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FYI: The Conversation Club was founded 17 July 1894 for the purpose of stimulating the
mental and social culture of its members. Per a contribution by Mrs. Frances Petty
SARGENT, President, in the December 1994 issue of the "Delaware County
Genealogist" periodical --
"With the discovery of natural gas in the late 1880's scores of people came to
our city. A young man named Mr. KITTS came with his wife and little daughter. Mrs. KITTS
was a Vassar graduate, a musician. Mrs. Margaret ROSE who lived on South High Street
where the Horizon Center now stands was her neighbor. The two women with the addition of
a few more gathered together regularly to read some interesting article or discuss a book.
Eventually they enlarged the circle. Several were invited to meet with Mrs. HEINSOHN in
her home, then in the KIRBY House." Sixteen women got together and formed the club.
A constitution was found in the 1896-7 yearbook. The charter members were: Mrs. Mary
Louise COWAN, Miss Anna GOODARD, Mrs. Loouise HEFFNER, Mrs. Elizabeth HEINSOHN, Miss Sarah
HEINSOHN, Mrs. Mame HEINSOHN, Mrs. Clara KENDALL, Miss Grace KEISER, Mrs. Harriet KITTS,
Mrs. Cora McCULLOCH, Mrs. Lucy B. PATTON, Mrs. Julia T. RICHEY, Mrs. Margaret ROSE, Miss
Belle THOMAS, Mrs. !
Sarah WILDMAN and Mrs. Winnie WHITNEY.
Frances stated the first year book put together in the second year of the club in 1895 has
been found. The minutes have been carefully kept through the years. They selected the
motto: "Discourse - The Sweetest Banquet of the Mind" (Pope). The Club chose
pink and green as colors, the rose as their flower and used a song written by Mrs. Clara
KENDALL with music by Mrs. Kitts. The archives of the Conversation Club are to be placed
at the Minnetrista Cultural Center, 1200 N. Minnetrista Parkway, Muncie.
Early past presidents of the Conversation Club were Harriett W. KITTS (1894-97), Elizabeth
BINGHAM (1897-98), Margaret D. ROSE (1898-99), Ella E. DURHAM (1899-1900), Caroline M.
BRADY (1900-01), Eleanor L. SMITH (1901-02), Sara R. BALL (1902-03), Zene L. WHITE
(1903-04), Lydia H. STEVENS (1904-05), Bell THOMAS (1905-06), Bertha BALL (1906-07), Julia
T. RICHEY (1907-08), Luella CLAYPOOL (1908-09), Lydia H. STEVENS (1909-10), Bell THOMAS
(1910-11), Elizabeth B. BALL (1911-12), Marie GRAY (1912-14), Estelle SPENCER (1914-15),
Elizabeth E. WILLIAMS (1915-16), Huda S. KIMBROUGH (1916-18), and Grace K. MARING
(1918-20), Julia T. RICHEY (1920-21), Margaret D. ROSE (1921-22), Carroll H. McABEE
(1922-24), Ella E. DURHAM (1924-25), Marie GRAY 1925-26), Etta W. CAMPBELL (1926-28),
Harriett M. JOHNSON (1928-29), Mary OSTERLE (1929-31), Mary L. LETZLER (1931-32), Carroll
H. McABEE (1932-33).
Other early members mentioned "In Memoriam" included Mary H. DEARBORN, Arlene
CHAPIN, Clarissa K. ESTABROOK, Lottie KIMBROUGH, Nadine W. WARD, Mary E. WHITELY, Ann
LOCKWOOD, Ida C. OXTOBY, Marietta T. SPRAGUE, Ida F. MATHEWS, Sara W. CARSON, Anna W.
KEIM, Mary W. KEEFER, Ann B. ORR, Katherine HAYS, Alice WOLF, and Luella HEATH.