The Kearney Woman's Club played a key role in the early development of Kearney. It started with the organization of the Clio Club in the early part of 1887 with a few women attending at the home of Nora Jones. A study was made of the achievements of Equal Rights for Women in public affairs. It was the time of the Women's Rights Period.
It was during this time that Elizabeth Saxon, vice-president of the National Women's Suffrage Association, was touring Nebraska advocating that cause. She came to Kearney on June 15, 1888 and gave an effective talk at the Presbyterian Church on Equality of Women before the Law. As a result of this visit the Nineteenth Century Club was formed in 1888. The prime object of the club was the study of women's work with municipal suffrage, as well as culture and education. The first president was Rebecca Hamer, the wife of District Judge Francis G. Hamer. There were ten charter members: Mesdames M. P. Holmes, Nora Jones, Etta Holmes, Eva Robertson, Fannie Gilcrest, C. P. Raymond, Mary Barnd, Nettie Tout, Amelia Pratt and Rebecca Hamer. The name of the club was suggested from a quotation by Victor Hugo: "The 19th century is preeminently the Women's Age." A motto was chosen: Inter-dependence, Not Independence, which absolved the members from a militant policy.
For twelve years the club membership was limited to fifty, but soon after 1900 this restriction was removed and it became a departmental club. As time advanced the club grew away from the study of suffrage and held more closely to the general work of Woman's Clubs. In 1899 the Nineteenth Century Club joined the Nebraska State Federation of Woman's Clubs. The yearbook of 1898-1899 states that fifteen minutes of each meeting will be devoted to current events; also, that general conversation will close each meeting.
The fourth anniversary of the club was celebrated with a banquet at the Midway Hotel. A speaker mentioned the little girl who lavished affection upon what she called her dear first dolly, despite mishaps that necessitated a new head and afterward a new body. The Woman's Club is like that - although from time to time a new head and a new body is received, the organization will always be our beloved Nineteenth Century Club. The Roman numerals XIX are engraved in the silverware of the club.
At a fall meeting in 1903, when Mrs. Helen Dryden was president, in the midst of her annual address the screeching of city whistles announcing that Kearney had been selected as the site for the new State Normal School gave the club an unexpected intermission. A shower of handkerchiefs, umbrellas, etc. gave evidence of the existing enthusiasm.
In 1906 at the 25th anniversary meeting, Mrs. Margaret Hostetler spoke on the benefit the club had been to the public: the permanent fund given to the Chautauqua Association, the scholarship fund, and funds for the Boys' Club movement. In 1911 the club joined the General Federation of Woman's Clubs located in Washington, D.C., maintaining, however, the name of the Nineteenth Century Club. Mrs. K. O. Holmes served on a committee that helped bring about the passage of child labor law in Nebraska. The first baby clinic in Kearney was held in 1915, sponsored by the Nineteenth Century Club. Dr. Ireland of Kearney State Normal School was in charge. During World War I the club planted a tree on the old high school grounds for each Kearney boy who was killed in the war, and on each Memorial Day a flag was placed by each tree. In the early days of the club, the women planted trees at Third Ward (now Harmon) Park and carried water to them. They also helped with Chautauqua when it was held at the park. For many years the Garden Department maintained a rose garden at the Kearney Cemetery. When the cemetery ran out of space, this garden was transferred to the club home. In more recent years club members have planted trees at Centennial Park, and roses and trees at Harvey Park.
In 1921 the name of the club was changed to Kearney Woman's Club. There were at that time six departments: Household Economics, Art and Literature, History, Civics, Garden and Child Study. In previous years there had also been a Music Department. At a meeting in 1921 a report was made on the county poor farm where pasture land was rented at $5.00 an acre, and cultivated land for one-third of the crop. The county poor were cared for at the WCTU Hospital at $6.00 per week for nursing care. The Woman's Club made donations of bedding and food.
