The scrapbooks are especially significant as they contain many photographs of the early cotton mill industry which was once a vital part of Charlotte's economy. Tompkins owned the Charlotte Observer for more than twenty years. He died in 1914 and is credited with building much of the New South. Now more than 100 years old, the records of this club provide an excellent portrait of women in Charlotte. It transcends a time when great social changes eventually led to the right to vote for women.
Minutes of meetings reveal concerns beyond tea and needlepoint.
Often neglected in history, these materials reveal a vital and active group of women. The club is still active in Charlotte. From the 1920s to the 1940s, Charlotte was one of the locations where major record companies would seek out local talent. Today, many artists from across the country continue to record in some of Charlotte's studios. The Charlotte Music Archives has one of the largest collections of local alternative music in North Carolina.