Woman's Eastern Shore Society Records, 1926-1986, MS. 2864

WOMAN'S EASTERN SHORE SOCIETY RECORDS

MS.2864

Maryland Historical Society

Baltimore MD 21201-4674

by

Jessica M. Pigza

March 1996

HISTORY MS.2864

The Woman's Eastern Shore Society (WESS) was founded in Baltimore in 1926 by a group of women who were born on Maryland's Eastern Shore or who had family connections in that region. The group's first president was Miss Anne Rothwell Stewart (died 1930). Although WESS's goal was “social fellowship among the members and preservation of traditions and a way of life so dear,” the organization also focused on public service and philanthropic efforts.

By the end of its first year in existence, WESS had 137 members. WESS, still in existence, is organized into chapters based on the counties of the Eastern Shore, and membership in 1994 reached over two hundred. Activities are organized by the club as a whole and also by individual chapters.

Social events include the Annual Banquets, which have been held at Baltimore hotels such as Emerson, Lord Baltimore, and Belvedere. Meetings, “History luncheons,” plays, and pageants have also been organized. The club has published cookbooks as well. WESS created a scholarship fund that supports young Eastern Shore women with their college educations.

Sources relating to the Woman's Eastern Shore Society in the Reference Department are:

The Woman's Eastern Shore Society of Maryland: A History (MF177.W87K)

A Book of Favorite Recipes (TX.715.M391)

Related collections in the Manuscripts Department are:

MS.938: Woman's Eastern Shore Society Scrapbooks, 1926-1956

MS.948: Dorchester County Scrapbook, 1933-1944

The bulk of the records is made up of voluminous minutes and meeting reports. The WESS board met regularly throughout the year (with a few months off in summer), with county chapter representatives and committee heads submitting activity reports. The WESS's filing methods have been preserved in processing. In the early years, minutes were recorded in books and reports filed separately. Starting in 1976, however, minutes and reports were held together in three-ring binders. Some binders were dismantled due to poor condition and their contents filed in boxes. Annual meetings were held and reports were filed separately for the years 1933-1974.

The scrapbooks (Series IV) created by the specific county chapters are the second largest body of records generated by the WESS. These scrapbooks contain mostly news clippings about the Eastern Shore, but ephemera is present as well. No preservation copying or dismantling has been done. Some loose items are present within books.

Some items have been removed during processing. Newspapers available elsewhere nearby were not retained. Several items were transferred to Prints and Photographs and to Reference. A list follows.

(Boxes 1-4, Volumes A-GG)

Records of organizational workings of the WESS. Includes limited amount of correspondence, motions, resolutions upon members' deaths, and an agreement to rent meeting space from the Woman's City Club of Baltimore. The bulk of this series is composed of minutes and reports. Minutes of early meetings were recorded in minute books, and reports were held separately and filed. Annual reports were filed separately for the years 1933-1974. Starting in 1976, reports and minutes were kept on loose sheets in binders. (Some binders were dismantled due to poor condition, and sheets placed in file boxes.)

Series II: Financial Records; 1926-1974

(Box 5, Volumes HH-KK)

Series contains receipts and disbursements and annual audit reports of the WESS. Treasurer's reports, however, remain with other meeting reports (in Series I).

Series III: Scholarship Records; 1926-1986

(Box 6)

Series includes records concerning those young Eastern Shore women who applied for and won college scholarships. Student files include scholarship applications, progress reports, and correspondence from the students.

Series IV: County Chapter-Related Records; 1927-1977

(Box 7, Volumes LL-GGG)

County chapters often maintained their own records. These records (research papers, minutes, treasurers' records, and albums with news clippings, ephemera, and photographs) are arranged alphabetically by county name, and further divided according to document type. The bulk of this series is made up of 22 clippings scrapbooks created by individual county chapters.

Series V: Ephemera

(Box 8)

This series is made up of ephemera relating to the WESS. It includes printed invitations, programs, playscripts, ballots, membership rosters, and research papers. One file contains printed ephemera not directly related to the Woman's Eastern Shore Society of Maryland but collected by members (rosters for Needlework Guild, postcards from Old Trinity Church, etc.). Assorted ephemera can also be found throughout the scrapbooks (Series IV).

