the history OF the Lamoille Women's Club
The Lamoille Homemaker's Club which eventually became the Lamoille Women's Club (L.W.C) was founded in 1918 with 15 members under the Farm Bureau and Extension Service to improve homemaking skills, Then, the object was to promote the social, educational, and economic interests of the women of the Lamoille Valley. Today, the mission of the club has been expanded to include providing an opportunity for all women in Elko County to socialize and work together to improve the community through various service projects. Initial dues to the State Federation were a whopping ten cent per member.
Initially, members met at each other's homes, learned new homemaking skills, and developed a few community projects- one involved weighing each child every month to assure proper growth. Their community involvement continued to grow from there.
In 1948, the club changed its name to the Lamoille Women's Club. In 1999 a Club president decided to call it the Lamoille Woman's Club, but that is not the legal incorporated name.
In the early years, travel between Elko and Lamoille over a narrow dirt road was difficult particularly in winter. Many just stayed overnight in Elko when they traveled there. In 1939, the women of the club met with the County Commissioners about the road. Eight years later in the spring of 1947, the new road opened. The Elko Daily Free Press Editor wrote, " One of the finest inter-community celebrations ever held in Elko County marked the completion of the Elko-Lamoille Highway... The woman's club members of Lamoille were among the hardest workers."
During World War II, members rolled bandages, knitted for servicemen, gave to the Red Cross, made items for Wendover Air base Hospital, and collected "Pennies for China."
In 1947, members decided they should have a clubhouse and set aside $102 in a special fund for this project. They held numerous fund raising events. When they had over $1,900, the men realized how hard they had worked and added over $812 to bring the total to $2,765. In June 1949, they heard of the disassembling of the Tonopah Army Hospital and voted to move one of the buildings to Lamoille. The total cost of the building to be relocated was $2,801, and it was placed on the foundation in August 1949 debt free. The land had been given to Elko County by Charles Noble around 1910 for recreational purposes with the stipulation that it could never be sold, and so it was leased to LWC for their clubhouse. The renovations took a year of hard work on the part of the members and their husbands, converting a hospital ward to a meetinghouse.
In 1958, the members began working with the Lamoille Valley Indians and natives in other nearby areas to improve their conditions and educational opportunities.
In 1965, the club started to campaign to get the road through Lamoille Canyon paved. It took three years of wading through red tape to get the project started, and it was completed in 1971.
In 1969, members took on a library project for Lamoille and collected more than 1,200 books.
The historic Little Church of the Crossroads in Lamoille has benefited from the efforts of the club members who were responsible for major repairs made from 1970 to 1972 and again from 1984 to 1986.
Club members have participated in many incarnation of the Rancher's Center in Lamoille over the course of many years.
Around 1975, a member suggested a "country carnival" fundraiser featuring games and homemade items with the proceeds going to be used for community projects. This was the forerunner for the current Lamoille Country Fair which is held the last Sunday of June every year. In June 2020, the Lamoille Country Fair celebrated its 35th anniversary.
The walls of the LWC Clubhouse are covered with the pictorial records of the Club's history and its many awards remaining members of LWC's illustrious heritage.
The Lamoille Women's Club has been involved in many projects over the years including work on a child abuse program, donating to the women's shelter, helping finish a new firehouse, and restoration projects for the Lamoille Cemetery, the Rancher's Center, and Lamoille Grove. Members were personally responsible for cleaning up the Lamoille Grove picnic area, they also purchased tables and barbecue units for the Grove.
The club continues to contribute each year to the Indian Art Exhibit at the Elko County Fair and provide several scholarships to both Spring Creek and Elko High Schools as well as Great Basin College.
Members of LWC have chosen to align themselves with a group of dedicated women who have a long and proud history. They constantly strive to make a difference whenever they find a need doing so with enthusiasm and determination to do the best they can for their community.
In October 2018 the local Elko Daily Free Press did a story about the Club's exhibit at tht Northeastern Nevada Museum.