Ladies' Literary Club

It is remarkable that a women’s club that began meeting in the nineteenth century continues to thrive in the twenty-first. The lives of American women have changed dramatically since 1878. Today many have careers that make it impossible for them to attend a Wednesday meeting at 1:30 in the afternoon. But the club has adapted. Ypsilanti women retire and are immediately recruited. Younger members manage to juggle some combination of children, jobs, and club work. Many longtime members, busy and active in their seventies and eighties, remain essential to the club. They are its lifeblood and institutional memory and every year they wisely and warmly welcome new members. Club membership, despite attrition from deaths and resignations, is stable at about 130. 1936 4th of July CelebrationWithout a doubt, a key reason for the club’s longevity can be traced back to 1913, when members made the brave, astute, and prescient decision to purchase their wonderful 1840s Greek Revival clubhouse. During the 103 years that the ladies have been meeting at 218 North Washington Street, the upkeep of the house has been an important goal for them to coalesce around. The ladies take great pride in superbly maintaining their home in Ypsilanti’s historic district for their own use and the use of the community. Remembrance of things past—continuity of club traditions and awareness of the splendid women from long ago whose names grace faded club yearbooks—also explains the club’s resilience. Every year the club’s calendar of fourteen meetings includes an irresistible Christmas Bazaar in November; a musical Christmas program in December; a Social Service Day in January, during which a community sewing project is completed; a Drama Day in March; a Gala Day Fashion Show and Luncheon in April; and in May, the Annual Meeting that marks the end of the club year. Carried off always by bustling committees with verve and enthusiasm, these events never grow stale. The club’s most important missions are connected to several of these annual rituals, raising money to maintain the house and giving back to the community through charitable donations and scholarships.