this club fits into the community of Manchester?

The Twentieth Century Club has been a part of the Manchester community since 1899, when a group of women decided to meet and share information regarding civic problems in our town, state and the nation. These clubs were popular throughout towns and cities in the United States. One of the first problems tackled by this group of women in our town was a clean-up campaign to make the streets cleaner with better walking conditions for ladies who, at the time, wore long, flowing skirts.

The Club studied current events, literature, and major political issues. One of the overwhelming issues of the time was women’s suffrage. In the early years, membership was limited to 15 and the Club met in various members’ homes every Tuesday evening. In 1916, the group became affiliated with the Washtenaw County Federation of Women’s Clubs.

During the 1930s, the Club focused on the issue of helping needy families with food and clothing donations. Over the years, the Club has continued to support local community issues, and, in fact, a percentage of each year’s income is set aside for projects within the Manchester community. Most recently, the organization has created a “Women’s Enlightenment Scholarship” to help support a woman from the Manchester community over the age of 25 in her pursuit of education to better her life.

Through the years, the Club has had many interesting programs on various topics. Our group has recently visited historical churches, studied local barn architecture, the history of our schools, landmarks such as bridges and train stations. This year, our focus is Communication Through the Years. Our topics will include the pony express, telegraphs, telephones, computers etc.

If you might find such a group interesting, you are invited to attend our next meeting, or call any of the officers listed below with questions. Our meetings take place at 7 pm on the second Tuesday of each month. Our November meeting will be on the 12th in the Manchester High School library/media center. We will be examining the history of the pony express and the telegraph.

Norma Keller, President 428-7644
Donna Clark, Vice-President 428-7348
Kelly Blaine, Secretary 428-0741

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by Marsha Chartrand

Marsha Johnson Chartrand, a founder, writer, and copy editor with the Manchester Mirror, is a 50-year resident of Manchester. She has a long history of volunteer and community involvement.