Our Centennial celebration was a huge success ! The “A Centennial of Giving” Club Benefit was held on Friday April 21st, 2023 @ Michigan
Shores Club, in Wilmette.
Kenilworth Home and Garden Club was founded to promote interest in beautifying the home, to stimulate the love and knowledge of gardening amongst amateurs; to aid in the protection of native trees, plants and birds; and to encourage civic planting.
1923 - On March 23rd, Ida Cherry gathered a group of friends at her home at 422 Abbotsford to form the Home and Garden Club of Kenilworth. The name was changed in 1928 to the Kenilworth Home and Garden Club for better name recognition.
1920 's - "One of the first things we did was to plant Elm trees along Green Bay Road".
- "Our club became a Charter Member of the Garden Clubs of Illinois in 1927.
1930's - We pioneered the use of herbs in floral show entries and won gold at the Merchandise Mall Flower Show.
- Bess Hodge urged the village to develop Mahoney as a "wildlife preserve and bird sanctuary".
1939 - Members urged to enjoy the peace and quiet of their gardens during the war.
1940's - We organized the Victory Gardens
- The first Club Benefit was held in 1945 to support Great Lakes and Fort Sheridan.
- The Secretary the Navy presented our club with an award for our service at Great Lakes.
1950's - 1960's - Our club had 5 nationally accredited flower show judges.
- The idea of sending the 1065 "Christmas in Kenilworth" House Walk invitation to the Lord and Lady of Kenilworth was discussed.
1970's - Our club sponsored and provided judges for the annual Joseph Sears School Flower Show from 1972 - 1989.
- We adopted a sister garden club in Lima, Peru.
1980's - Richmond Circle was adopted.
- Five members recognized fro combined membership of over 200 years : Ruth Lawson, Louellenn Nance, Esther Pendleton, Betty Peterson and Pauline Richmond.
- The January Joint Meeting with Clippers changed to include all four garden clubs to focus on Mahoney Park.
1990's- Plaque placed at Mahoney park to commemorate our 75th Anniversary and 65 years of restoration for the park.
2000's - Maclean Triangle was adopted.
- Kathie Grienenberger hosted the Christmas holiday workshop in her home for 20 years.
2010's - Kenilworth Assembly Hall project for Jen Jensen's original landscape designs completed.
- Benefit proceeds of $7500 used to build a new fence for Mahoney Park.
- 150 + years of combined membership years shared by : Charlotte Hayes, Grace Peterson and Gen Phelps.
2020's - New Club logo introduced
- Our benefit became an "Un-Benefit" in 2020, raising a record $9200.
- Club website launched.
All information in this " Centennial" Page is provided by Stacy Hunt who has been tirelessly collating old articles and photographs, and spending many hours in The Kenilworth Historical Society !
Club President 1923 - 1925
FIRST MEETING : 1923
"The Home and Garden Club of Kenilworth, as it was originally called, was the outgrowth of a small group of friends gathered together by Mrs. Frank Cherry in March 1923. (The name was changed in 1928 to Kenilworth Home and Garden Club for better identification.)"
Club history written by Harriet G. Johnston in 1943 for the 20th Anniversary of our club. Page 2. Mrs. Cherry's photo from club archives.
422 ABBOTSFORD ROAD
Ida Cherry's Home
"Fifteen Kenilworth friends met at the home of Mrs. Frank Cherry at 422 Abbotsford to organize the Kenilworth Home and Garden Club. The purpose of the club was 'to promote interest in beautifying the home, to stimulate to love and knowledge of gardening amongst amateurs, to aid in the protection of native trees, plants and birds, and to encourage civic planting.' "
"Our garden club became a charter member of the Garden Club of Illinois in 1927."
Text sourced from Club history reports written by Colleen Kilner, Sue Folland and author unknown.Photo of 422 Abbotsford courtesy of Kenilworth Historical Museum.
1923 - RAILROAD AVENUE
"One of the first things we did was to plant elm trees on Green Bay Road, from the Wilmette limits to the Northwestern freight house. At the time, it was a muddy dirt road known as Railroad Avenue. It was almost solid with billboards, against which we conducted an active campaign and had them mostly removed, as well as those on many other highways, including Sheridan Road, although some work is still to be done there."
