AgdaPkt 2020-11-09 Joint SA PFA - Laserfiche WebLink

Browse Search

8.C. - Page 18 of 54 William Kostura, Historic Resource Evaluation of the Redwood City Woman Club mill, a cement contractor, and the owner of a cigar and tobacco shop. One man's occupation was "pasturelands," which may mean that he rented his land out to owners of cattle. Mary Beeger and Gertrude Beeger were part of the family that owned the Beeger Tanning Company, long one of the largest businesses in Redwood City. Four husbands had blue collar occupations; they included a driver for the Wells Fargo Express Co., a painter, a wood carver, and a lumberman. Five women had their own incomes. For the record, these were May Durham and Mrs. Geary, both stenographers; Katherine Wolfenden and Mrs. Fayette H. Thorpe, both school teachers; and Rose Swift, a dressmaker. The membership was weighted toward wives of fairly well-to-do husbands — as far as is known, no wives of laborers at the Beeger tannery joined — but there was nevertheless quite a range of incomes represented at the Redwood City Women's clubs. The city directories of 1909 and 1912 list the addresses where these members lived, and in this there was also a wide variety. Many lived in the older downtown area, east of El Camino Real and the Southern Pacific railroad tracks; while many others lived in the new, more prestigious suburban tracts west of El Camino Real, such as Wellesley Park (aka Edgewood Park) and Dingee Park (where the clubhouse is located). Membership was large enough that a certain degree of organization was required. In 1910-1911 the club had six officers — a president, first and second vice-presidents, a recording secretary, a corresponding secretary, and a treasurer. The executive board consisted of these six officers plus five more women. In addition to the officers and board, there were standing committees for programs, courtesy, hospitality, decoration, the clubhouse, membership, auditing, and the press. Finally, there were two "sections" for programming, one for dramatic and one for history and landmarks. There was some, and probably a great deal, of overlapping of the above committees. For instance, the club president and board member, Mrs. C. E. Cumberson, was also the head of the special committee to get a clubhouse built. The club continued to grow, thanks no doubt to having its own clubhouse. By mid -1912 it had grown to 120, up from 86 the year before. Dingee Park and the donation of a clubhouse lot On October 10th, 1909, the San Francisco banker William H. Crocker donated the subject lot -- lot #10 in block #10 of the Dingee Park subdivision -- to the Redwood City Woman's Club. He acted through the real estate firm of Baldwin and Howell, which handled all of Crocker's Dingee Park transactions. At the time, Dingee Park was almost two years into its history as a residential subdivision. 11 542