Archive Record
Metadata
Catalog Number |
ORG 1100.19 |
Title |
Winchester Organizations |
Collection |
Organizations |
Object Name |
Records |
Scope & Content |
This is an artificial collection that contains papers relating to different organizations throughout Winchester's history. The organizations represented in the collection include the Calumet Club, the Boy and Girl Scouts of America, the William Parkman Lodge, the Winchester Country Club, and the Winchester Village Improvement Association, among others. The collection contains correspondence, by-laws, membership lists, and other materials relating to the structure of the organizations. The collection also includes photographs and programs of different events hosted by the various clubs. It is an open collection and new items may be added. Some of the organizations have their own finding aids. See the Container List for details. |
Admin/Biographical History |
The Adelphian Club was a literary society open to forty men and women. Its purpose was to promote a more friendly and intimate acquaintance among its members and to provide a means of their social entertainment and culture. The first officers were: president Alfred C. Vinton, secretary Etta C. Wheeler and treasurer Herbert Dwinell. Meetings were held in Rangeley Hall on the property of David Nelson Skillings. A splinter group was called the Back Log Club referring to where they met - another name for Rangeley Hall. The archived volume contains their constitution and by-laws and the signatures of the original members in their own hand. The Calumet Club, a gentlemen's club, was organized in 1886 from the Young Men's Association. It had a clubhouse on Dix Street overlooking Wedge Pond, later used as a medical building and since demolished. It had rooms for bowling and billiards, parties and dances. The Winchester lodge of the Elks No. 1445, was established on May 10, 1922 The local branch of the Florence Crittenton League, was organized in 1919 and disbanded on April 27, 1982. The Good Will Club, and auxiliary of the Unitarian Society, was organized on March 17, 1871. The Jeffersonian Legislature of Winchester records cover its inception in 1874 until 29 March 1875. The Independent Order of Odd Fellows, Waterfield Lodge, No. 231, was organized on Nov. 4, 1894. Phi Delta was a high school fraternity founded in 1902. It ended between 1920 and 1928. A troop of Boy Scouts was established in 1914. The Girl Scouts were organized locally on May 5, 1917. The South Woburn Social Lyceum began in 1846. Lodge No. 1580 of the Order of the Sons of Italy was organized in 1930. The Daughters of Italy followed in 1932. Winchester had several temperance groups, including Sons of Temperance, Rising Star Div. org. Woburn 1847, Winchester #52 1858, Winchester Div. No. 110, 1874; Good Templars, new as of Feb. 1867, for age 14 and over; International Order of Good Templars, Wedgemere Lodge, (men's club) org. about 1896 and still active at least through 1951; Town Temperance Society org. 1851; Winchester Catholic Total Abstinence Society, c. 1888; Winchester Reform Club, org. 1876; and Women's Christian Temperance Union, org. May 23, 1876 for which there is a separate finding aid ORG_1943.01_WCTU. The Wedgemere Tennis Club, named after its location on Wedge Pond, was formed in 1886 and lasted at least eight years. It had two cinder and four grass courts, a club house, and grounds. Membership was open to both men and women. Club members not only played one another but also others towns in the Middlesex County League, which held occasional tournaments in Winchester. The club struggled with funding and, during the winters, put on shows to help raise money. Though the shows were reportedly very popular--in fact they inspired the canoe club also to put on fund-raising shows--in 1893 a snowstorm brought disaster when it fell on the night of the club's most expensive production. The William Parkman Lodge was founded in January 1864 and their meetings were held in the Lyceum Building. It is named after William Parkman, of Boston, who was presiding Grand Master at the time. On May 26, 1914 they celebrated their 25th anniversary and that week's issue of the Winchester Star featured the event and many of its members. The Winchester Country Club was a successor to the Golf Club formed in 1897 and after five years incorporated as the Winchester Country Club. In 1902 the club purchased the Stephen Swan estate on Cambridge Street at the Arlington-Winchester line. They used the Swan house as a clubhouse and laid out a course of nine holes, later developed into an 18-hole course, and tennis courts. The club is still thriving. The Winchester Homefronters was begun in 1951 to support service men and women. The Women's Republican Club was organized in 1922. The YMCA, established locally in 1890, was located in the White Block on Mt. Vernon Street for many years. |
Copyrights |
Permission to publish material from this collection is subject to approval by the Town of Winchester. |
Finding Aids |
A finding aid with detailed information about the contents of the collection is available. Contact the Archives for a copy. |
Subjects |
Clubs Clubwomen Curling Organizations Organizations' facilities Temperance |
Search Terms |
Adelphian Society Boy Scouts of America Calumet Club Columbus Day Florence Crittendon League Girl Scouts of America Good Will Club Lyceum Building Middlesex Fells Mystic Glee Club Phi Delta Rotary Club Social Lyceum Records Sons of Italy Winchester Garden Club Wedgemere Tennis Club William Parkman Lodge Winchester Country Club Winchester Homefronters Winchester Mutual Benefit Association Winchester Star Winchester Village Improvement Association Women's Republic Club of Winchester Winchester Community Council for Social Action |
People |
Mobbs, S.W. Parkman, William Scholl, Fred Simonds, Henry |
Containers |
Adelphian Society Calumet Club Florence Crittendon League Good Will Club Scouts Social Lyceum Records Sons of Italy & Feast of Assumption Temperance Groups Wedgemere Tennis Club of Winchester Winchester Country Club Winchester Homefronters Winchester Mutal Benefit Association Winchester Tennis Club Winchester Villiage Improvement Association Winchester Clubs - Misc. Jeffersonian Legislature Records Catholic Daughters of America & Order of Foresters Elks Independent Order of Odd Fellows, Waterfield Lodge Winchester Municipal Association Women's Republican Club of Winchester YMCA Masonic Lodges Mystic Valley Mental Health Association, Inc. Phi Delta |