On March 3, 1891, 14 Aberdeen women — Mrs. Arnold, Mrs. Campbell, Mrs. Ira Crowther, Mrs. C.F. Drake, Mrs. Fetterman, Mrs. J.B. Haynes, Mrs. Hennessey, Mrs. Hine, Mrs. James Hood, Mrs. Penoyer, Mrs. Ella Perry, Mrs. Phelps, Mrs. Stevens and Mrs. C.T. Wooding — met at the Wooding home and formed a club “for the purpose of reading and discussing good books.” Today the Review Club stands as the oldest women’s cultural club in Washington State.

For 130 years, the group, originally christened “The Reviewers” and later changed to “The Review Club,” has met on alternating Tuesdays, hosted at a member’s home where that week’s designated reader recites passages from a chosen classic or popular book of the day, followed by refreshments and discussion. Mrs. Crowther was the first reviewer, reading from the now-obscure “Noll’s Journey” by Miss Dona Henry.

With a population of 2,500, Aberdeen in 1891 was still a raw clearing with thick forests looming from Broadway west and 1st Street north into the hills. Open sloughs and creeks meandered through present-day downtown. Plank walkways — narrow, slick, and elevated three-feet above the brackish tide flats — connected houses and businesses. Over these walkways, the tightly-bodiced members in wide, long dresses would gingerly make their way to their meetings.

Jessie Haynes Hardcastle, daughter of Mrs. Haynes recalled in 1951, ‘’I remember the Review Club meetings with my mother in the old family home which was located where the Electric building now stands. To go from our house to where the Broadway Pharmacy now stands (the old J.C. Penney building directly across Broadway) one had to go through the bunch grass, across a deep slough over which was a fallen log. We used to go there in the summertime and gather crabapples from the wild trees there.”

It was into this rough-hewn world that the organized women sought to bring culture and intellectual stimulation.

Occasionally the group received notice in the local press:

“The Review Club held an interesting session Tuesday at the residence of Mrs. Arnold. The usual program was varied by each one giving a five minute talk on matters of current interest. The next meeting will be held at the residence of Mrs. Jacob Weatherwax.” — Aberdeen Herald, Oct. 5, 1893

“The Review Club met Tuesday afternoon with Mrs. A.H. Lackey. The Rev. Dr. spent the afternoon out of doors with his baby boy, all of the male persuasion being banished from the house for the occasion. As usual the ladies had an enjoyable time.”– Aberdeen Herald, Oct. 15, 1896

“Not withstanding the fact that Mrs. W.E. Keyes is sick abed with rheumatism, she entertained the Review Club at her home last Tuesday. A number were present and made the afternoon as pleasant as possible; Mrs. Nye read ‘Fishing Jimmie’ for the entertainment of the club.” — Aberdeen Herald, October 21, 1897

While initially the main focus of the Review Club was to present interesting books, in 1913 they began to take an interest in civic happenings. Discussions addressed women’s suffrage, child care and world peace. During both world wars, they worked with the American Red Cross, providing hand-sewn clothing items and bundles of linen to the war effort. In 1921 they received a letter of congratulations from the elderly people of Montiguay, France, for a donation the Review Club sent for relief.

One of the local civic improvements the club took on was the creation of a parking strip on west Market Street, as mentioned in this news story:

“Members of the Review Club, who have undertaken to improve one block of Market street, will carry out their plans under the direction of Park Director Greene. The Aberdeen Civic Improvement Club is in favor of erecting monuments in the parks of the city. It is also reported that a local lodge wants to start a movement to have a statue of Robert Gray, discoverer of Grays Harbor, erected in the city.” — Aberdeen Herald, March 9, 1917.

It was further addressed in the Aberdeen Herald on March 30, 1917: “The Review Club held a card party at the home of Mrs. F.R. Archer yesterday afternoon. The receipts will be used in arranging a parking strip on West Market Street.’’ While the exact location is unknown, the parking strip apparently was completed as seen in this photo.

Five generations of women have passed through the club since its founding, the names reading like a who’s who of local pioneer families: Weatherwax, Bowes, Delanty, Douglas, Nelson, West, Stewart, Earhart, et al are represented in the meeting minutes which are available on-line through the Washington Rural Heritage website. In fact, two of the Review Club founders’ names can be found etched in stone to this day. Nan Wooding (wife of C.T. Wooding, Aberdeen’s first banker and first city treasurer) and Dorothy Crowther (whose husband, Ira, was a merchant) were sisters. Less than a month after Aberdeen’s Great Fire of 1903, their husbands began construction of the Crowther-Wooding building at the corner of Heron and G Streets. Today that building is home to Billy’s restaurant, and their names still adorn the entrance.

Today the Review Club continues to thrive, with meetings held every other Tuesday, September through June. Membership is capped at 20, and while the members may have changed, their love of literature has never wavered. The March 16, 1899 Aberdeen Herald summed up the group very nicely: “The Review Club held its anniversary meeting at the residence of Mrs. Keyes, Tuesday. An elegant lunch was served in addition to the usual feast of reason and flow of soul.”

Roy Vataja is the son of Finnish immigrants and wishes the Review Club a Happy 130th Anniversary!