The Redwood gazette. [volume] (Redwood Falls, Minn.) 1873-1940, 1922-05-17
Second District
Wants Gavel
WOMEN'S CLUBS RIVAL FOR
EMBLEM OF BIGGEST FED
GRAFTON MEMBERSHIP.

The Women's Clubs of the Second
congressional district are after the
prize gavel of the Minnesota Fedora
tion of Women's Clubs, according to
Mrs. Will Curtis, Of ST. James, pre-
sident of the Second District clubs.
This prize gavel is especially de-
signed and composed of historic wood
and was presented by the chairman
of the Art Committee to the Mime
sofa Federation of Women's Clubs,
Feb. IL, 1916. It is to be given in
rotation, to that district which has
the largest increase of clubs each
year. The gavel represents author
ity, power to serve, secure order and
justice.
To date, the Seventh district leads
the race with seven new clubs feder-
ated, the fourth, fifth and sixth dis
tricts have five clubs each. The Sec
ond district has three clubs federat-
ed, with fourth, the Girls Commun-
ity Club of st. James, to join the Fed
Grafton soon. Mrs. Curtis says there
will be several more organized in this
district with the next few weeks.
This prize gavel and the box to
it are made of wood of historic inter-
est. There are four pieces of oak,
and one each of cedar, pine and wal
nut. The cedar is an emblem of
strength, the walnut of intellect, the
pine of perpetuity and the oak of
hospitality and majesty, and these
qualities are very symbolic of this or
ganization and it's members. A
Every district was asked to help
secure this wood, which is wholly the
product of Minnesota. 1t is from the
following sources:
1. Oak. (a) One piece is from the
home of Mrs. M. j. Evans Hunting
ton, the first president of the Min
(1895-1899) at Mortified, where she
was Dean of Women at Carleton Col
lege for forty years.
(b) One piece is from the old
Mission House erected at Red Rock
on the Mississippi River in 1887. This
building of hewn oak logs was built
for the Indian Mission Of the Meth
odist Church, at Little Crows village.
The piece from the oak plank was Sc
cured through the courtesy of George
H. Hazard, president of the Territor-
ial Pioneers.
(c) Some oak in the box and
gavel, are bits from the Minneapolis
Central High School, obtained during
some alterations. This building was
the first High School erected on the
west side of the Mississippi River af-
ter ST. Anthony and Minneapolis un-
tied in one school district and replac-
ed the Union Building burned in 1864.
(d) The handle of the gavel is
also of oak, from the library wood
work of the Art chairman who col
lected all the material.
2. The band of color through the
head of the gavel is cedar from the
historical old Sibley House, built in
1885, at Mendoza, on the Minnesota
River. AS the home of Henry H.
Sibley, Territorial and first state gov
ernor, the first Supreme Court of this
state was held in this house., By
changes on Territorial boundaries
this house was once in the state of
Michigan, Wisconsin, Iowa, one of the
and the state of Minnesota.
g.. The dark walnut on top of the
box is a part of ruler used in one
of the early schools Of the state.
4. The pine which forms the bot
tom of the box is from our northern
forest, for whose preservation, Mrs.
L. P. Williams and this federation
worked so, ,ardently and successfully.
This wood was secured from build
ings whose purposes were education
al, religious and judicial.
Both gavel and box were designed
by H. L. Gilmore, a graduate of Cen
trail High School, Minneapolis, and
later Of Boston Lloyd School and who
is now head of the cabinet depart
ment of the Dunwoody Industrial In
The box and gravel was done.
Coins for the silver plates were
given by all Of the former state presi-
lents living: Mrs. M. j. Huntington,
Mrs. P. j. Schwarg, Mrs. j. L. Wash
burn, Mrs. E. H. Loyhed, Mrs. C. L.
Atwood and Mrs. w. T. Coe, as we'll
as three who have passed away, Mrs.
1. P. Williams, Mrs. E. M. LaPeno-
;iere and Mrs. C. G. Higbee. These
.oins bore the dates, as far as possi-
Die, of the administration of each
president. Mrs. C. W. Wells contrib
1ted some coins which were gathered
IN foreign tours. There is an Eng
ish and Holland coin. The marking
IS in old English on a frosted silver
ground, and on both box and gavel
S Minnesota Federation of Women's
Clubs, 1916"
This unique gavel was presented
% the Minnesota Federation at Ano-
ka, September 21, 1916 by Mrs. Cy-
rus w. Wells and received for the
state by the president, Mrs. w. I.
Coe. Mrs. Wells is cousin of Mrs.
Will Curtis.
Change in Service