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Poinsettia Club records, 1899-2018
MVC015  
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Description
The Saticoy Poinsettia Club was incorporated in 1899 and was originally named the Saticoy Literary and Social Club until 1902. It was formed for the purpose of promoting sociality among its members and for the betterment of their recently established community in Saticoy. This collection includes their historical documents, yearbooks, scrapbooks, minutes, financial and administrative records.
Background
Saticoy is an unincorporated community in Ventura County, California. The settlement was laid out in 1887 along the railroad line that was being built from Los Angeles through the Santa Clara River Valley to the town of Ventura. The Saticoy Literary and Social Club, otherwise known as the Saticoy Poinsettia Club, was incorporated on June 14, 1899. It was established during a time when men would gather in fraternal organizations, billiard halls, saloons and at political rallies. In the isolated rural area of only eight hundred inhabitants, a group of women sought their own places of refuge in the form of a literary and social club. Initially, the club meetings were dedicated to socializing, studying the classics, and drinking tea. The first meeting was held in Anna Campbell's house and included the following women: O. Belle Arnold, Agnes B. Clark, Carrie A. Darling, Jean B. Duval, Emma B. Kellogg, Adeline A. Kelsey, Lizzie A. Kimball, Jennie Sharp and Luna Layne. Membership dues were twenty-five cents a year, members were fined five cents for missing meetings, only fifteen members were permitted at any given time, and aspiring members were accepted or rejected through a secret ballot vote of the membership. The name of the club was changed to Poinsettia Club of Saticoy on April 9, 1902, just as Poinsettias were becoming a large local crop in the region. After incorporation, meetings quickly broadened to activities designed to, "promote the civic, social and educational life of its members, for the betterment of the community in which they live". This included discussing current events, home economics, fundraising, scholarships, book clubs, educational workshops, arts and crafts and involvement in national, state and local causes. They helped fund local parks, the public library and sent aid to survivors of the 1906 San Francisco earthquake among other charitable activities.
Extent
6.42 Cubic Feet (5 boxes)
Restrictions
Property rights to the physical object belong to the Museum of Ventura County. Literary rights, including copyright, have not been determined. Contact the Research Library for further information: library@venturamuseum.org
Availability
This finding aid was made possible in part through funding from the County of Ventura and the Heritage Fund at the Ventura County Community Foundation. This collection is open for research except for Box 2, Folder 1, which is restricted.