Prairie Bell Club records

Collection

Identifier: IWA1168

Staff Only
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Scope and Contents

The Prairie Bell records date from 1970 to 1999 and measure 3 linear inches. The records consist of secretarial journals, historical information about the club written by club members, and meeting programs. These materials display intimate details pertaining to the club, such as who was in the club each year, who hosted each meeting, the topic of conversation during each meeting, how much money the club raised each year, and where that money would be donated to or spent. The secretarial journals, which contain each meeting's minutes from January of 1980 to December of 1999, include details pertaining to the main topics of conversation for each meeting and the lessons provided in each meeting which had topics ranging from farm management to Kuwait.

Dates

Creation: 1970-1999

Conditions Governing Access

The papers are open for research.

Conditions Governing Use

Copyright held by the donor has been retained by the donor.

However, copyright status for some collection materials may be unknown. Transmission or reproduction of materials protected by U.S. Copyright Law (Title 17, U.S.C.) beyond that allowed by fair use requires the written permission of the copyright owner. Works not in the public domain cannot be commercially exploited without permission of the copyright owners. Responsibility and potential liability based on copyright infringement for any use rests exclusively and solely with the user. Users must properly acknowledge the Iowa Women’s Archives, The University of Iowa Libraries, as the source of the material. For further information, visit https://www.lib.uiowa.edu/sc/services/rights/

Biographical / Historical

The Prairie Bell Club consisted of women in the rural area between Prairie City and Mitchellville, Iowa, and existed from the 1920s to 1999. Originally, the group was founded in the 1920s as a branch of the Iowa Farm Bureau, then in the 1960s, the club separated itself from the Farm Bureau and became the Prairie Bell Club, which focused more upon social affairs rather than agricultural affairs. The club met monthly and partook in social activities, such as picnics and potlucks, as well as academic endeavors, such as lectures and guest speakers during club meetings and workshops. Along with the club's social and academic components, it also fundraised for and made donations to various local charities such as women's shelters and programs for children and families. The club stopped meeting in 1999 due to declining membership.