GFWC Manistique's Club History

The Manistique Club was founded in 1897 by a small group of women who converted their Whist Club into the Women’s Reading Club. The 25 members met for the promotion of study, the cultivation of literary taste, and the encouragement of the freedom of discussion. Dues were 25 cents.

In 1904, the local club joined the state federation and in 1916, it joined the General Federation of Women’s Clubs. From there, the local group began to take a more active interest in civic improvement.

Over the next 20 years, the programs and projects of the club changed with the times and the needs of the community, as well as the talents and interests of the club members. In 1919 and early 1920s, the club sponsored the United States School Garden Army – children from the elementary school who planted Victory Gardens.

Beautification and conservation remained top priorities. The club has proposed, promoted, and contributed to the idea and funding of the area’s original central park and youth center.

The group also purchased, beautified, and donated 16 acres of property at Intake Park to the city. They also purchased land in Schoolcraft County and promoted the planting of 1,200 Oak and pine trees, and helped physically and financially reforest 40 acres in the Upper Peninsula.

The group supports Project Petunia and also assists in eradicating invasive species. They have partnered with the Manistique Rotary Club and Cloverland Electric Cooperative to beautify the parking lot in downtown Manistique.

Over the years, the club has presented plays, musicals, puppet, and fashion shows.

Other projects include monthly birthday parties for the residents of the Schoolcraft County Medical Care Facility, the restoration of the historic water tower, Project Backpack, the creation and maintenance of the Living Waters Memorial Fountain, scholarships for graduating seniors, a senior girls’ tea, a short story contest for sixth graders, the High Tea, wine tasting fundraisers, and mystery dinner theatres.

The group has also provided car seats for area children, as well as clothes, pajamas, pillows and blankets, and prom dresses for Bay Cliff Health Camp participants for more than a half-century.

During the COVID-19 pandemic, the club bought masks and shields for the hospital workers.

GFWC Michigan also supports the Guiding Harbor (Girl’s Town) in Belleville, Mich.

GFWC Women’s Clubs have founded more than 75 percent of the libraries in the United States. The local club encourages reading through the Epsilon Sigma Omicron – an honorary educational society.

They support the Manistique School and Public Library by donating books in memory of deceased members. More recently, the club began participating in the Little Free Library Project. There are now three Little Free Libraries in the community.

The Schoolcraft County Historical Society houses a complete set of the club’s yearbooks, memory/ scrapbooks, as well as digitized history of the first 100 years of the club.

The first 100 years archive is available at the International Headquarters in Washington, D.C. at 1734 N Street.

The GFWC Manistique club hosts tours at the Schoolcraft County Historical Society seasonally.