Young Women's Christian Association of Bellingham records, 1899-2007

Overview of the Collection

Creator
Young Women's Christian Association (Bellingham, Wash.)
Title
Young Women's Christian Association of Bellingham records
Dates
1899-2007 (inclusive)
Quantity
13.5 linear ft.
Collection Number
XOE_CPNWS0192ywcabellingham (collection)
Summary
The Young Women’s Christian Association of Bellingham, Washington, officially formed in May 1907. The organization’s mission is to provide housing and support for girls and women in crisis. The YWCA of Bellingham records span the dates 1906-1994 and are comprised of administrative, financial, and committee records, records related to YWCA programs and activities, photographs and scrapbooks, and newspaper clippings.
Repository
Western Washington University, Center for Pacific Northwest Studies
Goltz-Murray Archives Building
808 25th St.
Bellingham, WA
98225
Telephone: (360) 650-7534
cpnws@wwu.edu
Access Restrictions

The collection is open to the public.

Languages
English.
Sponsor
Funding for preparing this finding aid was provided by a grant from the Washington State Legislature to the Washington Women's History Consortium.

Historical NoteReturn to Top

The Young Women’s Christian Association (YWCA) of Bellingham was founded in 1907 in Bellingham, Washington. Following preliminary meetings in 1906, the Board of Directors held its first official meeting in May 1907. The YWCA mission was to provide housing and support for girls and women in crisis, as well as the necessary resources to help them become independent and successful. The YWCA of Bellingham echoed its national counterpart’s mission statement: to develop empowered women and girls, and to combat racism.* Throughout its history, the YWCA of Bellingham has provided support for girls and women through various committees and clubs which focus on the economic, physical, and mental well-being of participants. In 2007, the YWCA of Bellingham celebrated its centennial anniversary. The occasion was commemorated through stories in local publications and an exhibit at the Whatcom Museum.

In its earliest days, members met in the Bellingham homes of the organization’s leaders, then at various locales throughout the community. That remained the case until Charles X. Larrabee donated a downtown Bellingham building for the YWCA of Bellingham in honor of his wife, Frances P. Larrabee, and their only daughter, Mary. Construction of the building was completed in 1915 and it was dedicated in March of that year.

The YWCA building is located on the corner of Maple and Forest streets and is still used as an active residence hall. It was designed by the Seattle-based architect, Carl F. Gould. Gould is also known in Bellingham for his design of Eden's Hall and the Wilson Library on the Western Washington University campus. Frances P. Larrabee was instrumental in the creation of the local organization and remained an active participant for many years.

Content DescriptionReturn to Top

The Young Women's Christian Association (YWCA) of Bellingham records span the dates 1906-1994, with the bulk of the materials dated circa 1912-1980. The collection contains administrative, financial, and committee records, records related to local YWCA programs and activities, photographs and scrapbooks, and newspaper clippings.

Administrative records date from 1912-2007 and include articles of incorporation, bylaws, and historical information about the organization. The bulk of administrative records comprise agendas and reports from annual meetings, minutes of the YWCA of Bellingham's Board of Directors, and reports of the General Secretary. The series also contains correspondence, membership materials, and abstracts of title reflecting YWCA real estate. Historical materials include papers documenting the YWCA building's placement on the National Register of Historic Places in 1979, as well as national and local (Bellingham) anniversary celebrations.

Financial records span the dates 1912-1978 and include auditor’s reports, Finance Committee materials, reports regarding the Bellingham Community Chest, and information on grants, and fundraising endeavors.

Committee records date from 1912-1981 and document the interests and work of YWCA of Bellingham standing committees. Although the bulk of these records were generated by the Health Education and Traveler's Aid Committees, they also reflect the activities of the other committees active at the YWCA building. The collection contains materials produced by the Residence, Outreach and Educational, Female Support and Advocacy Committees and others.

