Aftermath Club records, 1895-2003
Table of Contents
Overview of the Collection
- Creator
- Aftermath Club
- Title
- Aftermath Club records
- Dates
- 1895-2003 (inclusive)18952003
- Quantity
- 5 linear feet
- Collection Number
- XOE_CPNWS0001aftermath
- Summary
- The collection documents the activities of the Aftermath Club, a women's literary and social organization founded in New Whatcom (later Bellingham), Washington, in 1895. Materials include administrative, financial and legal records, yearbooks, and papers relating to Club's interests and activities.
- Repository
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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
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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 Note
The Aftermath Club was a literary and social organization of women in Bellingham. The club was founded in 1896 as the Aftermath Reading Circle by twelve young women in New Whatcom. Within the first year, the group organized a constitution and by-laws as well as an annual agenda of study and presentations on a wide range of topics. In 1907, the club moved into the Aftermath Building in downtown Bellingham. The club also rented the building to other groups for meetings and events, and eventually the site became a center for social and cultural activity for the city.
Following the sale of the Aftermath Building in 1977, members continued to meet and sponsor programs until the club's dissolution in June 2003. In addition, the club also donated to local agencies and institutions and provided scholarships for Western Washington University students. The records donated to the Center for Pacific Northwest Studies reflect the growth and evolution of the Aftermath Club. They also provide a source for study of the changing roles and concerns of thoughtful, active, urban women in the Pacific Northwest during most of the past century.
Content Description
Aftermath Club records span the period 1895-2003, and comprise Administrative records, Financial and Legal records, Club Activities, Yearbooks, Club History, and Artifacts. Administrative records span the period 1897-2003, and contain Articles of Incorporation (1904), incoming and outgoing correspondence (1948-1988) and minute books documenting the Club's meetings from 1899 until its disbandment in June 2003. The first volume contains the Constitution and By-Laws of the Aftermath Reading Circle (the original name of the Aftermath Club), as well as the first membership roll. Later volumes include press reports of meetings, printed yearbooks of scheduled activities, and a small number of photographs. Financial and Legal records contain legal material regarding the clubhouse, the treasurer's financial reports, and Member and Dues ledgers dated 1931-1997. The series also contains nine volumes of redeemed and unsold stock certificates sold by the Aftermath Club from 1904-1977.
Club Activities records include annual reports written by the club historian. The first of these histories was written by Mrs. Helen Phillips, the first Aftermath Historian, whose report spans the period 1895 through 1907. The annual histories, presented at the final meeting each year, begin in 1908 and continue through 2003 and include clippings, fliers, letters, and some photographs. The series also includes newspaper clippings and press releases, scrapbooks covering the period from 1990-2003, and papers presented by members to the rest of the club. These are listed as "Presentation Materials," and span the dates 1898-1986. The collection also contains Yearbooks spanning the period from 1898-2003 (with the exception of the yearbook from 1906-1907), which contain a general listing of annual officers, weekly meeting programs, and a listing of active members. Club History records contain papers and an inventory written by Susan Fahey for the members of the Aftermath Club in 1994, as well as Fahey's 1994 Master's thesis. Artifacts comprise the incorporated seal of the Aftermath Club and a hand-painted pin commemorating the centennial of the Club in 1986.
Use of the Collection
Preferred Citation
Aftermath Club records, Center for Pacific Northwest Studies, Western Libraries Archives & Special Collections, Western Washington University, Bellingham WA 98225-9123.
Administrative Information
Arrangement
The collection is arranged in accordance with the following series arrangement:
- Series I: Administrative records, 1897-2003
- Series II: Financial and Legal records, 1904-2002
- Series III: Club Activities, 1895-2003
- Series IV: Yearbooks, 1898-2003
- Series V: Club History, 1992-1994
- Series VI: Artifacts,1986, undated.
Custodial History
Members of the Aftermath Club donated records to the Center for Pacific Northwest Studies in 1988 and 2003.
Processing Note
The Aftermath Club records were processed originally by Susan Fahey in 1988, with additional work carried out by David Boyd in 2000. In 2003, Amber Raney re-engineered the entire collection and integrated new materials.
Processing Note
About Harmful Language and ContentThis collection contains content that researchers may find offensive and harmful, including materials relating to racism, white supremacy movements, acts of violence and sexual assault. 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.
Bibliography
Fahey, Susan A Quiet Region of the Mind: The Aftermath Club of Bellingham, 1896-1990. Western Washington University, MA Thesis, 1994.