Club history written by Harriet G. Johnston in 1943 for the 20th Anniversary of our club. Page 7. Map drawing courtesy of Kenilworth Historical Society.
Club President 1925-1926
"In 1924, Mrs. Erwin planted 6,000 tulips and a great many narcissi and hyacinths around her home on Roslyn Road, and when they bloomed with the flowering crabs it was a picture that none of us will forget."
Club history written by Harriet G. Johnston in 1943 for the 20th Anniversary of our club. Page 3. Tulip photo courtesy of Stacy Hunt. Mrs. Erwin photo from club archives.
MABEL NASON
Club President 1933-1934
1932 - PARK DRIVE
"When the golf grounds were subdivided for building in 1932, our club became very active in the development of Park Drive, and with the help of Mr. Ward Starrett, who was president of the Park Board, worked out the present plantings.
We secured plans from Mr. Palmgren, and donated $175, which money was used to plant crab trees, hawthorns, and other ornamental trees, as well as a great many shrubs. The Village Board had intended putting cement posts down the center of this parkway, but our committee, headed by Mrs. Cherry and Mrs. Nason, persuaded them to use that same money to maintain the plantings we would undertake."
Club history written by Harriet G. Johnston in 1943 for the 20th Anniversary of our club. Page 8. Mrs. Nason's photo from club archives.
Merchandise Mart Flower Show Exhibit by Mabel Nason and Emma Bulley.
"We are the pioneers in the idea of using herbs and won a gold medal for an herb garden at a show at the Merchandise Mart in 1931."
"A little incident which happened then was rather amusing. Mr. Bulley built us a tool house, and the committee worked like Trojans, planting the garden and arranging and re-arranging until everyone was just about at their wits end.When it was completed, Mrs. Bulley became quite upset because she felt we needed some birds to complete the scene. Live ones being out of the question, we contacted various taxidermists and could find nothing suitable. Finally, Mrs. Johnston phoned a florist, and sure enough, he had white doves and would be delighted to lend us a couple. They added quite a realistic touch to our dove cote stop and tool house, and a lot of merriment to the tired gardeners."
Club history written by Harriet G. Johnston in 1943 for the 20th Anniversary of our club. Page 5. Flower Show photo from club archives.
"In August of 1933, the Kenilworth Home and Garden Club secured the services of Jens Jensen to develop a plan for the Park in conjunction with the Mahoney Park Advisory Committee."
"Specific features donated by members of Kenilworth Home and Garden Club include the stone pool from Mrs. Lindley, the martin house from Mrs. Nason, and a bronze marker from Mr. and Mrs. Marx. Wildflowers were donated by several of the club's other members."
Quotes and photo of Council Ring from "View from the Path: Jens Jensen in Kenilworth", p53. Kenilworth Historical Society, 2004. Photo of Jens Jensen's plans courtesy of Kenilworth Historical Society.
Original Mahoney Park plans by Jens Jensen (photo above). Council ring in Mahoney Park (left).
The home of Gussie Howe, where we celebrated our 10th Anniversary. The original home was built in 1909.
"We invited our husbands to a buffet supper and had as special guests Mr. and Mrs. Jens Jensen. Mr. Jensen told many interesting and amusing incidents concerning the History and Plans of the Mahoney Park which we had just completed."
Club history written by Harriet G. Johnston in 1943 for the 20th Anniversary of our club. Page 14. Mrs. Howe's photo from club archives. 240 Kenilworth Avenue photo courtesy of Kenilworth Historical Society.
Club history written by Harriet G. Johnston in 1943 for the 20th Anniversary of our club. Page 5. Flower Show photo from club archives.
Club President 1926-1927
Hostess for Jens Jensen Dinner
"Mrs. Frank Nason, President of the Kenilworth Home and Garden Club, shown with historic shawl at exhibit." - "Chicago Herald - Examiner", Jan 10, 1937
"At the regular meeting, Mrs. Seely presented Mrs. Johnston as speaker, whose topic was "Your Shawl". Members and guests brought their shawls and all enjoyed the authoritative paper by Mrs. Johnston."
