Garden Club of Cottonwood records, 1923-2006

In 1923 the Cottonwood area was rural in nature with small farms and unsurfaced roads. Hoping to stimulate an interest in growing beautiful flowers, shrubs, and grass, Elizabeth Judge O'Brian organized the Garden Club of Cottonwood. The original membership was thirty-one men and women who had an interest in gardening. The club fell into inactivity for a period of time after the death of Elizabeth O'Brian, but in 1931 a new incarnation of the club began, specifically as a women's club. Since the reorganization, the Garden Club of Cottonwood has maintained at least thirty-five people and has been active in community beautification projects both locally and statewide.