Anamosa - A Reminiscence 1838 - 1988

In 1889 it was decided that in the future unmarried
ladies of a\ober. sedate demeanor might be proposed
for membership.
By I902. Fortnightly Club had elaborate banquets
yearly for their husbands and guests in which they
always served from five to seven courses. made
sparkling toasts and had entertaining speakers.
The menu for one banquet included: bouillon. wafers.
olives. celery. cranberry jelly. oyster patties. cold
turkey. cold ham. shrimp salad. saratoga chips.
Parkerhouse rolls. orange ice. fruit cake. white cake.
marshmallow cake. macaroons. kisses. lady fingers.
Neopolitan ice cream. coffee. and tea. With food so
plentiful. it is obvious they were not dieting.
Fortnightly Club began the study of the Bay View
Course. as laid out in the magazine. One program
included: the Siberian Railway. a Sketch of Tourgenev
and excerpts from his writings. plus a paper on Trusts.
which took two hours to read. and a short talk by a
guest.
At another meeting. members listened to a
Graphophone Program. during which they killed time
by eating dates. A critic was appointed for each
meeting. to be prepared to pronounce any proper
names in the lesson.
At evening meetings. Fortnightly members often
entertained their husbands and Concord Round Table
members. and their escorts. and a program of music
was given.
In I910 came the first mention of autos. when the
members who owned cars conveyed other members to
the meetings.
During the period from 1910 to I920, Fortnightly
continued the Bay View Course. The Club went on
record as opposing pictures relating to White Slave
traffic. Members went by traln to Stone City (calling it
Dearbomville). and spent the time after the dinner and
meeting. while waiting for the afternoon train. visiting
and crocheting.
Programs were on Women Suffrage. Women in
Industry. Politics. Progress. and in supporting the war
effort. by donations to War Relief Fund. and by knitting
for Red Cross. During this time. a quarantine for
influenza cancelled many meetings.
During the 1920s the club continued with the Bay
View Course of Study; programs on immigration; social
welfare work: aid to crippled children; Boy Scouts;
conservation of wild flowers: and the state park. The
practice of substitute members was started at this time.
In I929 the club held a Martha Washington Tea to
which all wore appropriate costumes.
In the mid 1930s. Fortnightly Club sponsored a
junior federated club; the Athenian Club of Anamosa.
Our club kept up with the times by studying such
topics as The Changing Role of Women and Their
Widening Horizons.
Our 65th Anniversary was a Zig-Zag luncheon, with
members in old time costumes. The first course was
served at the home of Margret Downing; the main
course was served at the home of Veryle Purcell; and
dessert was served at the home of Louise Kellogg.
For the 70th Anniversary, Fortnightly celebrated
with a pageant narrated by Veryle Purcell. The club
quartet. featuring Mrs. Olga Crockett. Miss Florence
Hale. Mrs. Lulu Robertson. and Mrs. Virginia Kouba.
sang several numbers. accompanied by Mrs. Wilma
Remley. ,
On the 90th Anniversary, Mrs. Margret Downing
read a history of the club. During World War II. club
programs reflected the war years with such topics as
Tips on Wartime Living; Feeding the World: and Peace
Through Understanding.
Our changing times brought the club such programs
as Understanding the American Negro; the New
Philosophy of the American Character. and later Our
Responsibility to God. To Our Fellow Man.and To
Ourselves. Meetings were instructive and fun. and no
longer did we see the seven-course dinners. In its place
were the Diet Luncheons. Box Socials. and Come-As-
You-Are Breakfasts.
Now 105 years old. our programs still reilect the
changes taking place in our time. The members
continue to give interesting and educational programs.
Each year now. a tour is planned to some famous or
historical spot in Iowa. The club contributes to the
projects of state and national federation. as well as
cooperating in local projects.
Officers of the Fortnightly in 1987 are: Pauline
Gardner. president. Relda Streets. vice-president;
Margaret Randolph. secretary. Lois Wild, treasurer.
Other members are: Carol Boyer. Marie Brown. Laurie
Conrad. Margret Downing. Frances Embree. Frances
Fairbanks. Ethel Hartman. Evelyn Livingstone.
Dorothy McLaughlin. Rita McLaughlin. Veryle Purcell.
Josephine Rees. Ethel Stanaway. Jackie Strother.
Elizabeth Thompson. Ann Wahl. Becky Weimer and
Wilma Westphal. Our three honorary members are
Stella Crain. Lelas Heefner and Lulu Robertson.
We who are members. hope that the future will bring
as much pleasure and benefit as we have had and that
the life of the club may go on indefinitely.
Ladies’ Izaak Walton League
Wapsiketa First in Iowa
Wapsiketa Chapter. Izaak Walton League of America.
was chartered at Anamosa October 14. 1946. This was
the first Ladies‘ chapter in Iowa. The first officers were
Mrs. Lance C. Candee. president: Mrs. A. Ray
Fairbanks. vice president; Mrs. William Fisher,
secretary: Mrs. W. Howard Chipman. treasurer. Mrs.
John Koppenhaver named the chapter. using the
names of the Wapsipinicon and Maquoketa rivers.
This is a national conservation organization and the
largest conservation group in Iowa. The motto is
“striving to protect and improve the purity of water. the
Submitted by Florence Williams
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clarity of air and the wise stewardship of the land and
its resources; to know the beauty and understanding of
nature and value of wildlife. woodlands and open
spaces for the preservation of this heritage and to man's
sharing in it".
The accomplished projects include: planting two
trees south of the Jones County Courthouse: donating
the pole and flag to the Jones County Central Park;
donating money for the over-under bridge at the
aforementioned park; donating money to provide food