Records related to YWCA of Bellingham programs and activities date from 1911-1977 and contain both reference materials and records generated by the local organization. These records document issues of concern for the YWCA of Bellingham including gun control, support for women offenders, and rape relief. Program materials also document the activities of local YWCA clubs including “Bun Club,” “Y-Teens” and “Y-Wives.”

The photographs and scrapbooks span the dates 1910-1980, and include photographs of Charles X. Larrabee, donor of the YWCA building, and his wife, Frances P. Larrabee. Other photographs document YWCA of Bellingham activities and events, members and employees. A number of photographs also depict the exterior and interior of the YWCA building on Forest and Maple streets. Scrapbooks contain some photographs, but are primarily collections of newspaper clippings about organizational activities, gathered throughout the local branch’s history. There are also scrapbooks from the “Girls Reserves,” “Y-Teens,” and “Y-Wives” Clubs.

Newspaper clippings span the dates 1906-1996 and document noteworthy YWCA of Bellingham activities, events, programs, and people.

YWCA Centennial and One Hundred Years of Challenge and Change: Whatcom Women and the YWCA materials were gathered during the preparation leading up to and culmunation of both the 2007 centennial event and the subsequent publishing of Lynn Masland's book. These records consist of interviews and oral histories, photographs, publications, historical reference material, and research notes dating from 1899 to 2008. There are also digital copies of Masland's book on CD-R.

Use of the CollectionReturn to Top

Preferred Citation

Young Women's Christian Association of Bellingham records, Center for Pacific Northwest Studies, Western Libraries Archives & Special Collections, Western Washington University, Bellingham WA 98225-9123.

Administrative InformationReturn to Top

Arrangement

The Young Women's Christian Association of Bellingham records are organized according to the following series arrangement:

  • Series I. Administrative Records 1912-2007
  • Series II. Financial Records 1912-1968
  • Series III. Committee Records 1912-1981
  • Series IV. Programs and Activities 1911-1977
  • Series V. Photographs and Scrapbooks 1910-1980
  • Series VI. Newspaper Clippings 1906-1996
  • Series VII. YWCA Centennial and One Hundred Years of Challenge and Change: Whatcom Women and the YWCA materials1899-2008

Acquisition Information

The records were donated by the YWCA of Bellingham in multiple installments first in 1979, then in 1989, and again in 2001 at which time a deed of gift was signed. Materials regarding the branch's centennial celebration were acquired in 2007.

Processing Note

Duplicates and non-archival materials were removed from the collection.

Processing Note

About Harmful Language and Content

To learn more about problematic content in our collections, collection description and teaching tools (including how to provide feedback or request dialogue on this topic), see the following Statement About Potentially Harmful Language and Content

Bibliography

Murray, Keith."The Origins of the Bellingham Y.W.C.A." in Howard J. Critchfield, ed. Pacific Northwest: Essays in Honor of James W. Scott. Bellingham, WA: Western Washington University (1993).

Detailed Description of the CollectionReturn to Top

The following section contains a detailed listing of the materials in the collection.

