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Fort Smith Fortnightly Club Papers

 Collection
Identifier: MC 775

Scope and Content Note

The Fortnightly Club Papers include correspondence, minutes, yearly calendar events, a scrapbook, study papers, poems, photographs, clippings, microfilm, and other papers relating to Fortnightly Club activities.

Dates

  • 1888-1986

Creator

Language of Materials

Materials are in English.

Access Information

Please call (479) 575-8444 or email specoll@uark.edu at least two weeks in advance of your arrival to ensure availability of the materials.

Use Information

No Use Restrictions Apply.

No Interlibrary Loan.

Standard Federal Copyright Laws Apply (U.S. Title 17).

Biographical Note

The Fortnightly Club was founded in 1888 as a womens' literary and social organization and is today one of the oldest womens' clubs in the state. Mrs. Isaac C. Parker (wife of the famous Fort Smith federal judge) was a charter member and the Fortnightly Club's first president. Soon after the club was organized, members became interested in establishing a public library for the city. They created the Fortnightly Club Library Association which helped fund library building expenses by selling shares at five dollars apiece. Through these efforts, Fort Smith's first public library opened in the Belle Grove School during the summer of 1889. All 1100 books were donated by Fortnightly members, St. John's Episcopal Church, or were purchased by the Library Association. By 1902, the Belle Grove School housed the largest public library in the state and was eventually moved to the probate courtroom. The Fortnightly Club was also responsible for a twenty-five thousand dollar loan obtained from Andrew Carnegie which helped construct the Carnegie Library in 1908. (The building was renamed the Fort Smith Public Library in the early 1970's). Fortnightly members donated books to the Library on a yearly basis.

Extent

2.5 Linear Feet (7 boxes, 3 microfilm reels)

Arrangement of the Papers

Material is arranged and described in three series:

  1. Correspondence, Volumes, Papers, Photographs, and Clippings
  2. Minutes and Yearbooks
  3. Microfilm

Acquisition Information

Papers from the Fortnightly Club of Fort Smith were donated by the Club vice-president, Mrs. Robert S. Laser, and historian, Mrs. William H. Wood, on May 27, 1987.

Processing Information

Processed by Susan Lynn Parks, March, 1988. Special Collections Division, University of Arkansas Libraries, Fayetteville, Arkansas.

Creator

Source

Title
Fort Smith Fortnightly Club Papers
Author
Susan Lynn Parks
Date
1988
Language of description
English
Script of description
Latin
Language of description note
Finding aid is written in English.

Repository Details

Part of the Special Collections Department Repository

Contact:
University of Arkansas Libraries
365 N. McIlroy Avenue
Fayetteville AR 72701 United States
(479) 575-8444