“We are 125 years old,” said Wilma Zeigler, president of the Miami Book Club. “It started 1899 and they became the Miami Book Club in 1900, and it was comprised primarily of the wives of Trenton’s founding fathers.”
To commemorate the milestone anniversary, the group recently hosted a dinner gala at Trenton Mennonite Church. As part of the celebration, Ryan Perry, mayor of Trenton, presented a proclamation to club members to honor the club’s longstanding legacy in the community. Several former members were also in attendance for the celebration.
Members who gathered for the anniversary dinner included Wilma Zeigler, president; Patt Gibson, vice president: Debbie Hounshell, secretary; Jean Back, treasurer as well as current members Nancy Becker, Kathy Edwards, Becky Hedges-Kamps, Mary Wilham and Beth Crout, who has been a member since 1989. Crout, 99, a retired Middletown school teacher, is the club’s oldest member.
Groundwork for the club was laid in 1899, when no one owned a motorized car and only a handful of families owned horses and carriages. Women belonged primarily to church groups.
According to the club’s history, compiled in 1975 by Mary Schenck, “In 1899, a few women organized a club – each member to buy a book and they would discuss them in the club - then donate them to a public library, eventually. They selected the name, Fin de Siecle, a French phrase meaning the end of a century."
Miami Book Club has survived world wars and The Great Depression. Although the group has evolved amidst cultural and societal changes, the club has maintained its love for reading and has continued to share that same appreciation for literature with the community.
“I consider them all very close friends. We’ve been through funerals, weddings, and life together, and consider our members a close-knit group of friends that I can depend on,” Zeigler said.
“The club really became a reality on July 20, 1900 — and was named the Miami Book Club – not after Miami University, but because this was Miami Territory; we had the Miami River and other places named for the Miami Indians,” the club’s history states.
When the club started, membership was limited to 30 women, because the group met in homes and that was a feasible number for them to entertain.
“Dues were 25-cents a year and each member was to give a book review or a paper during the year. If she failed her obligation, she had to pay a fine of twenty-five cents. They chose purple and white as their colors, and they had very nice, printed programs in those colors. In 1942, the club voted to extend invitations of membership to the Trenton women faculty members or faculty wives,” the club’s history cites.
The objective of the club was to promote literacy and social culture and parliamentary procedures. The social aspect was often emphasized, and the parties were fun and full of good cheer.
“When the club started, they traveled by horse and buggy, and it was very formal. They wore hats and gloves. They also did some trips together, and they would do picnics. If you read through the minutes, it’s like a who’s who of the time,” said Zeigler.
Some of the first talks were given by Rachel Johns, the grandmother of Alpheus Johns and Lucie Johns, her sister-in-law. Other prominent family names in Trenton include Clarks, Schoenefelds, Berks, Kennels, Thomas, Shafer, Graft, Eicher and Engle.
The club met on two Wednesdays of each month at first, and later on two Thursdays. As club members became busier, they met the first Thursday of each month and held two annual parties.
The programs usually featured two book reviews – and often a paper or two. Each member gave a current event, and after the program was presented, a discussion followed.
Some of the programs were about nearby events and places. One talk was about The Louisiana Purchase. In another meeting, the women learned about The Cotton Gin and its impact on the country.
“The local paper, as usual, described the banquet of February 1929 in glowing terms. That year, the club honored the four remaining charter members: Mrs. Alpheus Johns, Mrs. Minervia West, Mrs. Grafft, and Mrs. Chas. Clark. They also paid tribute to past presidents of the club. Each was presented a gift boy Martha Epp – toastmistress. I still have mine, a lovely little metal dog figurine. He lives on my kitchen windowsill,” wrote Schenck in her summary of the club’s history.
The dues were raised to $1 a year, and later to $2. In those days, coffee was 33-cents per pound, Elite Ice Cream was $1.50 a gallon and huge decorated cakes were $1.25 each. The highest quality paper napkins were 10 cents per package.
In 1950, a Golden Anniversary party was conducted at Mrs. Angers home with many guests and former members in attendance. There were 50 women present, including three charter members – Mrs. Hammerle, Mrs. Ehresman and Mrs. Johns.
“There are many women’s clubs in the city now, but the Miami Book Club continues to be a social event as well as a source of learning,” Schenck wrote in 1975 as a 56-year, active member of the club.
Today, the group is smaller in size than it was in its inception, but the members share the same level of devotion and commitment the book club was built upon.
“We are a little different than some book clubs. In some book clubs, everyone will read the same book and discuss it. In our group, each member chooses which book they would like to review and they select a month to share it with the group. We meet at the church and bring a light snack,” Zeigler said.
She said the meeting begins with a discussion about a news article or current event. Then, the designated club member gives their book review, along with a time for member response, and there is a short business meeting.
The club contributes to MidPointe Library System’s Summer Reading Program. The group also donates books in memory of club members.
The group began meeting at the church in 2019-2020 instead of meeting at homes like the club had done in the past due to COVID-19. Since then, the same officers continue to serve in leadership roles.
“We are one of the few groups still going, who made it through COVID,” Zeigler said.
Miami Book Club is partnering with the Trenton Historical Society to host an open house from 1 p.m. to 3 p.m. August 2 at the Trenton Historical Society Museum, 17 E. State St. The club will present a special display that focuses on its 125-year history. Many of the club’s members will be in attendance.
HOW TO PARTICIPATE
The Miami Book Club meets on the first Thursday of each month, September through May, at the Trenton Mennonite Church at 2 E. Main St. Several members of the club are retired school teachers, and often, members invite their friends to join.
For more information about Miami Book Club, email zeiglerwj@yahoo.com.
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