Series I :   Administrative Records1912-2007 Return to Top

Container(s) Description Dates
Annual Meetings and Reports
1913-1988
Box/Folder
1/1
Report
1913-1914
1/2
Report
1914-1915
1/3
Report
1915-1916
1/4
Report
1929-1936
1/5
Program and Report
1936-1937
1/6
Program and Report
1937-1938
1/7
Program and Report
1938-1939
1/8
Program and Report
1939-1940
1/9
Program and Report
1940-1941
1/10
Program and Report
1941-1942
1/11
Program and Report
1942-1943
1/12
Program and Report
1945-1963
1/13
Program and Report
1964-1973,; 1979
1/14
Program and Report
1981
1/15
Program and Report
1982
1/16
Program
1983
1/17
Report
1984
1/18
Report
1985
1/19
Report
1986
1/20
Report
1987-1988
Box/Folder
2/1
Annual Narrative Reports
1950-1952
2/2
Articles of incorporation, bylaws, and constitution
circa 1908-1967
Board of Directors materials
1912-1981
Box/Folder
2/3
General reference materials
circa 1912-1971
2/4
Board of Directors and committee members
circa 1906-1964
2/5
Board motions
1974-1979
2/6
Board responsibilities and training
circa 1978
2/7
Board retreat
1987
Minutes
1906-1994
Box/Folder
2/8
Minutes
1906-1911
2/9
Minutes
1923-1925
2/10
Minutes
1929-1936
3/1
Minutes
1936-1943
3/2
Minutes
1943-1949
3/3
Minutes
1950-1953
4/1
Minutes
1958-1970
4/2
Minutes
1970
4/3
Minutes
1971
4/4
Minutes
1972
4/5
Minutes
1973
4/6
Minutes
1974
4/7
Minutes
1975
4/8
Minutes
1976
5/1
Minutes
1976-1979
5/2
Minutes
1979-1980
5/3
Minutes
1981-1982
5/4
Minutes
1983-1984
5/5
Minutes
1985
5/6
Minutes
1986
5/7
Minutes
1987
5/8
Minutes
1988
5/9
Minutes
1989
5/10
Minutes
1990
5/11
Minutes
1991
5/12
Minutes
1992
6/1
Minutes
1993
6/2
Minutes
1994
Box/Folder
6/3
Cabinet minutes
1948-1955
Correspondence
1915-1978
Box/Folder
6/4
Greeting cards
circa 1915
6/5
General
circa 1916-1923
6/6
General
circa 1941-1977
6/7
General
circa 1977
6/8
National Board
circa 1915-1925
6/9
National Board
1977-1978
6/10
Regional Board
1915
6/11
Regional Board
1915-1924
Box/Folder
6/12
Equipment and supplies advertisements
circa 1915-1921
General Secretary Reports
1911-1943
Box/Folder
6/13
Reports
1911-1916
6/14
Report
1913
7/1
Report
1914
7/2
Report
1915
7/3
Reports
1916-1923
7/4
Report
1924
7/5
Report
1935
7/6
Report
1936
7/8
Reports
1937-1938
7/9
Report
1941
7/10
Report
1942
7/11
Report
1943
Box/Folder
7/12
Group work reports
1941-1943
Informational and historical materials
1924-1976
Box/Folder
7/13
General reference materials
circa 1924-1973
7/14
Nomination to the National Historic Register
1976 February
Box/Folder
7/15
Long-range planning
circa 1969-1978
Membership
1912-1976
Box/Folder
7/16
Membership dues
1958-1964
7/17
Membership materials
1912-1924
8/1
Membership materials
1942-1948
8/2
Membership materials
1976
National Reports
1935-1943
Box/Folder
8/3
Report
1935
8/4
Report
1936
8/5
Report
1937
8/6
Report
1938
8/7
Report
1939
8/8
Reports
1940-1943
Box/Folder
8/9
President's Reports
1936, ; 1939
Property - Abstracts of Title
1912-1926
Box/Folder
8/10
Lot 1 in Block 80, Town of New Whatcom
1914
8/11
Lot 2 in Block 80, Town of New Whatcom
1914
8/12
Lot 3 in Block 80, Town of New Whatcom
1926
8/13
Rear 12 feet of Block 81, Town of New Whatcom
1912
Box/Folder
8/14
Staff contracts
1941-1948
8/15
Staff to Staff - official newsletter for staff of YWCA
circa 1974-1978
8/16
Student YWCA
1974
8/17
50th Anniversary Jubilee
1916
8/18
100th Anniversary of the Bellingham YWCA, includes information about the Whatcom Museum exhibit
2007

