Submitted photo: Members of the Woman’s Club of Gadsden pose for a photo with Gadsden City Council and Gadsden Mayor Craig Ford.
By Kaitlin Hoskins, News Editor
The members of the Woman’s Club of Gadsden and city leaders gathered at the club’s house to celebrate the club’s 100th year this past Sunday, September 17.
The club was founded in 1923 and has continued to support the advancement of women and the community for a century.
During the Tuesday, September 19 meeting of the Gadsden City Council, Gadsden Mayor Craig Ford took a moment to thank the members of the Woman’s Club of Gadsden and honor the club with a proclamation naming September 19, 2023 Woman’s Club of Gadsden Day in honor of the club’s first meeting on September 19, 1923.
Woman’s Club of Gadsden President and Gadsden City Councilwoman Dixie Minatra accepted the proclamation on behalf of the club and praised the club for all its hard work over the club’s 100 years of service to the community.
Club members enjoy a monthly luncheon with various speakers. One of the most notable was Amelia Earhart in 1934 and 1936.
Some of the more notable contributions from the club to the community include designing the City of Gadsden flag and publishing a history of Gadsden booklet and using the proceeds to plant 3,000 trees at sites selected by the City of Gadsden. The group recently planted trees at Underwood Park adjacent to the Gadsden Library.
The Woman’s Club is also to thank for not only one of the most iconic parts of Noccalula Falls — the statue — but also the park in general. Beginning in 1946, the club took a special interest in encouraging the City of Gadsden to purchase Noccalula Falls and surrounding land to be used as a park. The club is also responsible for commissioning the design and sponsoring the purchase of the statue of Princess Noccalula, which stands as a focal point overlooking Noccalula Falls.
The Woman’s Club of Gadsden is in the National Registry of Historical Places and in the State of Alabama’s Register of Historical Landmarks.