Biddeford History & Heritage Project

The organizational meeting of the Thursday Club took place at the home of Cora Belle's parents on Birch Street, a hill-top residential neighborhood of the city.

The founding members of the club were Miss Bickford, her mother Sarah, Mrs. Annie B. Cole, Mrs. Sarah Weymouth, Mrs. Anna Ricker, Miss Ella Small, Mrs. Helen Lord, Mrs. J. S. Colton, Mrs. Elisabeth Cowan, Mrs. Lucretia Small, and Miss Mary Kelley.

The next week the group met at the room occupied by the City Library in the City Building, where Mrs. Cole was librarian. Miss Lillian Sudbury (later Mrs. Harry Burnham and a future president of the organization) was appointed to arrange the literary program for each meeting along with Miss Kelley.

Although the future Mrs. Burnham was not at the prior meeting, she seems to be included as a founding member.

By April of 1895 the wife of Biddeford's mayor, Mrs. Fannie K. Hamilton, had joined the Club and the meetings briefly took place in the mayor's offices.

Organizational complications as a result of the burning and reconstruction efforts of the City Building meant that the Club was soon meeting at various locations around town.

These temporary spaces were mostly occupied by complimentary social and civic organizations filled with the ranks of the well-to-do and well-connected husbands and fathers of the clubwomen, such as the York County Wheelmen and the Board of Trade.

The Club met for a time in the Odd Fellows Hall on Alfred Street.

In 1935 it was granted space at the McArthur Public Library, and remained there for 8 years. In 1943 the growth of the library required reclaiming the rooms, and the Club found a home at the Vestry of the Episcopal Church on South Street.

The motto of the Club was "Good the more communicated, the more abundant grows", and originally the objective of the club was for "social and intellectual improvement" of the members.

This is evidenced by the Club's standing committees: Art; Music; Science; Current Events; Civics and Economies; and Hospitality.

The ladies met every Thursday (hence the name) only from October to May; they did not meet during the "summer season".

One interesting aspect of the Club was the traveling silver service which was brought to wherever the meeting took place (until the Club managed a more stable "home"); then each woman brought her own teacup to the meeting. There seemed to be a certain pride in the civility of debating literature or current events over tea or coffee.

To become a member a woman had to be introduced by a current member. She then had to pass inspection by the Investigating Committee and be approved by a majority vote of the members.

Only Biddeford residents retained voting power; however, if a woman moved out of town she could become an Honorary Member to maintain her affiliation with club approval.

The women of the club were typically well-off financially, educated, and proponents of the self-improvement idealism which steadily took hold among this class during the late 19th and early 20th century America.

The Thursday Club was a member of the Maine Federation of Women's Clubs and later the General Federation of Women's Clubs (GFWC). The Club hosted the state convention in 1901 and again in 1915.

The Club produced and performed plays and other entertainments open to the public to raise funds initially for club work but eventually for various charitable organizations in town-particularly those benefiting children.

In this way they felt the Club's members were fulfilling their mission of social and intellectual improvement for themselves and their community as well.

The Thursday Club, due to their stringent membership requirements, did not grow at an alarming rate, but it certainly did grow. By 1910 there were 85 members in Biddeford's most fashionable women's club.

Of course, Biddeford was the fourth largest city in the state at this time, so there were many well-heeled families in the bustling city with females eager to affiliate themselves with something that allowed them to exercise their intellect.

Clubs and social groups were blossoming in every corner of the City from 1910-1920, and for every social strata and ethnic enclave. Men's groups long in existence such as the York County Wheelmen, the Emmett Literary Association.

A look in the City Directories at that time will illustrate the myriad religious, fraternal, or religious AND fraternal organizations. Some examples were the Knights of Pythias, Ancient Order of Hibernians, International Order of Odd-Fellows, Red Men, and the Masons.

The club movement reached its peak in the 1950's, then steadily declined. This was due in part to the success of the women's liberation movement and the evolution of women's role at home and in society.

The GFWC exists still today, but there is just one affiliated club remaining in Maine. There are still many membership organizations in the area, although most seem to be service-oriented groups. The Thursday Club died out in the 1990's, but left a lasting legacy of empowerment and opportunity for the women of Biddeford.