A History of the white mountain garden club

The Mission of the Club shall be to extend the love and knowledge of amateur gardening, to promote the beauty of this region by encouraging civic planting, roadside beautification and to support the protection of trees, birds, and wildflowers and the proper stewardship of natural resources. 

The White Mountain Garden Club was founded in 1924 by Mrs. Theodore Thomas. Her husband was the conductor of the Chicago Symphony Orchestra at the turn of the century (he died in 1905). Together, they created a garden in the rocks “Felsenfarten” in Bethlehem, with very little outside labor. She late wrote a book, “Our Mountain Garden” (1904, 2nd edition 1915) about this experience. She also wrote a biography of her husband along with other gardening books, among them one called “Alpine Gardens”. They were probably the precursor of the many garden books published today. Mrs. Thomas lives in the records as a person beloved by all who knew her.

The story goes that at her birthday party in September 1923, the idea of a garden club arose and was enthusiastically take up by Mrs. Thomas, who promised to start work on it right away. Thus, in the summer of 1924, an organizing meeting was held of a group of friends in the area who were garden lovers. The first formal meeting, with minutes, was held on June 23, 1925. There were 30 charter members, 3 honorary members and 11 associate members, all of these being husbands of the members. The name “White Mountain Garden Club” was adopted at this meeting. 

The first printed Constitution, 1928, state the object of the Club to be “to extend the love of amateur gardening and to promote civic planting in this vicinity and conservation of forests, birds and wildflowers”. It limited the membership to 32. In the first years, there were two meetings a month during June, July, August and September. Active membership increased to 40 in 1936 and in the 1940’s to 50. In 1975, the number was increased to 55. Summer membership was instituted in 1936 for “persons who are local residents for the summer.”

Over the years, summer membership evolved as a route to local membership, a waiting list, as it were. In 1959, the number was limited to 10. 

In 1978, the name of the membership category was changed from “summer” to “provisional”. Associate membership was limited to 20 in 1966.

In the 1940’s, the White Mountain Garden Club became part of the The New Hampshire Federation of Garden Clubs and participated in its activities until 1956, when it resigned because of demands which the White Mountain Garden Club, as a summer club only, could not meet.

During the first 58 years of the Club’s existence a variety of programs has been presented at its meetings. The first was recorded on August 25, 1925, when the Club met at Mrs. Thomas’ “Felsendgarten” where she gave a paper of the garden. Many illustrated lectures on garden subjects, flower arranging, conservation, the environment, birds, etc., have been given. Some programs of special note have been:

1. A slide show of members gardens that was so well received that it was repeated in in 1936

2. On August 23, 1939, the editor of House and Garden was the speaker.

3. AN evening meeting in 1939, a talk by Alexander Woolcott.

4. In 1944, to celebrate the Club’s 20thbirthday, Mr. W.I. Lincoln Adams (one of the Club’s original Associate Members) gave a history of the organization.

5. Mr. and Mrs. James Bush-Brown, authors of “America’s Garden Book” on August 24, 1954

6. Mr. David Mallory on the piano, “A Garden Fantasy”, a musical quiz, in 1962

7. Kay Lipson’s fanciful and delightful narrative poem containing the names of all members in some form, June 28, 1968.Followed by a sequel in 1980.

8. Miss Elizabeth Scholz, Director of the Brooklyn Botanic Garden, on Japanese Gardens, 1975.

9. Mrs. Kistner on her first stay in Monaco and her trip though the south of France as a guest of Princess Grace, 1976.

10. Musical quiz by Mathilde McKinney, 1980.

Mrs. Voorhees has shown garden movies, including the garden of many members. Other member-participation meeting and flower-arranging contests have been very popular. Some very enjoyable events in recent years have been the garden walks in members’ garden.

In addition to these programs, the education of the Club has been furthered by many workshops in flower arranging given by Mrs. Ruth Kistner, who has been very generous with her professional expertise. Welcome bird walks have been led by Mrs. John C. McIlwaine. For the public there have been conservation exhibits at the flower shows and occasional lectures as the annual Club project. During 1967-69 the Club, by request, labeled trees and shrubs in the Dells in Littleton (see also under Library, below).

In the very beginning the Garden Club started work on its public concerns. The first project was a booth at the Hospital Bazaar, which was reported to be very successful. The next project, which turned out to be one of the most enduring, covered a period of several years (1928-1933). It was the low stone wall behind the then Littleton Railway Station, now the offices of the Dona/Ruggles Fuel CO., and the planting of the bank above it. This planting replaced a defacto dump, and eyesore that formerly greeted those who arrived in Littleton. Over the years since then, much planting has been done in various public places, among t hem Littleton Hospital, Dow Academy in Franconia, St. Matthew’s Church in Sugar Hill, Apthorp, Crapo and Bethlehem schools, Easton Town Hall, Whitefield Common. Some of these have survived and some have not. One of the best efforts of the club was to remove the stumps of dead elm trees in Franconia and Whitefield. New young trees were planted as replacement.

