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The following was taken in part from the Oregon City Enterprise, Friday, April 3, 1903.
The women of Oregon City have a long history of contributing to the community, providing leadership in civic affairs and promoting education and public health.
Living in one of the commercial centers of the territory, male residents of Oregon City included doctors, lawyers, bankers, mill owners, business people and skilled workers. City living meant more free time as, instead of the long hours on a farm to produce what the family needed, there was a wide variety of stores within walking distance of home. With dressmakers, milliners bakeries and butcher shops a short walk away, or providing home delivery.
Many of the wives and daughters were able to spend their time promoting literacy, supporting education, sharing literature, the arts and raising funds to help those less fortunate than themselves.
In 1903, led by local author Eva Emery Dye, the women of Oregon City came together as the true "movers and shakers" of the city's future. Founding members Jennie Barlow Harding and Sarah Meldrum McCown were from pioneer families and were both very active in the life of Oregon City.
Many of the early members had similar backgrounds. A portion were descendants of early Oregon City pioneers who had arrived in the 1840s and 1850s. Others had arrived around the turn of the century as their husbands sought new opportunities in the law, manufacturing and mercantile businesses.
Mrs. William Galloway organized the first club in this city in aid of the Lewis and Clark Exposition. Considerable enthusiasm was manifested, and the following officers were elected:
Mrs. George A. Harding, president; Mrs. S. M. McCown, first vice-president; Mrs. M. M. Charman, second vice-president; Mrs. W. S. U'Ren, secretary; Mrs. Ernest Linwood Jones, assistant secretary; and Mrs. Frank A. Sleight, treasurer.
The following week, a meeting was held on Wednesday afternoon at 3:00 o'clock in Willamette Hall to perfect organizations and appoint committees. One of the leading women in the work said this afternoon that before long there would be 300 women in Oregon City as members of the club and helping in the work.
The following women signed the charter list:
Mrs. J. C. Bradley, Mrs. J. W. Loder, Mrs. S. M. McCown, Mrs. M. M. Charman, Mrs. William Gardiner, Mrs. J. R. Humphrys, Mrs. A. S. Dresser, Mrs. T. E. Gault, Mrs. W. S. U'Ren, Mrs. Geo. W. Bibee, Mrs. F. A. Sleight, Mrs. May A. Waldron, Mrs. J. J. Cooke, Mrs. T. W. Fouts, Mrs. W. L. Block, Mrs. Mary A. Ingram, Mrs. J. J. Tingle, Mrs. Eva Emery Dye, Mrs. Ernest L. Jones, Mrs. T. F. Ryan, Jennie Barlow Harding (Mrs. George A.), Mrs. Roswell Holman, Mrs. F. E. Wood, Mrs. Matilda Ganong Miller, Mrs. John Adams. Miss Zilpha Galloway, Miss Mina Kelly and Miss Amy Kelly.
Mrs. Galloway will organize clubs throughout the state, having been appointed for that purpose, and her selection was an admirable one, as she is awakening interest in her work. Mrs. Dye also made a short address on what could be accomplished. Mrs. Galloway has taken up the work and will visit the entire state.
Eva Emery Dye, arrived in Oregon City with her husband Charles in 1890, and had two books published prior to the founding of the Woman's Club. Her first book, McLoughlin and Old Oregon, included information she gathered through interviewing old city residents who had known Dr. McLoughlin personally, as well as other research. Her second book, The Conquest: The True Story of Lewis and Clark, featured a very central role for young Native American mother, Sacajawea. Although most scholars now believe Mrs. Dye overstated Sacajawea's part in the exploration, the tale of her bravery led to her image being adopted by the suffragist movement in Oregon and other states.
As a way to bring the women of Oregon together and increase their influence in their communities, Eva Emery Dye traveled around the state with Mrs. Emmaline Galloway to help form new woman's clubs in early 1900. In addition to authoring several books of historic fiction, she was a noted essayist, poet, and historian, and was a driving force behind the Chautauqua movement in Clackamas County. She continued as a member of the Oregon City Woman's Club until her death in 1947.
Jenny (wife of George Harding) was born in Canby June 30, 1852. As a child with her parents she moved to Oregon City, where she resided until her death in 1926. Mrs. Harding was one of the leading flower culturists of the state. She was one of the promoters of the first rose show of Oregon City, and through her efforts the rose society was formed, of which she served as president.
Mrs. Harding was a member and the first President of the Oregon City Woman's club establishing the McLoughlin park and a member of the McLoughlin association. She was past regent of Susannah Lea Barlow chapter, Daughters of American Revolution. She also served as department president of the Women's Relief Corps, president of Oregon City; for the past 17 years, secretary of St. Paul's guild of St. Paul's Episcopal church, and a member of Clackamas County Humane society for the past 25 years.
Mrs. McCown was an early pioneer of Oregon, having crossed the plains as an infant with her parents, the late John W. and Susan Meldrum, in 1845. She was born in 1844 in Iowa. She passed away in 1932 in California.
