Guide to the Paradise Women's Improvement Club records

Processed by UCSC OAC Unit
University of California, Santa Cruz
2004
1156 High Street
Santa Cruz 95064
speccoll@library.ucsc.edu


Contributing Institution: University of California, Santa Cruz
Title: Paradise Women's Improvement Club records
Creator: Paradise Women's Improvement Club
Identifier/Call Number: MS.236
Physical Description: 3 Linear Feet 6 half cartons
Date (inclusive): 1921-1998
Date (bulk): (bulk 1921-2004)
Abstract: This collection contains the minutes of the general and executive board meetings, financial records, club histories, and clipping files of the disbanded club.
Physical Location: Stored offsite at NRLF: Advance notice is required for access to the papers.
Language of Material: English

Access

Collection open for research.

Use Restrictions

Copyright for the items in this collection is owned by the creators and their heirs. Reproduction or distribution of any work protected by copyright beyond that allowed by fair use requires permission from the copyright owner. It is the responsibility of the user to determine whether a use is fair use, and to obtain any necessary permissions. For more information see UCSC Special Collections and Archives policy on Reproduction and Use.

Preferred Citation

Paradise Women's Improvement Club records. MS 236. Special Collections and Archives, University Library, University of California, Santa Cruz.

Acquisition Information

Gift from the estate of Leona Harrington, 2004

Organization History

On April 20, 1920 a group of women from Paradise met to protest the sale of acreage in Sierra Park for the operation of a hog farm. Realizing the necessity for group action, the Women's Improvement Club was formed that day and Mrs. L.A. McAndless was named president and Jessie Coleman, the founding secretary. At the second meeting in July 1920, the club took action by purchasing the first lots in Sierra Park, the heart of the community and blocking the hog farm. Later more lots were bought with a purchase price of about five dollars each and eventually in the 1940s these lots were sold to fund other projects.
From the very beginning, dedicated women from all over the mountain community became members and combined their efforts to enrich their town. They established a park near the railroad depot on Pearson and Black Olive, which they named Washington Park and nearly all community activities were held there. Through their efforts the first swimming pool was constructed and the property they owned help finance many projects for children and adults.
The club led campaigns to save the trees, to get street lights, clean up debris and start a public dump, helped form a volunteer fire department, and campaigned against billboards toname a few of their projects. The women worked at the schools and provided the students with food. They established scholarships, worked for the Red Cross and the servicemen during World War II and bought and sold the old Community Hall where dances, card parties and town hall meetings were held. From their efforts came the Garden Club, a Junior Women's Club, the Agenda Club, and the Arts and Crafts groups.
In the later years, the membership dwindled to a few faithful women and after seventy-five years of helping the Paradise Ridge community, the Paradise Women's Improvement Club was disbanded in 1998.

Scope and Content of Collection

This collection contains the minutes of the general and executive board meetings, financial records, club histories, clippings of the disbanded club.

Processing Information

Processed by UCSC OAC Unit completed August 2004. EAD encoded fingind aid by UCSC OAC Unit.

Related Materials

California Federation of Women's Clubs records

Subjects and Indexing Terms

Women -- California -- Societies and clubs -- History

 

Administration and history, 1960-2004

Scope and Contents

This series contains administrative papers, histories, awards and clipping file of the club.
Box-folder 1:1

Correspondence, 1998-2004

Box-folder 1:2

Awards, 1995

Box-folder 1:3

Clipping file, 1960-1992

Box-folder 1:4

Club histories

Box-folder 1:5

The Golden Ridge; A History of Paradise and Beyond , 1981

Box-folder 1:6

Tales of the Paradise Ridge, v.26:2 December 1985

Box-folder 1:7-8

Guest Books

Box-folder 1:7

1977-1982

Box-folder 1:8

1975-1977

Box-folder 1:15

Standing Rules and Membership Roles, 1946-1949

Box-folder 5:1

Club pins

Box-folder 6:1

By-Laws

 

Minutes, 1921-1998

Scope and Contents

This series contains minutes of the general and executive meetings of the club.
Box-folder 1:9

1/6/1921

Box-folder 1:10

11/31/1921 - 12/4/1923

Box-folder 1:11

1/17/1924 - 3/3/1927

Box-folder 1:12

10/15/1931 - 7/18/1935

Box-folder 1:13

7/29/1935 - 8/30/1938

Box-folder 6:2

8/18/1938 - 4/23/1946

Box-folder 1:14

5/2/1946 - 6/5/1947

Box-folder 1:15

6/6/1946 - 12/18/1947

Box-folder 2:1

1/6/1948 - 12/2/1948

Box-folder 2:2

1/3/1949 - 2/27/1950

Box-folder 2:3

6/15/1950 - 1/4/1951

Box-folder 2:4

1/18/1951 - 6/7/1952

Box-folder 2:5

6/18/1952 - 6/1/1954

Box-folder 2:6

6/3/1954 - 6/6/1957

Box-folder 6:3

6/6/1957 - 6/2/1961

Box-folder 2:7

6/8/1961 - 6/6/1962

Box-folder 2:8

6/8/1962 - 6/6/1963

Box-folder 2:9

7/24/1963 - 6/2/1966

Box-folder 2:10

6/29/1965 - 5/31/1966

Box-folder 3:1

6/3/1966 - 5/23/1967

Box-folder 3:2

9/15/1966 - 6/1/1967

Box-folder 3:3

6/9/1967 - 5/22/1969

Box-folder 3:4

9/21/1967 - 6/6/1968

Box-folder 3:5

1968-1969

Box-folder 3:6

9/19/1968 - 6/4/1970

Box-folder 3:7

9/18/1969 - 4/2/1970

Box-folder 3:8

6/10/1969 - 11/24/1970

Box-folder 3:9

9/17/1970 - 3/4/1971

Box-folder 3:10

4/1/1971 - 2/3/1972

Box-folder 3:11

2/17/1972 - 10/4/1973

Box-folder 3:12

1/25/1971 - 5/2/1974

Box-folder 4:1

6/26/1974 - 3/13/1975

Box-folder 4:2

10/18/1973 - 6/5/1976

Box-folder 4:3

5/31/1977 - 11/28/1978

Box-folder 4:4

8/26/1975 - 9/14/1977

Box-folder 4:5

9/18/1975 - 5/5/1977

Box-folder 4:6

1/23/1979 - 12/15/1981

Box-folder 4:7

1/19/1982 - 11/28/1984

Box-folder 4:8

1/3/1985 - 12/17/1986

Box-folder 4:9

1/28/1987 - 12/1/1988

Box-folder 4:10

3/22/1989 - 11/17/1993

Box-folder 4:11

1/1/1989 - 3/12/1993

Box-folder 4:12

1/9/1994 - 12/9/1994

Box-folder 4:13

10/13/1995 - 6/12/1998

 

Financial Records, 1982-1998

Scope and Contents

This series contains the financial records of the club.
Box-folder 5:2

Cash Received, 6/1985 - 5/1987

Box-folder 5:3

Check Distribution, 1982-1990

Box-folder 5:4

Tresurer's Reports and donations, 1993-1998

Box-folder 5:5

Annual Reports, 1979-1991