The program was at the home of Mrs. John Wilds, 244 Oxford Road.
Club history from Club Minutes February 1, 1937. Newspaper clipping from "Chicago Herald - Examiner", 1937.
Mahoney Park:
1933 - "All Specimen Trees"
1933 - Wildflowers
1935 - Wildflowers
1937 - Ginkgo Tree
1938 - "Specimen" Tree
1939 - Purple Beach Tree
Park Drive:
1931 - Ginkgo Tree
1931 - Purple Beach Tree
1932 - Crabtrees
1932 - Hawthorns and Shrubs
1933 - "Miscellaneous" Trees
1937 - Ginkgo Tree
1939 - Copper Beach Tree
Railroad Drive (Green Bay Road):
1930 - Elm Trees
We planted elms to fill the view on Railroad Drive from the south up to the north entrances - approximately just north of Homer's up to Roger Avenue.
Village Vegetable Gardens:
1932 - Provided for 12 families.
"We bought tools and bore the expenses of this work, taxing each member a dollar, and the Club absorbing the small balance. To give you some idea as to the success of this venture, one family canned 68 quarts of beans and 100 quarts of tomatoes, as well as supplying their table plentifully throughout the season."
Railroad Drive information and Village Garden
Just a few ..
Needlework Samplers
Colonial Homes
Japanese Flower Art
Florida and Bar Harbor Gardens
Begonias
Annual Picnic in Barrington
Art Institute Textile Guild
Waukegan Dunes
Seedlings and Their Germination
Delphiniums
In-Club Flower Show
Mexico and Mexican Gardens
The Newer Flowers for 1937
Rocky Mountain Wildflowers
"Along a Garden Path" Book Review
Tulip Festival in Holland, MI
Tour of Evanston Chemical Gardens
Care of House Plants
Tour of Member Gardens in 1939:
-Mrs. Lundahl - 224 Raleigh Road
-Mrs. Oleson - 240 Woodstock
-Mrs. Schaeffer - 212 Raleigh Road
-Mrs. Taylor - 431 Essex Road
Program information from 1931-1939 Club Minutes and Directories.
1941: Efforts Focused Towards Great Lakes and Fort Sheridan
Pictured : 1942: Grace Donnelly, Colleen Kilner, Alma Boyle, and Pauline Richmond gather flowers for the weekly delivery to Great Lakes and Fort Sheridan.
"Mrs. McAllister at the Great Lakes and Mrs. Marx at the Fort Sheridan hospitals, starting in 1941, have been our hard-working and faithful representatives on the war activities committee of the Illinois Garden Club. They have collected and arranged flowers, tended plants, distributed magazines and books, and by their unceasing and tireless efforts, made brighter the lives of our hospitalized fighting men."
"Each Thursday, they go with flowers and gifts for the boys. To enumerate - the Easter eggs, blooming plants, decorated Christmas trees, bowls of lilies and gifts and even bowls of goldfish that have passed through these capable hands would fill a large volume. No weather, no matter how stormy or hazardous, has been too severe to deter them in their work."
1948 Award from the Navy:
"Mrs. McAllister received a major award in 1948 from the Secretary of the Navy commending her great work at Great Lakes."
Of Note:
For nearly 20 years, KHGC gathered flowers, plants, jams, magazines and more for delivery, some years every week, to Great Lakes and Fort Sheridan and other area hospitals as a member of the "Plant, Flower and Fruit Guild", a Garden Clubs of Illinois (GCI) committee. Our club was recognized many times by GCI for consistently being one of the largest contributors to this work, in addition to several of our members serving as Chair of the state-wide committee in the '40's.
Quotes from Club history written by Harriet G. Johnston in 1948 for the 50th Anniversary. Page 18 -19.
"Of Note" Information from Club Minutes 1931 - 1956. Photo from Great Lakes Report 1942.
