In a roundabout way, my recent obsession with street names has led me to the Delmar Progress Club. Read on for news about this community organization that is celebrating 125 years.
On the evening of Monday February 13, 1905, after her
daughters, toddler Mary and infant Dorothy, were put to bed, 24-year-old Lulu
Mochrie hosted her fellow members of the Delmar Progress Club at her Hudson
Avenue home. Her husband, Charles was likely resting from his labors clerking
for the nearby D&H Railroad. In 1904-1905, there were 20 club members, most
of whom were young women with a yen for personal and community improvement.
“A Year in England”
was the theme of study for that season. The women gathered in Mrs. Mochrie’s
parlor heard Aimee Allen present about Rugby. She left her three young daughters
back at the parsonage of the Delmar Reformed Church with husband the Rev. Henry
Bacon Allen. Ada Ticknor presented about Warwick Castle. She left her infant
son Roland with husband William, also a clerk with the D&H.
Inspired by a visit to the Women’s Club of Cobleskill in
1901, Elva Hinman established the Delmar Progress Club “for the mental, moral,
and social development of the members and the betterment of the community.” At
the time Elva was 25 years old and had been a schoolteacher for several years. She
grew up in Delmar, daughter of Clara and Nathan. In 1896 and 1897 she was
teaching in Delanson, and in 1899, amazingly, was nominated on the Albany
County Democratic ticket for school commissioner for the first district
(Bethlehem, Coeymans and New Scotland). The Political Pointers column of the
November 4, 1899 Albany Argus newspaper notes that in her examination
for her state teachers’ certificate she passed 90% in the subject of school
law. The writer continues, “It is very doubtful if the Republican candidate for
school commission knows there is such a thing as school law.” While Elva did
not win that election, her legacy with the Delmar Progress Club is vast.
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| Elva Hinman Dyer, probably about the time the club was founded. (Courtesy of Findagrave.com) |
How to summarize 125 years of women working for the improvement of our community. The list is long and varied. Do you enjoy visiting the Bethlehem Public Library? It was organized by the women of the club as the Delmar Free Library. One way they raised funds for books and building was to create the Delmar Family Directory in 1913. They also held food sales, card parties, masquerades and dramas. All proceeds went to the library. How about improved train service and the banning of smoking in D & H depot? Done. How about naming and numbering streets in order to get home mail delivery. Done. Town ordinances for garbage pickup, controlling fireworks and prohibiting use of firearms in town (apparently there was a rash of bullets shattering windows) were all promoted by the women of the club and their Civic Betterment Committee. And we are only up to about 1940!
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Mrs. Stuart S. Belcher and Mrs. Harlan Raymond, Delmar
Progress Club members, |
In addition to their work improving the community, the club sought to improve their minds with intellectual presentations and discussions organized around the year’s theme like the previously mentioned “Year in England” in 1904-05. Another example is 1928-1929 “American Art and Music.” By the 1930s, the club’s membership had grown into the hundreds and the study groups Homes and Gardens, Modern Literature, Government and Drama were added.
Local papers are full of clips about the doings of the Delmar Progress Club, holding dramas and fashion shows, raising funds for various charities and scholarships, supporting environmental causes, and one of my favorites, the 1965 Know Your Town Driving Tour. I am finding it nearly impossible to summarize the good work of so many dedicated women in so short a space. To learn more about the vibrant and very modern-day Delmar Progress Club, please visit their website at DelmarProgressClub.org.
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The cast of the drama What Became of Parker? a farce
comedy presented by the Delmar Progress Club in the fall of 1915 to benefit the
library fund. Women of the club played all of the characters including Mrs.
Gregg as Otto the waiter, center of the photo with serving tray held in the
air, and seated in front of her is Mrs. Johnson as Fred Parker, the title
character. |
Unfortunately, Elva Hinman did not live to see any of this progress. She married Daivd Dyer on July 23, 1902 and gave birth to their daughter on December 1, 1903. She died seven days later on the 8th at the age of 29. Her obituary is poignant. It reads in part, “Mrs. Dyer was a woman of strong personality, possessing rare gifts and graces that compelled admiration and respect a brilliant conversationalist; an entertaining and delightful companion.” It goes on to describe her work with the Progress Club, “She was the founder of the Progress Club, and was its honored secretary from the first until her death. To this she devoted much time and energy and by her own interest and zeal created much interest among the members in the study of history and classics.”
Elva’s husband died not too long after her in 1905 and their
daughter Clara Dyer was raised by Elva’s mother Clara Hinman. Clara Dyer also
became a school teacher. A 1936 club history provides a poem written by Clara
Dyer and dedicated to the club. It reads:
Beyond the hills the pathway leads, and we
Well-poised upon the mountainside,
Pause for a moment. Far below us lie the
Green and fertile fields of our endeavor
Dew-wet and smiling in the morning sun.
All we have labored, all that we have given
Of our abundance was well spent
For this – the larger vision of our hopes
And dreams come true.
We turn rejoicing.
Foar beyond the hills the path still leads
And we have still to follow with our faith
A flam beyond us in the darkness
And our zeal a sword.
Many thanks to Progress Club members Lynne Lenhardt, Debbie
Gall, and Alison Calvagno for the deep dive into club history. The club is
working to preserve their boxes and boxes of records including 125 years’ worth
of meeting minutes, scrapbooks, account books and drama scripts.
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You've gotten this far in the blog, wonderful! I have a history mystery for you. The Progress Club often presented their dramas at "Universal Hall" in Delmar. The problem, where was this building? It was advertised from about 1914-1919 as an event space you could rent out for dances, parties, plays, what have you. It was on Kenwood Avenue. But, where where???
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FLASHES and DASHES