Series II :   Financial Records1912-1978 Return to Top

Container(s) Description Dates
Box/Folder
9/1
General reference materials
circa 1920s-1970s
Auditor's Reports
1929-1945
Box/Folder
9/2
Reports
1929-1942
9/3
Report
1945
Box/Folder
9/4
Charitable organizations
circa 1915-1920
Community Chest
1943-1964
Box/Folder
9/5
Monthly reports
1943-1945
9/6
Monthly reports
1956-1958
9/7
Monthly reports
1959-1960
9/8
Monthly reports
1961-1964
Finance Committee
1912-1978
Box/Folder
9/9
Committee materials
1912-1915
9/10
Committee materials
circa 1915
9/11
Committee materials
1916-1917
9/12
Committee materials
1918-1919
9/13
Committee materials
1920-1922
9/14
Committee materials
1923-1924
9/15
Committee materials
1926-1929
9/16
Committee materials
circa 1956-1978
Box/Folder
10/1
Financial aid and fundraising
circa 1967-1976
10/2
Financial campaigns
1919-1923
10/3
Grants
circa 1970s
10/4
Secretarial Retirement Fund
1924
10/5
Warrants and deeds
circa 1914-1944

Series III :   Committee Records1912-1981 Return to Top

Container(s) Description Dates
Box/Folder
10/6
General reference materials
circa 1980s
10/7
Business Girls Committee
1940-1941
10/8
Business and Industry Committee
1916-1933
10/9
Cafeteria Committee
circa 1914-1923
10/10
City Committee
1912
10/11
Exchange Committee
circa 1915
10/12
Fair Employment Committee
1915
10/13
Foreign Committee
circa 1915-1925
10/14
Girls Work Committee
1914-1916
10/15
Goals Committee
undated
Health Education Committee
1929-1942
Box/Folder
10/16
Report
1929
10/17
Report
1930
10/18
Report
1931
10/19
Report
1932
10/20
Reports
1931-1933
10/21
Report
1935
11/1
Report
1936
11/2
Report
1937
11/3
Report
1937-1938
11/4
Report
1938-1939
11/5
Reports
1939-1941
11/6
Report
1941-1942
Box/Folder
11/7
History and Heritage Committee
circa 1950s
House Committee
1912-1931
Box/Folder
11/8
House Committee
1912-1916
11/9
House Committee
1917-1931
Box/Folder
11/10
Investment Committee
1975-1976
11/11
Leisure Services Committee
1977-1978
11/12
Memorial Committee
1975
11/13
Nominating Committee
1978
11/14
Nursery Committee
1978
11/15
Options Committee
1975-1976
11/16
Personnel Committee
circa 1973-1978
11/17
Physical Education Committee
undated
11/18
Plant and Equipment Committee
1976-1977
11/19-11/20
Program Planning Committee
circa 1970s
11/21
Publicity Committee
1915-1916
12/1
Religious Work Committee
1912-1922
12/2-12/3
Residence Committee
1975-1976
12/4
Social Committee
1912-1922
Traveler's Aid Committee
1912-1951
Box/Folder
12/5
Certificate
1917 November 15
12/6
Minutes and reports
1912-1951
12/7
Minutes and reports
1913
12/8
Minutes and reports
1915-1921
12/9
Minutes and reports
1915-1922
13/1
Minutes and reports
1916-1917
13/2
Minutes and reports
1916-1919
13/3
Minutes and reports
1918-1920
13/4
Minutes and reports
1939-1940
Box/Folder
13/5
Ways and Means Committee
undated
13/6
Youth Committee
1977-1978

