Collection context
Summary
- Title:
- Sacramento Swiss Clubs collection
- Dates:
- 1892-2012, bulk 1920-2010
- Creators:
- Sacramento Swiss Ladies Society and Helvetia Verein
- Abstract:
- This collection consists of the records of the Sacramento Swiss Ladies Society and the United Swiss Lodges of California as well as a few documents from the Sacramento Helvetia Verein. The Swiss Ladies Society was a Sacramento organization originally called Sacramento Helvetia Frauen and Toecher Verein. The organization was established in 1922 “to cultivate mutual sociability among its members and rendering financial aid in case of sickness.” The Society was open to women of Swiss ancestry. This collection contains many of the club’s meeting minutes and financial records. Together with the men’s Swiss organization, the Helvetia Verein, these two clubs on May 1, 1981 established a parent organization called the United Swiss Lodges of California. This organization permitted the Swiss Ladies Society and The Helvetia Verein to gain nonprofit status. The United Swiss Lodges of California were deeply involved in efforts to erect a statue of John Sutter near Sutter’s Fort and to support the production of a film about John Sutter’s contribution to Sacramento and California.
- Extent:
- 5.5 linear feet (5 boxes + 1 oversized map drawer)
- Language:
- Languages represented in the collection: English
- Preferred citation:
-
[Identifcation of item and/or item number], [box and folder number], Sacramento Swiss Clubs collection, MS0046, Center for Sacramento History.
Background
- Scope and content:
-
The Sacramento Swiss Clubs collection consists of the records of the Sacramento Swiss Ladies Society and the United Swiss Lodges of California as well as a few documents from the Sacramento Helvetia Verein. The collection is organized into five series: Series 1. Sacramento Swiss Ladies Society, Series 2. Sacramento Helvetia Verein, Series 3. United Swiss Lodges of California, Series 4. Audiovisual material, and Series 5. Artifacts. The Sacramento Swiss Ladies Society series consists mostly of the club's constitution and bylaws, membership lists, and meeting minutes of the Society. The United Swiss Lodges of California series includes meeting minutes and correspondence of the organization and records documenting its efforts to erect a statue of John Sutter near Sutter’s Fort and to support the production of a film about John Sutter’s contribution to Sacramento and California. Additionally numerous files demonstrate the involvement of the Swiss community in the Sacramento Sesquicentennial celebration. The collection also contains newspaper articles and letters concerning the ongoing debate about John Sutter’s treatment of indigenous peoples.
Many of the pages in this collection were on fax paper which had already faded. These pages were photocopied if they were still legible. Some files contain photographs of activities of the clubs, and the photographs are retained in the folders. Numerous documents are in German and are not translated.
- Biographical / historical:
-
The Swiss Ladies Society was a Sacramento organization originally called Sacramento Helvetia Frauen and Toecher Verein. The organization was established in 1922 “to cultivate mutual sociability among its members and rendering financial aid in case of sickness.” The Society was open to women of Swiss ancestry. This collection contains many of the club’s meeting minutes and financial records. Together with the men’s Swiss organization, the Helvetia Verein, these two clubs on May 1, 1981 established a parent organization called the United Swiss Lodges of California. This organization permitted the Swiss Ladies Society and The Helvetia Verein to gain nonprofit status. The United Swiss Lodges of California were deeply involved in efforts to erect a statue of John Sutter near Sutter’s Fort and to support the production of a film about John Sutter’s contribution to Sacramento and California.
- Acquisition information:
- The Sacramento Swiss Clubs collection was donated to the Center for Sacramento History by the Sacramento Helvetia Verein in 2015 (accession #2015/003).
- Processing information:
-
The Sacramento Swiss Clubs Collection was processed in 2015 by Ruth Craft. The finding aid was prepared in 2015 by Ruth Craft.
- Arrangement:
-
Series 1. Sacramento Swiss Ladies Society Series 2. Sacramento Helvetia Verein Series 3. United Swiss Lodges of California Subseries 3.1 Administrative records Subseries 3.2 Sutter film project Subseries 3.3 Sutter statue project Subseries 3.4 Sacramento sesquicentennial Subseries 3.5 John Sutter information Series 4. Audiovisual material Series 5. Artifacts
- Physical location:
- 1:G:2, 36:L:07, 37:L, MC:15:02
- Rules or conventions:
- Finding aid prepared using Describing Archives: a Content Standard
Indexed terms
About this collection guide
- Date Prepared:
- © 2013
- Date Encoded:
- Machine-readable finding aid created by Sean Heyliger. Machine-readable finding aid derived from MS Word. Date of source: August 23, 2019.
Access and use
- Restrictions:
-
Collection is open for research use.
- Terms of access:
-
All requests to publish or quote from private collections held by the Center for Sacramento History (CSH) must be submitted in writing to csh@cityofsacramento.org. Permission for publication is given on behalf of CSH as the owner of the physical items and is not intended to include or imply permission of the copyright holder, which must also be obtained by the patron. No permission is necessary to publish or quote from public records.
- Preferred citation:
-
[Identifcation of item and/or item number], [box and folder number], Sacramento Swiss Clubs collection, MS0046, Center for Sacramento History.
- Location of this collection:
-
551 Sequoia Pacific Blvd.Sacramento, CA 95811, US
- Contact:
- (916) 808-7072