In 1947, the Garden Club, as a member of the N.H. Federation, was assigned a “measured mile” on the old Route 3 between Franconia and Littleton as part of a state-wide beautification program. The next year a picnic spot was cleared in the woods by the parking turnout on the measured mile. This picnic area was maintained by the club until 1958 it was sacrificed to I-93.

In addition to the planting of shrubs and trees, the Club has decorated with annuals in various place. From the mid 1930’s to the early forties “cottage garden” competitions were held in collaboration with the Greenleaf Civics Club of Franconia. In 1953, petunias were planted at the entrance of the Littleton Hospital by request. In 1955, window boxes were placed at the Sugar Hill Fire House, the Sugar Hill Meeting House and at places of business along the Main Street of Franconia. In 1956, the Sugar Hill Community Church and flower beds at the Whitefield bandstand were added. In 1965, flower boxes were placed on the Sugar Hill and Eason bridges in Franconia and a few years late, boxes were also made for the Whitefield bandstand. Unfortunately, pilfering was long been a problem with the annual planting. 

In 1934, the White Mountain Garden Club established a library of garden material in the Littleton Library as a memorial to our founder, Mrs. Theodore Thomas. Furnishings were lent to the Library and appropriations were made for the purchase of books. In 1975 the Library was refurbished and garden periodicals were added to the collection. Flowers were provided weekly by members during the summer. Books and periodicals were added each year. In 1968, Mrs. Voorhees catalogued the collection and she and Mrs. Bruchhasuen weeded out outmoded material. In 1971, however, New Hampshire rules governing libraries required that the collection be added to the Littleton Library Collection. In 1974, the Franconia, Sugar Hill and Whitefield libraries were in included in book donation and in flower (or plant) supplying. The Littleton Library eventually required the meeting room for its own use; therefore in 1974, the club papers were removed, and steps were taken to dispose of the furnishings. Gifts of books to the four libraries have continued to the present. New bookplates were provided in 1977.

During the time that the White Mountain Garden Club was a member of the New Hampshire Federation of Garden clubs it won several prizes and awards for its measured, mile, the picnic area and its’ plantings in the various towns. In 1954, the White Mountain District Flower Show for 1953 (the street show) received a blue ribbon for achievement, on of 17 in all of the United States. In 1982, the Club received as award for the Society for the Protection of New Hampshire Forests for 50 years on interest and support on their behalf. 

Within the Club, there have been awards also. In 1932, a silver bowl was donated by Mrs. J. G. M. Glessner to be awarded for. Outstanding achievement. It was retired in 1950 to Mrs. George Tilton. A new cup was donated by Mrs. Lowell Burch. It was won for the third time by Mrs. Ernst Glaessel in 1976. In 1977 Mrs. Glaessel presented a new bowl. The names of all these awards are listed separately.

Not only local interests have been served by the White Mountain Garden Club, but financial support has been given to other organizations as well. From 1927 contributions have been made to the Society for the Protection of New Hampshire Forests. Scholarships to its Lost Rive Nature Camp given from 1927 to 1971. Bear Brook Nature Camp received contributions until it, to ended (in 1972). The Audubon Society of New Hampshire has been a recipient over the years. From 1952 to 1964, a scholarship of $150 was provided to the University of New Hampshire for an agriculture or forestry student. In 1971, the Squam Lakes Science Center was added to the ongoing list, which also includes the New England Wildflower Association. 

Ever since 1929, flower shows, garden tours or other events with flowers have been held annually, with few exceptions (during the years of World War II, no attempt was made to produce a show). These projects have been the main source of income for plantings, library and contributions already mentions and have also been a binding force in the life of the organization. They have grown more beautiful year by year. A few early ones should mentioned particularly. The first show was in the Maplewood Casino in Bethlehem, then in its heyday. It is reported to have been fabulously beautiful. In 1949, there was a joint flower show in the Masonic Temple in Littleton with the Littleton Garden Club, the Lisbon Friends-In-Council and the Franconia Greenleaf Civic Club. Several joint flower shows followed, the most memorable of which was the street show in the Main Street of Littleton. There were arrangements (about 60 of them) each relating in some way to what the shop containing it in its window had to offer. Tickets were sold by children in the street, which permitted the holder to vote for his/her favorite window. It was a great success, very popular and good advertising. The proceeds that year went to the Littleton Hospital. Clippings and photographs of these flower shows and house tours are in scrapbooks and photograph albums in the charge of the historian. They may be consulted by making arrangement with her.

The White Mountain Garden Club, has, throughout its lifetime, been a strong, consistent organization composed of talented, hard-working members. One interesting statistic emphasizes the continuity of interest and involvement: over 25% of the present members are daughters, granddaughters, daughter-in-law, nieces, grandnieces or a combination of members. Mrs. Thomas would be proud of the organization which she founded and which continues to thrive.