Women of Fairhaven records, 1948-1988

Overview of the Collection

Creator
Women of Fairhaven
Title
Women of Fairhaven records
Dates
1948-1988 (inclusive)
Quantity
3 linear ft.
Collection Number
XOE_CPNWS0131womenfairhaven (collection)
Summary
The Women of Fairhaven records document the activities and interests of this women's social and charitable organization based in Fairhaven in Whatcom County, Washington.
Repository
Western Washington University, Center for Pacific Northwest Studies
Goltz-Murray Archives Building
808 25th St.
Bellingham, WA
98225
Telephone: (360) 650-7534
cpnws@wwu.edu
Access Restrictions

The collection is open to the public.

Languages
English.
Sponsor
Funding for preparing this finding aid was provided through a grant awarded by the Washington State Legislature to the Washington Women's History Consortium. Funding for encoding the finding aid was awarded by the National Endowment for the Humanities.

Historical NoteReturn to Top

The Women of Fairhaven was a charitable and social organization based in Fairhaven, Washington. The club was founded in 1948 to support the Fairhaven Boys' and Girls' Club. The Women of Fairhaven assisted in the construction of the Fairhaven Boys' and Girls' Club annual parade floats, supported their weekly dances, organized picnics, and donated goods for their club house.

The club also sought to involve itself other ways in the community. They raised money on behalf of the Mt. Baker Kidney Center, Skagit Preschool Association for the Rehabilitation of Children (SPARC), Bellingham Visiting Nurses Association, and provided financial support to community members in need. The club ceased meeting in the late 1980s.

Content DescriptionReturn to Top

The Women of Fairhaven records span the dates 1948-1988, and comprise administrative and financial records, correspondence, records regarding club Activities, and documents relating to the Fairhaven Hotel. The records document the club’s charitable activities and social gatherings. It also documents the social activities of the Fairhaven Boys' and Girls' Club. These records provide a vibrant glimpse of Bellingham’s youth activities during the late 1940s and community life from the late 1940s to the mid 1970s.

Administrative and financial records span the period 1948-1988, and contain two minutes notebooks (1948-1951, 1960-1963). The minutes notebooks record the organization’s first meeting and bylaws, as well as notes from later gatherings. The financial documents (1955-1988) including receipts, checks, and an insurance policy. These financial records cover the fundraising efforts of the Women of Fairhaven.

Correspondence spans 1949-1986 and consists almost exclusively of thank-you notes documenting the charitable activities of the club.

Club activities records reflect the organization’s charitable work, fundraising events, and other gatherings and events from 1948-1975. This series includes photographs, newsletters, and newspaper clippings. Also included in the club activity records are scrapbooks (1948-1975) documenting the charitable and social activities, as well as other events of the Fairhaven Boys' and Girls' Club. The scrapbooks also include articles detailing the fiery destruction of the Fairhaven Hotel on July 19, 1953, then the meeting place of the Fairhaven Boy’s and Girl’s Club. It also documents the fire’s effects on the community including the efforts of the Women of Fairhaven to find a new location for the Fairhaven Boys' and Girls' Club.

The collection also contains materials pertaining to the history of the Fairhaven Hotel. These comprise duplicates of Fairhaven Hotel restaurant menus, and letters from Mary Larrabee Bourque, responding to questions posed by E. Rosamond Ellis, a local historian and club member, about the construction of the hotel and what life was like growing up in the old Fairhaven Hotel.

Use of the CollectionReturn to Top

Preferred Citation

Women of Fairhaven records, Center for Pacific Northwest Studies, Western Libraries Archives & Special Collections, Western Washington University, Bellingham WA 98225-9123.

Administrative InformationReturn to Top

Arrangement

The Women of Fairhaven records are organized in accordance with the following series arrangement:

  • Series I: Administrative and Financial Records, 1948-1988
  • Series II: Correspondence, 1949-1986
  • Series III: Club Activities, 1948-1975
  • Series IV: Fairhaven Hotel Documents, 1988, undated

Custodial History

The provenance of these records is unknown.

Processing Note

Sean Krier processed the records for the Center for Pacific Northwest Studies in 2006.

Processing Note

About Harmful Language and Content

To learn more about problematic content in our collections, collection description and teaching tools (including how to provide feedback or request dialogue on this topic), see the following Statement About Potentially Harmful Language and Content

Detailed Description of the CollectionReturn to Top

The following section contains a detailed listing of the materials in the collection.

Series I :  Administrative and Financial Records, 1948-1988 Return to Top

Container(s) Description Dates
Box/Folder
1/1
Washington State Federation of Democratic Women's Clubs directory and manual
1963
1/2
Minutes
1948-1951, ; 1960-1963
1/3
Receipts, Checks, and Insurance
1955-1988

Series II:  Correspondence , 1949-1986 Return to Top

Container(s) Description Dates
Box/Folder
1/4
Correspondence
1949-1972
1/5
Correspondence
1973-1974
1/6
Correspondence
1975-1986
1/7
Correspondence
undated

Series III :  Club Activities, 1948-1975Return to Top

Container(s) Description Dates
Box/Folder
1/8
Charitable and Fundraising Activities
1969-1975
1/9
Photographs
circa 1960-1970
oversize-box
1/1
Scrapbook
1948-1952
1/2
Scrapbook
1952-1953
1/3
Scrapbook
1952-1955
1/4
Scrapbook
1955-1973

Series IV:  Fairhaven Hotel Documents, 1988, , undatedReturn to Top

This series contains records collected by E. Rosamond Ellis, a local historian and club member, documenting the history of the Fairhaven Hotel

Container(s) Description Dates
Box/Folder
1/10
Fairhaven Hotel Restaurant Menus (duplicates)
1891, ; 1893
1/11
Letters from Mary Larrabee Bourque, daughter of Charles Larrabee, describing life in the hotel
1988

Names and SubjectsReturn to Top

Subject Terms

  • Boys & girls clubs of America --Washington (State) -- Bellingham -- History -- Sources.
  • Community centers --Washington (State) -- Bellingham -- History -- Sources.
  • Community life --Washington (State) -- Bellingham -- History -- Sources.
  • Scrapbooks --Washington (State) -- Bellingham -- History -- Sources.
  • Women -- Societies and clubs -- Washington (State) -- Bellingham -- History -- Sources.
  • Women in charitable work -- Washington (State) -- Bellingham -- History -- Sources.
  • Women in community organization --Washington (State) -- Bellingham -- History -- Sources.

Corporate Names

  • Women of Fairhaven.
  • Fairhaven Boys' and Girls' Club. (creator)
  • Fairhaven Hotel (Bellingham, Wash.) -- History -- Sources.

Geographical Names

  • Bellingham, Wash. -- History -- Sources.
  • Fairhaven (Bellingham, Wash.) -- Buildings, structures, etc. -- History -- Sources.