Series IV :   Programs and Activities1911-1977 Return to Top

Container(s) Description Dates
Box/Folder
13/7
Outline of programs
1975 May 6
13/8
Affirmative Action
circa 1970s
13/9-13/10
Bun Club
1953-1954
13/11
Camp Lummi
circa 1934-1938
13/12
Camp Shuksan
1941
13/13
Clubs
circa 1915-1924
14/1
Community survey
1938
14/2
Comprehensive Health Planning Council
circa 1970s
Employment
1911-1975
Box/Folder
14/3
Employment for Women
circa 1911-1915
14/4
Employment Security Department and CETA
1975
14/5
Equal employment
circa 1954
Girl Reserves
1926-1948
Box/Folder
14/6
Minutes
1944-1948
14/7
Songbook
1926
Box/Folder
14/8
Gun control
1973-1974
14/9
Heritage and history
1977
14/10
International Women's Year
1975
14/11
"One Imperative: Eliminate Racism"
1970-1975
14/12-14/13
Rape relief
circa 1970s
14/14
Single Parents support group
circa 1977
14/15
Student Standard Clubs
1914-1923
14/16
Swimming
circa 1950s
14/15
U.S.O. minutes
circa 1941-1942
15/1
Vietnam Wives
1967
15/2
Widows/Widowers support group
1975-1977
15/3
Women offenders
circa 1970s
15/4
Women's organizations
circa 1970s
15/5
Women's Press
1916-1925
Oversize Folder
OV/1
World Fellowship Project
1945
Box/Folder
15/6
Y's Buys Shop
undated
Y-teens
1946-1967
Box/Folder
15/7
General reference materials
circa 1958
15/8
Minutes
1946-1950
15/9
Minutes
1954-1967
Box/Folder
15/10
Y Wives
circa 1933-1969

Series V :   Photographs and Scrapbooks1910-1980 Return to Top

Container(s) Description Dates
Photographs
circa 1908-1980
Box/Folder
15/11
Banquet with Malaysian visitors
circa 1980
15/11
Camp OLGA
1924
15/13
Charles X. and Frances Larrabee
circa 1914
16/1
Children
circa 1910-1975
16/2
Drawing of Carl F. Gould, architect of the Bellingham YWCA building
circa 1927
16/3
Eleanor Roosevelt with baby Franklin (credit Franklin D. Roosevelt Library)
1914
16/4
General
circa 1915-1925
16/5
General
circa 1920-1975
16/6
General
circa 1940s
16/7-16/11
General
circa 1970s-1980s
16/12
Groups
circa 1911-1931
16/13
Negatives
circa 1920s-1970s
16/14
Proof sheets
circa 1980s
16/15
Slides
undated
16/16
Swimming pool
circa 1920s
16/17
Western Washington University
circa 1909-1920
16/18
Y-Teens
circa 1960s
16/19
YWCA building
circa 1908-1919
Oversize Photographs
circa 1920-1946
Oversize Folder
OV/2
Annual Regional Conference
1946 March 26
OV/3
Girl Reserves conference
1923
OV/4
Girl Reserves
undated
OV/5
Mother-Daughter banquet
circa 1920
Scrapbooks
1910-1985
Box/Folder
17/1
Bun Club
1953
Oversize Folder
OV/6
Girls Reserves
circa 1920s-1930s
Box/Folder
17/2
Girl Reserves
1941-1945
17/3
Girl Reserves
1945-1946
17/4
Newsletters
circa 1912
17/5
Publicity and program materials
1941-1943
17/6
Teas
circa 1959-1965
18/1
Y-Teens
circa 1920s
18/2
Y-Teens
1947
18/3
Y-Teens
1948
18/4
Y-Teens
1957-1958
18/5-18/6
Y-Teens
1958-1959
18/7
Y-Teens
1960-1965
18/8
Y-Teens
1967-1968

Series VI :   Newspaper clippings1906-1996 Return to Top

Container(s) Description Dates
Box/Folder
19/1
Newspaper clippings
1910-1913
19/2
Newspaper clippings
1914-1923
19/3
Newspaper clippings
1915;; 1920;; 1964
19/4
Newspaper clippings
1924-1941
19/5
Newspaper clippings
circa 1930s
20/1
Newspaper clippings
1941
20/2
Newspaper clippings
1941-1946
20/3
Newspaper clippings
1947-1949
20/4
Newspaper clippings
1950-1953
21/1
Newspaper clippings
1953-1955
21/2
Newspaper clippings
1956-1961
21/3
Newspaper clippings
1961-1965
22/1
Newspaper clippings
1966-1972
22/2
Newspaper clippings
1981-1985
23/1
Newspaper clippings
1906
23/2
Newspaper clippings
1924-1926
23/3
Newspaper clippings
1945;; 1957
23/4
Newspaper clippings
1960-1968
23/5
Newspaper clippings
1971-1996
23/6
Newspaper clippings and other mixed material
circa 1914-1973

