The Palatka news and advertiser. [volume] (Palatka, Fla.) 1908-19??, 1910-06-24
Crescent City News
OUR W0MAN'S CLUB.
How the Crescent City v. l. A.
Impressed Massachusetts
Club Woman.


The Daily Evening Item of Lynn,
Mass, of recent date, contained the fol
lowing interesting article concerning
the work of our Crescent City Woman's
Club, better known as the V. |. A. The
article is from the facial pen of Mrs.
Alice M. Granger, of Randolph, Mass,
who spent portion of the winter here,
the guest of her brother, Rev. Z. P.
Butler, lady for whom our people will
always entertain the most pleasing recol
lections. Mrs. Granger is former
president of the Ladies' Library Associa
ton of Randolph, and past regent Of
the Society of the Daughters of the
Revolution for the Commonwealth oil
Massachusetts,. Her article is as follows
Among the progressive clubs of the
Florida State federation is the Village
Improvement Association of Crescent
City. This club believes itself to have
been the second organized in the State
and the first to build clubhouse. The
date of organization is 1888. The club
house was built in 1890.
Crescent City, lying about 20 miles
south of Jacksonville, between Lakes
Crescent and Stella, is acknowledged to
be one of the prettiest of the small in
land towns of Florida. One may leave
the train at Crescent City Junction and
reach the town by drive of one and a
half miles over hard she'll roads bor-
dered by orange groves, palmettos and
broad-Spreading live oaks, from whose
branches hangs the soft gray Florida
moss, or in small naptha boat, may
follow the windlings of Lake Stella, its
banks Jungle of palm, water oak and
cypress, the home of the sleeping ALI
gator. Either approach gives promise
which the city amply fulfills.
twenty-five years ago, in 1888, the
women of Crescent City determined TO
build board walk-for the Florida sand
is fine and deep and preliminary meet
ing was called for this purpose.
There was much opposition to this
plan from the male portion of the COM
munity, who considered that, although
smoother paths for their feet might re-
suit; the plan could become complete
success only as originated and carried
out by the masculine mind. The wo-
men, however, were neither diScour-
aged nor frightened. The preliminary
meeting resulted in a permanent organi-
cation which was christened, as most
Florida societies of this kind were, the
Village Improvement Association, or the
V. ]. A.
Mrs. D. w. Burton, who, with her
husband, had formerly been mission.
airy in Africa, was elected its first preSi-
dent. The club was soon after incor
porated and the board walk was built.
The women having thus, as il were,
gained foothold, determined TO take
other steps toward village improvement.
Fairs and sales were held and from the
proceeds seats were placed under the
spreading oaks. Shell walks and cross
ings were buik, trees were trimmed and
the village cemetery was made an OBJ
ject of especial care.
Two years later there came to the
work so we'll begun, its first outside en-
couragement.
There was in the city small building
about 40 feet square which was used as a
public library. This building with $50
in money the owners offered to the V.
|. A. on the condition that it should be
moved and SO far as possible the library
should be maintained. The offer was
accepted, a lot centrally located was pur-
chased for $500 and at an expense Of
about $500 the building was moved and
| fitted up as a clubhouse. Two wings
have since been added and the back ex-
tended TO form stage; broad piazza
extends across the front and meets the
wings on either side. The building,
containing an audience room, a stage,
two anterooms and kitchen, is, with
its we'll kept grounds, now valued al
$4,000.
During the following years, when the
club, in addition TO its work of village
Improvement, was struggling to pay the
indebtedness incurred by the building OF
the clubhouse, the help and encourage.
ment of Mrs. Seeley, whose husband,
DR.. Seeley, was brother of Clarke and
Julius Seeley, former presidents of Smith
and Amherst colleges, is gratefully re.
called. A visit from Mrs. Dimitive T.
Dennison during Mrs. DenniSon'S presi
dency of the General Federation is also
a pleasant remembrance.
AS women'S clubs increased and be-
came recognized factor in the better
ment of the State, need of closer in
dividual contact and consequent in
creased usefulness was felt and in Feb
ruary, 1895, meeting was called by the
Village Improvement Association Of
Green Cove Springs, which has since
been known as the Mother Club of the
Federation. Five clubs responded tC
this invitation, among them the Village
Improvement Association of Crescent
City, and at this meeting the Florida
Federation of Women's clubs was
formed. The federation now comprises
Is clubs and has a membership of 1881
il was admitted to the General Fedora
lion in 1898.
Mrs. P. A. Borden Hamilton was its
irst president and Mrs. Emma S. lib
,ets of Lynn, Mass, member of the
Village Improvement Association Of
Crescent City, was its first vice president
In the absence of the president elect
Mrs. TibbetS presided at the meeting fol
organization.
The Village Improvement Association
of Crescent City has done much along
local educational lines. Largely through
its influence a graded school has beer
established. AT time when school
room was insufficient the Village I'm
provement Association hired and fur
nished an additional room and paid {
pari of the teachers salary. The clut
mas also aided in building the fine She
roads of the city. 1t maintains circu
lating library, from which books are
loaned at five cents week, and from
lis beginning the city cemetery has beer
its especial care. An organized depart!
ment of civicS has been recently added
Mrs K. BorSon, wife of the city''
mayor, is president of the club. Mrs
BorSon is also auditor of the state fedora
lion. The club now numbers 20 mem
bers. lis membership has never beer
large.