Official Newspaper of Eddy County since 1883

Archival Anecdotes: An era of change

March is a month of change. There's even that old saying, "In like a lion and out like lamb," that somehow provides comfort in uncertainty.

The Calendar of Cheer has an interesting passage for us this month that reads, "A place in the ranks awaits you, Each man [and woman] has some part to play. The past and future are nothing in the face of the stern today."

The calendar left these words uncredited, but thanks to the internet in 2023, I was able to uncover the origin of the poem.

"Now" was written by Adelaide Anne Procter, who lived during the mid-19th century in England. While she suffered from poor health, she found poetry to be her vehicle for change, often drawing attention to issues such as homelessness and women's roles in the workforce. Procter was also reported to be Queen Victoria's favorite poet.

Pulling artifacts together to tell a story is one of my favorite things about working at the Eddy County Museum. It's a bit like storytelling and a bit like poetry.

It becomes really exciting when the pieces start coming together on their own. Every March, since 1987, has been recognized as National Women's History Month. This year's theme is "The Women Who Tell Our Stories," – which aligns remarkably well to the theme we've developed in this feature for the past couple of months.

If you take a few minutes to browse through the Eddy County Museum website, you'll notice the influence women had in donating artifacts and developing the collections. This is due to the large part women's clubs played, specifically the Minerva Club and the Pioneer Daughters.

Women's clubs established the idea that women had a moral duty and responsibility to transform, define and shape public policy. Across the country, during the late 1800s and early 1900s, women's organizations often focused on voting rights, economic opportunities and political equality, and in time made progress. On August 18, 1920 the 19th amendment granted women the right to vote.

Women's clubs continued to have an important role, including giving women a place to use their skills, intellect and creativity to enhance their communities. Education was highly valued, as well as literature, history, law, music and sciences.

The most well-known women's club in Eddy County is the Minerva Club, which was founded on September 24, 1907, and it soon became the driving force behind a public library. According to the 1983 community publication "A Century of Sowers," the first city library "was housed in a room under the Farmers and Merchants Bank."

The Minerva Club paved the way for other clubs to emerge, further nurturing women's roles in the community. Throughout this month, I will be preparing Archival Anecdotes to explore some of the local clubs that improved life in Eddy County.

 
 
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