Series VII :   YWCA Centennial and One Hundred Years of Challenge and Change: Whatcom Women and the YWCA materials1899-2008 Return to Top

Container(s) Description Dates
Box/Folder
23/7
Christman, Beth - material on Lydia Place
2008
23/8
Fahey, Susan - A Quiet Regional of the Mind: The Aftermath Club of Bellingham, 1896-1990
1994 August
23/9
Hall of Fame/Legacy awards
2008
23/10
"Highlight and Hallmarks of YWCA History" - timeline of Power Point show
circa 2008
Interviews and Oral Histories
2007-2008
Audio Recordings
Box/Folder
23/11
Blair, Karen
2008 March 16
23/12
Chevalier, Geneil
2007 May 14
23/13
Culjat, Dorothy
2008 July 20
24/1
Eco-Action Group
2008
24/2
Foster, Julie
2008 June 26
24/3
Page, Roseanna Stilwell
2008 June 3
24/4
Richards, Alice
2008 August 11
24/5
Robinson, Mary
2008 April 29
24/6
Spanel, Harriet
2008 July 18
Box/Folder
24/7
Eco-Action interview transcript and related material
2009
24/8
Notes on interviews and interviewees
circa 2006-2008
24/9
Transcripts
2007-2008
Masland, Lynn
2007-2008
Box/Folder
24/10
Talks on YWCA history
circa 2007-2008
24/11
Text for museum exhibit and presentation
circa 2007-2008
Box/Folder
24/12
Media coverage of YWCA Centennial and book launch
2007-2008
24/13
Murray, Keith - "The Origins of the Bellingham Y.W.C.A." (excerpt from Howard J. Critchfield, ed., Pacific Northwest: Essays in Honor of James W. Scott)
undated
One Hundred Years of Challenge and Change: Whatcom Women and the YWCA
2008
Box/Folder
24/14
Digital copies on CD-R
circa 2008
24/15
Drafts
circa 2008
24/16
Production invoices
2008
Photographs
2007-2008
Box/Folder
24/17
Photocopies of historic images from CPNWS, WWU Special Collections, and the Whatcom Museum
circa 2007-2008
24/18
Photo permissions forms
circa 2007-2008
24/19
Photo source lists
circa 2007-2008
Research
1899-2008
Box/Folder
24/20-24/29
Chronological
circa 1890s-2008
24/30
Miscellaneous research material
circa 2007-2008
24/31
Museum copy
circa 1941-1982
24/32
Normal School
1899-
Box/Folder
24/33
Richards, Alice material
2008
24/34
Roebuck, Randy - "Bellingham YWCA: Our Heritage - Vignettes, 1907-1979"
1979
24/35
Washington Historical Commission grant materials
circa 2007-2008
24/36
YWCA - National Branch
2008
24/37
YWCA Past Presidents list
1907-1989

Names and SubjectsReturn to Top

Subject Terms

  • Community centers--Washington (State)--Bellingham--History--Sources.
  • Community education--Washington (State)--Bellingham--History--Sources.
  • Female offenders--Washington (State)--Bellingham--History--Sources.
  • Gun control--Washington (State)--Bellingham--History--Sources.
  • Women in community organization--Washington (State)--Bellingham--History--Sources.
  • Women social reformers--Washington (State)--Bellingham--History--Sources.
  • Women's shelters--Washington (State)--Bellingham--History--Sources.
  • Women's rights--Washington (State)--Bellingham--History--Sources.
  • Women--Employment--Washington (State)--Bellingham--History--Sources.
  • Women--Societies and Clubs--Washington (State)--Bellingham--History--Sources.
  • Women--Washington (State)--Bellingham--History--Sources.
  • Youth centers--Washington (State)--Bellingham--History--Sources.
  • Youth--Washington (State)--Bellingham--History--Sources.

Corporate Names

  • Young Women's Christian Association (Bellingham, Wash.) (creator)

Geographical Names

  • Bellingham (Wash.)--History--Sources.