Finding Aid to Potrero Women's Club Records
SFH 64
Finding aid prepared by Melissa Stone
San Francisco History Center, San Francisco Public Library
100 Larkin Street
San Francisco, CA, 94102
(415) 557-4567
info@sfpl.org
2012
Title: Potrero Women's Club Records
Identifier/Call Number: SFH 64
Contributing Institution:
San Francisco History Center, San Francisco Public Library
Language of Material:
English
Physical Description:
2.24 linear feet
1 carton, 1 flat box
Date (inclusive): 1929-2011
Physical Location: The collection is stored onsite.
Languages represented: Collection materials are in English.
Abstract: These records document the history of the Potrero Women's Club from its inception in 1908 to 2011. Included are constitutions
and bylaws, meeting minutes, membership and financial records, certificates, newspaper clippings, photographs, correspondence,
a scrapbook, and other club records documenting its social activities and service projects.
creator:
Potrero Women's Club.
Publication Rights
All requests for permission to publish or quote from manuscripts must be submitted in writing to the City Archivist. Permission
for publication is given on behalf of the San Francisco Public Library as the owner of the physical items.
Preferred Citation
[Identification of item], Potrero Women's Club (SFH 64), San Francisco History Center, San Francisco Public Library.
Arrangement
Arranged at the folder level by type of record.
Provenance
This collection was donated by Margaret Rice of the Potrero Women's Club in Dec. 2011.
Scope and Contents
Records documenting the history of the Potrero Women's Club from its inception in 1908 to 2011. Included are constitutions
and bylaws, meeting minutes, membership and financial records, certificates, newspaper clippings, photographs, correspondence,
and a scrapbook documenting the club's social activities and service projects in the Potrero Hill neighborhood of San Francisco.
The run of meeting minutes provides a window onto the club's social and civic activity from the 1940s through the 1980s and
includes letters written to city departments and community organizations. The scrapbook, created in 1990 by club member Anne
Loskutoff, consists mostly of snapshot photographs of members at various club events, such as a costume party held in 1958
for the club's 50th anniversary, as well as several Christmas celebrations. It also documents the club's participation in
the war relief effort during World War II. Another item of interest is a poem included inside the Treasurer's Ledger, written
about club members in 1955.
Organizational History
In February of 1908, a group of Potrero Hill women met to discuss ways to improve their neighborhood's quality of life, as
well ways as to provide services to those San Francisco residents who had been displaced by the 1906 earthquake and fire and
were living in temporary housing around Potrero Hill. This informal meeting led to the organization of the Potrero Women's
Club, which held its first official meeting on April 10, 1908 at the Nurses' Settlement on 19th and Iowa Streets in San Francisco.
In the succeeding years, the group has focused on improving the Potrero Hill neighborhood by working with community organizations
and city officials, such as the Department of Public Works and the Board of Supervisors. For example, the club advocated for
the construction of the Potrero Hill Playground and Recreation Center on Arkansas Street by writing letters to the Recreation
Department. Club members also served on the Honorary Citizens' Committee for the dedication of the playground. In 1961, the
club took part in a protest against the construction of Highway 101 through the Potrero Hill neighborhood. The club has also
held fundraisers and dinners to raise money for charitable organizations, such as the American Red Cross, the Salvation Army,
and the San Francisco Heart Association.
The club has maintained a longstanding relationship with the Potrero Hill Branch of the San Francisco Public Library. Besides
holding club meetings at the Potrero Branch library for many years, the club has also donated several books and magazine subscriptions
and contributed recipes to the 1950s
Potrero Cook Book produced by the Friends of the San Francisco Public Library. The club also requested an American Flag, which was presented
to the library in 1979 by Supervisor Robert Gonzales. In recognition of their service to the city of San Francisco, Mayor
Art Agnos declared February 10, 1988 'Potrero Women's Club Day' in San Francisco; the club was also featured in
The Potrero View in recognition of the its centennial in 2008. The Potrero Women's Club continues to remain active in its community.
Processing Information note
Melissa Stone completed the processing of this collection in 2012. During processing, the pages of the scrapbook in the collection
were replaced. Materials on the pages were placed on archival folder stock with acid-free photocorners and then placed in
inert polyester sleeves. Information found written on the back of materials in the scrapbook was transcribed and included.
Access
The collection is available for use during San Francisco History Center hours, with photographs available during Photo Desk
hours. Collections that are stored offsite should be requested 48 hours in advance.
Subjects and Indexing Terms
Potrero Hill (San Francisco, Calif.)
Women--Societes and clubs
Box 1, Folder 1
Constitution and Bylaws,
1929-1992 and undated
Box 1, Folder 5
Correspondence,
1951-2008 and undated
Box 1, Folder 7
Membership Dues Log,
1940-1965
Box 1, Folder 8
Treasurer's Ledger,
1937-1965
Box 1, Folder 9
Expense and Collections Audits,
1962-1978
Box 1, Folder 10
Bookkeeping Records,
1958-1971
Box 1, Folder 11
Centennial Club History and Newspaper Clipping,
2008
Box 1, Folder 14
Snapshot Photographs,
1992-1998 and photocopy of 1986
Box 2
Certificates of Recognition,
1973-2011 and undated