Detailed Description of the Collection
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Series I: Administrative records, 1897-2003
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Dates: 1904 February 8; 1986Container: Box 1, Folder 1
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Description: Framed Certificate of Incorporation,Dates: 1904 March 12Container: Oversize Folder 1
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Description: Ballot Returns on "Centennial Givings" (1/10 sampling)Dates: 1995 February 1Container: Box 1, Folder 2
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Description: Century Corporation CertificateDates: 2004 March 12Container: Box 1, Folder 3
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Description: Committee ReportsDates: 1952-1977Container: Box 1, Folder 4
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Description: Constitution and By-lawsDates: 1925, 1987Container: Box 1, Folder 5
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Correspondence
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Description: IncomingDates: 1948-1988Container: Box 1, Folder 6
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Description: OutgoingDates: 1948-1988Container: Box 1, Folder 7
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Description: Sample club stationeryDates: undatedContainer: Box 1, Folder 8
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Description: Corresponding Secretary's recordsDates: 1959-1986Container: Box 1, Folder 9
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Description: Constitution, By-Laws, and MinutesDates: 1897-1899Container: Box 1, Folder 10
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Description: MinutesDates: 1900-1903Container: Box 1, Folder 11
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Description: MinutesDates: 1903-1907Container: Box 1, Folder 12
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Description: MinutesDates: 1907-1910Container: Box 1, Folder 13
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Description: MinutesDates: 1910-1914Container: Box 1, Folder 14
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Description: MinutesDates: 1915-1920Container: Box 1, Folder 15
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Description: MinutesDates: 1920-1923Container: Box 1, Folder 16
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Description: MinutesDates: 1923-1925Container: Box 1, Folder 17
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Description: MinutesDates: 1927-1930Container: Box 1, Folder 18
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Description: MinutesDates: 1930-1933Container: Box 1, Folder 19
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Description: MinutesDates: 1933-1936Container: Box 1, Folder 20
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Description: MinutesDates: 1936-1944Container: Box 1, Folder 21
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Description: MinutesDates: 1944-1951Container: Box 1, Folder 22
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Description: MinutesDates: 1951-1956Container: Box 2, Folder 1
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Description: MinutesDates: 1956-1960Container: Box 2, Folder 2
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Description: MinutesDates: 1961-1969Container: Box 2, Folder 3
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Description: MinutesDates: 1969-1984Container: Box 2, Folder 4
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Description: MinutesDates: 1984-1997Container: Box 2, Folder 5
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Description: MinutesDates: 1997-1998Container: Box 2, Folder 6
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Description: MinutesDates: 1999-2000Container: Box 2, Folder 7
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Description: MinutesDates: 2000-2003Container: Box 2, Folder 8
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Description: Survey of the Aftermath Club membership re. distribution of funds upon club's dissolve; Aftermath Club SurveyDates: 2003 March 3, 1986 June 2Container: Box 2, Folder 9
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Description: Various administrative records (minutes, scholarship and grants committee materials, meeting programs, proposed amendments to bylaws)Dates: 1985-1986Container: Box 2, Folder 10
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Series II: Financial and Legal records, 1904-2002
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Description: Check and Deposit RegistersDates: 1974-2000Container: Box 2, Folder 11
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Description: Materials re. the Aftermath Club BuildingDates: 1904-1987Container: Box 2, Folder 12
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Description: Materials re. status as non-profit organizationDates: 1980-1997Container: Box 2, Folder 13
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Description: Membership and Dues LedgersDates: 1931-1944Container: Box 3, Folder 1
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Description: Membership and Dues LedgersDates: 1944-1953Container: Box 3, Folder 2
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Description: Membership and Dues LedgersDates: 1954-1977Container: Box 3, Folder 3
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Description: Membership and Dues LedgersDates: 1978-1988Container: Box 3, Folder 4
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Description: Membership and Dues LedgersDates: 1989-1997Container: Box 3, Folder 5
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Stock Books
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Description: #1-200Dates: 1907-1916Container: Box 3, Folder 6
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Description: #201-253Dates: 1917-1921Container: Box 3, Folder 7
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Description: #254-305Dates: 1921-1931Container: Box 3, Folder 8
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Description: #305-354Dates: 1931-1939Container: Box 3, Folder 9
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Description: #358-405Dates: 1944-1948Container: Box 3, Folder 10
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Description: #406-457Dates: 1948-1952Container: Box 3, Folder 11
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Description: #458-507Dates: 1952-1956Container: Box 3, Folder 12
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Description: #508-558Dates: 1956-1961Container: Box 3, Folder 13
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Description: #559-610Dates: 1961-1972Container: Box 3, Folder 14
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Description: #611-631Dates: 1972-1977Container: Box 3, Folder 15