The Tuberculosis Christmas Seal campaign was conducted for many years by the Kearney Woman's Club. One-half of the proceeds was used for public health work in Kearney, and the other half sent to the State Association to finance the campaign to eradicate tuberculosis. The proceeds left in Kearney were used for teeth, throat and eye troubles of those children whose parents were unable to pay the costs involved. Many needy children benefited from this project.
During the depression of the 1930's, the club bought clothing and shoes for needy children. They assisted in many college and high school projects and worked with the public library. Other projects of the club history include the installation of drinking fountains in downtown Kearney, and a protest to the Chamber of Commerce against unnecessary whistling of trains at city crossings.
For many years the club met in the home of members, but as the membership grew meetings were held in the large room on the top floor of the Kearney Opera House, or at the Midway or Fort Kearney Hotels.
At a June breakfast held at the Fort Kearney Hotel one year, Willa Cather was a guest. She had come to see her little niece perform a dance number on the program. She said: "I hope you are really enjoying life and that you take time to enjoy and do the things you like. It takes courage to be simple and sincere. Real happiness is found in liking people with whom you have a common bond of interest in the affairs of your own locality."
On November 25, 1930 at a Woman's Club meeting in the Fort Kearney Hotel, Mrs. Beulah Wirsig, president, announced that the long-dreamed-of club home was about to be realized if the club accepted the memorial gift of Mrs. Maren Downing Morrison of LaPorte, Indiana, as a memorial to her father and mother, Mr. and Mrs. Wallace A. Downing. The offer was accepted, and the home was named The Downing Memorial Club Home.
Wallace Downing had come to Kearney in the 1870's from Mauston, Wisconsin, with his wife, Susanna Clark Downing, and daughter Maren. Another daughter Georgiana was born in Kearney but died during a diphtheria epidemic in Kearney. Mrs. Downing used to tell how the Indians would stop by her home and try to buy the little girl, but the Indians were peaceable and never caused any trouble.
In 1882 Mr. Downing completed a 2-story brick building at 2106-08 Central Avenue where he had a leather goods store and made harness and saddles. He was also an officer and director of the Kearney National Bank. Mr. Downing was always active in community affairs, particularly in establishing and maintaining the public schools. He served several years as Third Ward Councilman.
The Downing
Memorial Club home was built at 723 West 22nd Street in 1886 and was
the
home of the Downing family until the late 1920's. The architecture is
Queen
Anne Villa. There is a large curving front porch which frames a bay
window.
The windows on the first floor contain borders and designs of stained
glass.
The front door is elaborately carved with a round red glass window. The
hardware has birds and flowers stamped into the locks, and thistles and
leaves on the heavy brass doorknobs. The front room features a
fireplace
with a carved mantelpiece. There is a sliding window built into a
mahogany
sideboard which served as a serving window between the dining room and
kitchen, called a butler's serving window.
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It was necessary to do a great amount of remodeling to make it a club home. Each department in the club had a special part in the remodeling project. At this time it was also decided to file articles of incorporation as a non-profit corporation. Members of the first board of directors were Mesdames L. D. Martin, J. S. Elliott, Ray Turner, A. H. Berbig, B. O. Hostetler, J. N. Dryden, C. D. Bessie and L. W. Tolbert. An open house was held in April, 1931, with the cooperation of the merchants in the city, who provided the furnishings for the home for Better Homes Week. Over 600 people visited the home during that open house week.
The Kearney Woman's Club was the prime mover in getting a school nurse for the public schools. In more recent years the club sponsored the Practical Nursing School and served refreshments each year at the receptions for both the capping and the graduation exercises. Music scholarships have been awarded to high school students, and sewing contests have been conducted. Craft fairs have been held, which included participants from Kearney rest homes. Every year each member gives a Christmas gift to a patient at the Hastings Regional Center.
The Nebraska State Historical Society recently chose the Kearney Woman's Club home to be depicted in needlepoint on a dining room chair seat at the Governor's Mansion at Lincoln.
Today the Kearney Woman's Club is celebrating the centennial of their home. The club has served Kearney well for 98 years. Membership is open to all women in Kearney, and all club meetings are held at the club home. Mrs. Carol Cope is the current president.
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