March “Archives treasures” contender #1: Women’s Club of Olympia

It’s the State Archives’ turn to display a few more of its many treasures. The first item to be featured in this month's "Archives treasures" contest is the founding of the Women’s Club of Olympia. In light of Women’s History Month, and to mark the 129^th anniversary of its founding, the State Archives has presented us with an image of the clubhouse during the 2008 snowstorm. The Women’s Club was originally founded on March 10, 1883, “for study and mutual improvement of its members” by Abbie Howard Hunt Stuart, Emily Olney French, Mary Olney Brown, Clara Sylvester, Ella Stork and Janet Moore. The Women’s Club of Olympia was the first of its kind in Washington State. The club was composed of approximately 50 women who would meet 26 times a year in order to discuss cultural topics and current events. Partnered with the Washington State Federation of Women’s Clubs and the General Federation of Women’s Clubs, the women would work together on community projects and lobbying congressmen for social welfare programs aimed toward improving the quality of life for the impoverished, namely women and children.