Correspondence, n.d., 1934, 1935, 1946, 1948

Motions, 1926-1938

Resolutions, 1933-1958

Agreement to rent meeting room from Woman's City Club of Baltimore, 1942

Reports, n.d., 1929-January 1961

Box 2

Reports, February 1961-May 1966

Box 3

Reports, June 1972-May 1974

Reports and Minutes, April 1976-December 1983

Box 4

Annual Reports, 1933-1974

Box 5

Audit Reports, 1936-1974

Box 6

Student Loan Records, 1926-1951

Scholarship Committee Records, 1951-1968

Scholarship Applications/Student Records, 1953-1986

Box 7

Cecil County: Minutes, 1944-1968

Cecil County: Treasurers' Records (with Members' dues, 1951-1976)

Cecil County: Correspondence and Other Papers, 1958-1975

Dorchester County: Minutes, 1930-1951

Queen Anne's County: Minutes, 1955-1972

Queen Anne's County: Scrapbook (softcover), 1930-1939

“Queen Anne County: A Story of Its Origin,” 1966

Worcester County: Minutes, 1946-1958

Worcester County: Photograph and Ephemera Album, 1959

Box 8

Constitution and Bylaws, n.d., 1927-1943

Membership Rosters, 1927-1954

Ballots for Board Elections, 1958, 1968

Resolution Upon Death of Founder Anne R. Stewart, 1930

Invitations, 1941-1956

Annual Banquet Invitations and Programs, 1945-1964

Scholarship Fund Party Programs, 1951-1981

Art Exhibition Program, 1960

“Pageant: Women of Bygone Days” Program, 1928

“Looking Through the Years” Playscript, 1946

“The Eastern Shore of Maryland” Anthem Lyrics, n.d.

“History and Development of the Eastern Shore of Maryland,” ca. 1937

“Historic and Old Buildings on the Eastern Shore of Maryland,” 1958

“Famous Eastern Shore Women,” 1976

Printed Ephemera not directly related to the Woman's Eastern Shore Society

Volume A

January 1926-January 1928

B

January 1928-March 1929

C

February 1928-March 1930

D

1926-1929 (Condensed)

E

1929-1933 (Condensed)

F

November 1933-January 1937

G

February 1937-December 1940

H

January 1941-January 1945

I

February 1945-December 1947

J

January 1948-December 1950

K

January 1951-April 1954

L

May 1954-October 1957

M

November 1957-April 1960

N

May 1960-May 1963

O

June 1963-April 1966

P

May 1966-April 1970

Q

May 1970-June 1973

R

September 1973-April 1974

REPORTS

Volume S

April 1942-February 1944

T

April 1944-February 1946

U

March 1946-February 1948

V

March 1948-February 1950

W

March 1950-April 1952

X

May 1952-April 1954

Y

June 1954-April 1956

Z

May 1956-April 1958

AA

May 1958-April 1960

BB

June 1966-April 1968

CC

May 1968-April 1970

DD

May 1970-April 1972

MINUTES AND REPORTS

Volume EE

May 1974-April 1976

FF

April 1978-April 1980

GG

April 1980-April 1982

RECEIPTS AND DISBURSEMENTS

Volume HH

March 1926-March 1932

II

March 1932-March 1936

JJ

April 1936-January 1941

KK

January 1941-February 1948

SCRAPBOOKS

Volume LL

Cecil County, 1950-1960

MM

Dorchester County, 1956-1966

NN

Dorchester County, 1959-1966

OO

Dorchester County, 1962-1964

PP

Dorchester County, 1964-1966

QQ

Queen Anne's County, 1950-1956

RR

Queen Anne's County, 1956-1968

SS

Queen Anne's County, 1969-1971

TT

Queen Anne's County, 1971-1973

UU

Somerset County, 1927-1956

VV

Talbot County, 1915-1950

WW

Talbot County, 1952-1959

XX

Talbot County, 1959-1966

YY

Talbot County, 1966-1971

ZZ

Wicomico County, 1960-1968

AAA

Wicomico County, 1967

BBB

Worcester County, 1927-1956

CCC

Worcester County, 1933-1962

DDD

Worcester County, 1958-1970

EEE

Worcester County, 1972-1977

FFF

“Historian's Scrapbook,” 1948-1956

GGG

“Historian's Scrapbook,” 1956-1966