Gold Club Rating District 3

1940-1986

A number of Grapeland citizens realized that a civic club, properly organized and conducted, could mean a great deal to the community, and it was decided a garden club was the best answer to the need and plans began to shape up for the organization.

On October 1, 1940, twenty ladies met at the invitation of Mrs. M.G. Kennedy, Mrs. G.M. Chaffee, and Mrs. Jack Long to organize a garden club. Then later in October another meeting was held, adding twenty-two members. The adoption of a constitution and bylaws was presented and accepted. A year later the club became a Federated Club. 

The second year World War 2 began and the club was taught a course in home nursing by Mrs. George E. Darsey, Jr., a registered nurse. Twenty ladies passed this course. The club had its own Red Cross room and folded surgical dressings, this being its contribution to the War effort. 

In the years that followed, the club has sponsored Girl Scouts, a float each year for the Peanut Festival Parade, has landscaped the Elementary, Junior High and High Schools and the Community memorial Hospital grounds and Community Park on Main Street.

More recently, the club took on the project of designing and building the West and East entrances to the Community Park. It was a joint effort with the Community Council. A garden club member, Mrs. Ralph Walton, designed the entrances. Two brick pillars with curved brick planters extending from the pillars were built at both entrances. The club had the planters filled with soil and planted hedges in them. Outdoor lights were bought and added to the pillars. 

Many improvements have been sponsored by the garden club: clean-up campaigns yearly, planted in half whiskey barrels that they placed on Main Street and some side streets, gave awards for “yard of the seasons” and awards for Christmas decorated homes and business establishments. 

Contributions have been made to many local causes, bandstand in the Community Park, Senior Citizens Center, Fire Department, to young people participating in speech contests, essay and posters, drapes to the Community Hospital, Book Fair at the school library, etc. 

Past presidents and up to date have been Mrs. T.M. Chaffee, Mrs. G.W. Kennedy, Mrs. Julian Hayman, Mrs. J.W. Lively Mrs. Glen Eason, Mrs. Herman Beazley, Mrs. Jack Spence, Mrs. T.V. Lewis, Mrs. Homer Jones, Mrs. Milton Dailey, Mrs. Merle Luker, Mrs. Ralph Walton, Mrs. Wesley Slack, Mrs. N.M. Long, Ms. Jack Long, Mrs. Olan Davis, Mrs. J.H. Ryan, Mrs. Harry Pridgen, Mrs. E.C. Leeves, Mrs. Charles Gayle, Mrs. J.C. Shoultz (who has been the backbone and the main source of encouragement to keep the club going and her many other accomplishments with Zone, District, and State clubs and officers are too many to include in this article), Mrs. WM A. Smith, Mrs. Sam Kennedy, Jr., Mrs. M.Y. Holcomb, Mrs. O.H. Walston, Mrs. Boyd Howard, Mrs. Cleve Holt, Mrs. Troy Jones and currently, Miss Nettie Brown. 

This is a brief summary of the Grapeland Garden Club. Its contributions to the town and community are too numerous to relate but everyone who lives here has profited because there is a Grapeland Garden Club.