1942 - Our First Benefit
Supporting Great Lakes and Fort Sheridan
At the home of Nellie Barton - 257 Kenilworth Avenue
Benefits from 1942 - 1948 would yield net profits of $1362.13. This funded weekly deliveries to Fort Sheridan and Great Lakes hospitals to support wounded soldiers.
Mildred McAllister gave lectures on flower show staging and judging. She donated the proceeds to the cause.
Benefit information from 1940 - 1949 Club Minutes.
1940's - Flower Shows at Marshall Field's*
Seen here:
Pauline Richmond and Louella Nance are seen putting the finishing touches on KHGC Flower Show entry at Marshall Fields's in 1947.
This 1947 entry won a purple award and three blue ribbons for arrangements within the room.
*The Chicago Flower Show was moved from Navy Pier to Marshall Field's during WWII.*
Information and newspaper photo from Club Publicity 1930-1956 p63
At Mahoney Park after the Anniversary Garden Walk and Tea
July 16, 1948
"In the late afternoon, the husbands were invited to enjoy the results of our labors after which a picnic was served in Mahoney Park. The food was excellent and the weather man provided us with a perfect day to entertain about 500 guests. We enjoyed a beautiful sunset and the moon rising over the lake..." - Harriet Johnston - Club Historian
The 25th Anniversary Garden Walk featured six member gardens, an afternoon tea and a sunset picnic for 500 guests at Mahoney Park.
Member Homes on the Garden Walk:
"Garden Border"
Bess Schaefer - 212 Raleigh
"Friendship Garden"
Lillian Tragnitz - 103 Robsart
"Lure and Lore of the Garden"
Francie McGibbon - 201 Sheridan
"Garden Lore"
Colleen Kilner - 430 Sheridan
"Early American Home"
Louella Nance - 230 Oxford
"Silver Anniversary Table"
Liz Peterson - 227 Raleigh Road
"The tour ended at Mrs. Lawson's home, one of the earliest built in Kenilworth, 37 Kenilworth Avenue, in which there were many beautiful and unique flower studies. A tea was served from the table decorated with a very unusual and delightful arrangement of white petunias. On the terrace overlooking the lake, our beautiful birthday cake was served accompanied by punch and small 25th anniversary cakes."
Club history written by Harriet G. Johnston in 1948 for the 25th Anniversary of our club. Page 22.
Newspaper photos from Club Newspapers:1939-1992 File.
"Daughters of members gather for the 25th Anniversary Tea... Seated from left to right: Joan Lawson, Anne Boyle, Ann Peterson and Carol Donnelly. Standing from left to right: Margaret Lawson, Patricia Holmes, Sue Kendall and Jane Peterson."
-Chicago Tribune, 1948
"Tall tapers on the specially arranged tea table were lighted by Mrs. Lawrence D. Lawson, on whose terrace punch and anniversary cake was served to the club's guests."
-Newspaper unknown
August 19, 1948
Mahoney Park:
Beech Tree -In Memory of Mrs. Nason
Swamp Maple Tree - In Memory of Mrs. Newport
Bird Feeding Station as a War Memorial
Village Parkways:
Iris Rhizomes
10 bushels from Mrs. Dodge and Mrs. Peterson
Victory Gardens:
1943 - Five Victory Gardens established in Kenilworth
Planting information from 1940 - 1949 Club Minutes.
1940's: Programs
Just a few!
Tree Walk of Kenilworth
"...to better understand trees planted by our club."
New Approach to Conservation
Victory Teas
Great Lakes War Efforts
Lakefront Picnic at Mrs. McGibbons - 201 Sheridan
Christmas Workshop for Great Lakes
Fascinating Cacti
Tour of Lilacia Park in Lombard
Staging and Judging a Flower Show
Tree Stories
An Evening of Fun with our Husbands
Highway Beautification
Hosted the Annual GCI Luncheon at North Shore Country Club in 1940
Program information from 1940-1949 Club Minutes and Directories.
"It is staggering to contemplate the hundreds of bouquets, gifts of fruit, colored Easter eggs, personal gifts for the boys, and the vast number of Christmas trees decorated with our own handmade ornaments that passed through Mrs. Donnelly's capable hands over these 11 years."