She was married to Ferdinand O. McCown in 1865, and they made their home in Oregon City, where for many years both were active in civic life. In 1916 Mrs. McCown moved with her family to Berkeley, where she lived at the time of her death. She was a member and the first Vice President of the Oregon City Woman's Club.
Mrs. Mary Charman, a resident of Oregon City was for many years one of the most prominent women in the Willamette valley. She was born in Germany in 1838 and passed away in Oregon City in 1915.
During her life in Oregon City, Mrs. Charman has taken an active interest in the work of the Eastern Star, the Woman's club and the Woman's Relief Corps. She was a member of the Congregational church and for several years was a trustee. She was the Woman's Club's first Second Vice President and its second President in 1906. It was also reported that she was the financial secretary of the Woman's club.
Oregon City Woman's Club first Secretary and the Club's 3rd President in 1907. She was born in Indiana in 1868 and died in 1949 and is buried in Portland.
Oregon City Woman's Club first Assistant Secretary. She was born in 1874 in Missouri. She passed away July 29, 1967 in Oregon City.
Oregon City Woman's Club first Assistant Treasurer. She was born in 1876 in Illionois. She and Robert had 8 children. She died in Portland in 1938 and is buried in Portland's Lincoln Memorial Park.
1904-1906: *Jennie Barlow Harding (George)
1906-1907: *Mary M. Charman (Frederick)
1907-1909: *Mary B. U'ren (William Simon)
1909-1911: *Mary E. Norris (Dr. John W.)
1911-1913: *Mary R. Caufield (David)
1913-1914: *Mary Shanks (Duncan M.)
1914-1915: *Jennie Pfingsten (Henry F)
1915-1917: *Rosina Fouts Evans (Charles W.)
1917-1918: *Alma Moore
1918-1920: *Mary R. Caufield (David)
1920-1922 : *Eva Emery Dye (Charles H.)
1922-1924: *Manona Pearl Cartlidge (Harry B,)
1924-1926: *Anna Krassig (William)
1926-1927: *Rosa Green (Carl)
1927-1931: *Thora B. Gardiner (Fred)
1931-1934: *Edna Belle Walker (Mortimer)
1934-1937: *Estella Salisbury (Henry)
1937-1939: *Catherine Josephine "Josie" Barnett (Guy)
1939-1941: *Gertrude M. Oswald (Franklin L.)
1941-1943: *Frances Mockford (Rev. Arthur Julian)
1943-1944: *Mae Everett Taylor (Ira D.)
1944-1945: *Mae V. Pratt (Ralph I.)
1945-1947: *Pauline Rilance (Ray)
1947-1949: *Quvene May (Tootie) Faust (Lee)
1949-1950: *Rosa Green (Carl)
1950-1951: *Mabel Lenz (Herman W.)
1951-1952: *Helen C. Metz (Ralph E.)
1952-1953: *Caroline Strickland (Graeme. H.)
1953-1955: *Dorothy Maddax (Virgil)
1955-1957: *Genevieve Hammerle (Gordon)
1957-1959: *Ruth Schneider (George)
1959-1961: *Eleanore Bloom (Alexander)
1961-1962: *Patricia Hatfield (Clarence)
1962-1963: *Rosalie Bloom (Richard)
1963-1965: *Norma Schlect Day
1965-1966: *Eunice Bonniksen (Dr. L. Gene)
1966-1967: *Janet Childreth (Rufus W.)
1967-1968: *Norma Schlect Day
1968-1969: *Lola Sheldahl (John)
1969-1970: *Eleanore Bloom (Alexander)
1970-1971: *Rolla Petrich (Vincent)
1971-1972: *Alma Brown (Merle)
1972-1973: *Florence Sievers (Charles)
1973-1975: Suzan Waud (Patrick)
1975-1976: *Florence Sievers (Charles)
1976 -1977: *Ruth Rambo Williams (Robert)
1977-1978: *Vera Benfield (Francis W.)
1978-1979: *Mildred Boyington
1979-1980: Elaine Kincheloe (John)
1980-1981: *Carol (Mickey) Goebel
1981-1983: *Peggy Garvison (Jim)
1983-1985: *Betty Nelson (Keith)
1985-1988: *Edythe Moss (Melvin)
1988-1990: *Charleen Schultz (Dan)
1990-1992: *Dottie Setterberg (Gordon)
1992-1994: Norma Evans (Robert)
1994-1996: Jilda Danielson (Craig)
1996-1998: Margaret Svarverud (Leonard)
1998-2000: *Geraldine McNeel
2000-2002: Jilda Danielson (Craig)
2002-2004: *Irma Sullivan
2004-2006: Suzan Waud (Patrick)
2006-2010: Margie Tosi (Ron)
2012-2014: Alice Hayden (Bob)
2014-2016: Claudine Hicks
2016-2018: Jerri Adams (Larry)
2018-2020: Bev Spilseth
2020-2022: Connie Kitzmiller
2022-2024: Chris Wadsworth
* Deceased
Oregon City Woman's Club, PO Box 2102, Oregon City OR 97045 ~ Email Contacts
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