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Treasurers Reports
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Description: Treasurer's Reports – Monthly and AnnualDates: 1946-1948Container: Box 3, Folder 16
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Description: Treasurer's Reports – Monthly and AnnualDates: 1965-1970Container: Box 3, Folder 17
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Description: Treasurer's Reports – Monthly and AnnualDates: 1970-1978Container: Box 3, Folder 18
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Description: Treasurer's Reports – Monthly and AnnualDates: 1978-1987Container: Box 3, Folder 19
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Description: Treasurer's Reports – Monthly and AnnualDates: 1987-1990Container: Box 3, Folder 20
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Description: Treasurer's Reports – Monthly and AnnualDates: 1990-1994Container: Box 4, Folder 1
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Description: Treasurer's Reports – Monthly and AnnualDates: 1994-1998Container: Box 4, Folder 2
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Description: Treasurer's Reports – Monthly and AnnualDates: 1998-2001Container: Box 4, Folder 3
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Description: Western Washington University Endowment and MemorialsDates: 1992-2002Container: Box 4, Folder 4
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Description: Whatcom Community College Foundation Annual Report- Aftermath Club Scholarship informationDates: 2002-2003Container: Box 4, Folder 5
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Series III: Club Activities, 1895-2003
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Description: Historian's ReportsDates: 1895-1907Container: Box 4, Folder 5
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Description: Historian's ReportsDates: 1908-1922Container: Box 4, Folder 6
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Description: Historian's ReportsDates: 1923-1927Container: Box 4, Folder 7
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Description: Historian's ReportsDates: 1927-1935Container: Box 4, Folder 8
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Description: Historian's ReportsDates: 1935-1955Container: Box 4, Folder 9
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Description: Historian's ReportsDates: 1958-1971Container: Box 4, Folder 10
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Description: Historian's ReportsDates: 1972-1973Container: Box 4, Folder 11
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Description: Historian's ReportsDates: 1900-1981Container: Box 4, Folder 12
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Description: Historian's ReportsDates: 1975-1982Container: Box 4, Folder 13
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Description: Historian's ReportsDates: 1995-2003Container: Box 4, Folder 14
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Description: Newspaper Clippings and Press ReleasesDates: 1905-2003Container: Box 4, Folder 15
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Description: Presentation materials (collected by Mrs H.E. Hadley)Dates: 1898-1900Container: Box 4, Folder 16
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Description: Presentation materialsDates: 1905-1986Container: Box 4, Folder 17
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Description: ProgramsDates: 1986-2001Container: Box 4, Folder 18
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Description: ScrapbookDates: 1904-2003 1992-2003; 1992-2003Container: Box 5, Folder 1
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Description: ScrapbookDates: 1904-2003 1992-2003; 1992-2003Container: Box 5, Folder 2
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Description: Scrapbook by Barbara McCollum (Club President from 1990-1992)Dates: 1990-1993Container: Box 5, Folder 3
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Description: SongbooksDates: 1939Container: Box 5, Folder 4
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Description: Photograph - "Gay Nineties Group for Aftermath Christmas party, from Rhoda Keagle, 2nd from left on top row."Dates: undatedContainer: Box 5, Folder 5
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Series IV: Yearbooks, 1898-2003
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Description: YearbooksDates: 1898-1913Container: Box 6, Folder 1
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Description: YearbooksDates: 1913-1931Container: Box 6, Folder 2
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Description: YearbooksDates: 1931-1951Container: Box 6, Folder 3
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Description: YearbooksDates: 1951-1970Container: Box 6, Folder 4
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Description: YearbooksDates: 1970-1991Container: Box 6, Folder 5
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Description: YearbooksDates: 1991-2003Container: Box 6, Folder 6
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Series V: Club History, 1992-1994
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Description: Fahey, Susan. "The Aftermath Club of Bellingham: 1896-1990," written for the members of the Aftermath ClubDates: 1994Container: Box 6, Folder 7
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Description: Fahey, Susan. "Description and Inventory of the Aftermath Club Papers," prepared for the members of the Aftermath Club (used in thesis); A Quiet Region of the Mind: The Aftermath Club of Bellingham, 1896-1990 (Western Washington University, MA Thesis)Dates: 1992 1994Container: Box 6, Folder 8
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Description: "100th Birthday of Bellingham - Then and Now - Scenes from the Northwest Collector's Calendar," with history of the Aftermath ClubDates: 2004 FebruaryContainer: Box 6, Folder 9
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Description: List of Active, Associate, and Honorary members 1905-1906Dates: undatedContainer: Box 6, Folder 10
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Series VI: Artifacts, 1986 undated
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Description: Incorporated Seal for the Aftermath ClubDates: undatedContainer: Box 6
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Description: Centennial Pin, hand-painted by Mary BlakeDates: 1986Container: Box 6
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Names and SubjectsReturn to Top
Subject Terms
- Literature--Societies, etc.--History--Sources.
- Women--Washington (State)--Bellingham--Societies and clubs--History--Sources.
Corporate Names
- Aftermath Club--Archives.
Form or Genre Terms
- Records (Documents)