Pictured .. September 20, 1952
Grace Donnelly receiving a letter of appreciation from the Great Lakes Commanding Officer for our club's ongoing weekly contributions to the naval hospital.
Grace Donnelly faithfully led our club through this work for
11 years from 1943 - 1954.
Our work as a club, for Great Lakes and Fort Sheridan began in 1927, with gift baskets for naval families for Christmas.
Quote at top from Harriet Johnston - Club Historian - Club History 1923-1961 p26. Photos from club archives.
Early 1950's:
Workshops for Great Lakes
"One of the active groups is the Kenilworth Home and Garden Club, which has been sending individually decorated Christmas trees, gifts, and Christmas stockings to the Great Lakes Hospital for eight years."
Pictured: 1951: Alma Boyle, Vivian Collins, and Pauline Richmond and Grace Donnelly at Grace's home, 157 Kenilworth Avenue.
"Mrs. Curtis Kendall, left, and Mrs. Lawrence Kline, right are being shown how to make tree decorations by Mrs. Campbell Collins, who is charge of this phase of the work of the Kenilworth Home and Garden Club."
Newspaper clippings above and quotes from club archives, courtesy of Wilmette Life, December 13, 1951. Newspaper from 1953 from club archives, source unknown.
Pictured :
1953: Bea Kennedy and Juanita Joslin decorate trees at the December Christmas workshop.
Our club gave a plant each month to the science department. Below, 8th grade officers study a cyclamen.
Photos from unknown newspaper. Information from club minutes.
What is was like in 1951:
"Price to be $5 a table. Bridge or Canasta to be played. Each member bringing their own tables and donating 1 pound of cookies or $1 toward the expense of chairs to be rented, punch to buy, and a simple table prize."
- May 5, 1951 Minutes
Benefit information from 1950 - 1959 club minutes. Photos from club archives.
1957 Benefit Committee
From left to right:
Madge Carlson, Mary Alice Kreutzer, Bea Hazlehurst, Olive Storch, Bea Kennedy
Our club gave a plant each month to the science department.
Photos from unknown newspaper. Information from club minutes.
The children of Joseph Sears School, Kenilworth receive a gardenia plant each month, kindly donated by the Kenilworth Home and Garden Club. The plant of the month is rotated amongst the rooms of the school and pupils learn about its origin and how to care for it.
1959 Club Flower Show
"Sing It with Flowers"
"Four adjoining homes on Kenilworth Avenue were opened for the In-Club competition."
Blue ribbon winner Vivian Collins, seen here, with her dining table entry "Tea for Two".
Member Homes on the Garden Walk:
Clara Eschbach - 201 Kenilworth
Elizabeth Keith - 157 Kenilworth
Pauline Richmond - 165 Kenilworth
Rena Robinson - 149 Kenilworth
Photos from "Publicity 1923-1961" files.
Newspaper photos from "Newspapers:1939-1992" file p37.
From left to right:
Madge Carlson, Mary Alice Kreutzer, Bea Hazlehurst, Olive Storch, Bea Kennedy
Top Left Photo Above: Ruth Lawson with her award winning entry.
Top Right Photo Above: Rena Robinson stands at her doorway at 149 Kenilworth. The blue ribbon award arrangement on her door was created by Louella Nance.
1950's: Programs
Just a few ...
Flower Arranging - Every Year!
Herbs for the GardenInteriors of CharmRoses,
My Hobby
New Directions in Horticulture
Dutch Elm Disease and Our Trees
Fashion in Food and Flowers
Bird Biographies
The Meaning of the North ShoreCare of Trees by Nels Johnson
Kenilworth TreesStories of Mahoney Park
Program information from 1950-1959 club minutes and directories.
Mahoney Park:
1955-1959: "Reclaimed Mahoney Park"
Park Drive:
1954: Three Mountain Ash trees
Village Land Adjacent to the Railroad:
1955: "Multi-flora hedge planting" along with the Park Board
Planting information from 1950 - 1959 club minutes. Mahoney quote from 1/6/58 Minutes.