“Leaving the world a little better than we found it.”
In the beginning…
The first meeting of the Bayfield Civic League was held on March 10, 1913 when a group of twenty-eight Bayfield women met to focus their attention on improving Bayfield and the surrounding community in a variety of ways. Their chief objective was to beautify the city by creating a park and planting flower gardens, promoting sanitation within the confines of the city, and to strive for the social and cultural betterment of everyone in the community. They attacked their goals with vigor, and within a few short years had established a park in the big ravine, launched a campaign to prevent the many cows housed with the city limits from freely roaming the streets, and successfully completed fundraising for the construction of the lakeside gazebo which still exists on our waterfront today. The ladies held their meetings in the old Opera House, located directly east of the Bayfield Inn, and after this structure burned in 1929, the women raised money to paint and repair the interior of the courthouse, and for several years maintained a meeting room there. In 1924, when the spectacular Indian Pageant was produced on the shores of Lake Superior just six miles north of the city, the Civic League gave their full support to the project to ensure its success, and for months in advance were busy fashioning costumes to be worn by the hundreds of performers in the production, and sewing oil cloth pillows for rental on the grounds during the weeks of the Pageant. The Pageant was a historic theatrical production to promote regional tourism. It featured scenes showcasing Native American history and culture, featuring local participants. Modern cultural royalty pageants, such as the Red Cliff Pow Wow, are still held by Red Cliff Band of Lake Superior Chippewa.
The women carried out several other community projects in the early years. During both World Wars, they donated thousands of hours making Red Cross bandages and holding fundraisers to purchase war bonds. When the city lacked the funds to keep the library open, the women volunteered many hours of personal time, and for several years hired and paid a librarian until the city could financially afford to assume that responsibility again. The Civic League also turned its attention to the local school system, and following WWIl initiated the program to serve free milk to all of the school children, and later helped establish the hot lunch program at the school. The Civic League was responsible for helping establish the position of a Bayfield County Health Nurse, who worked closely with the school in the immunization for communicable diseases. The League also assisted in securing the first X-ray equipment for the Pureair Sanatorium which was located just a short distance south of Bayfield.
Who we serve
The land now known as Memorial Park located at the head of the City Dock, was owned by Mr. and Mrs. Don Bel, local publishers of the Bayfield County Press. When the Civic League was organized in 1913, the land was given to the Civic League with the stipulation that it be made into a park and maintained forever as a park to be enjoyed by everyone. In 1947, the land was formally deeded to the League, and through the years the ladies of the Civic League have taken this assignment seriously and have groomed the park into a beautiful lakeside retreat. In addition, the Civic League provides many of the hanging baskets that beautify the city streets during the summer months and supports the Christmas decorations that are hung for the holidays.
The Civic League meetings were held in the afternoon and the membership grew each year, but it was difficult for young women with children at home to attend these daytime meetings. So, in 1935, a Junior Civic League was started and the new group flourished under capable leadership. Each group had its own slate of officers and special projects, and both were affiliated with the General Federation of Women's Clubs. The women in the Junior Civic League focused their attention on the youth of the community by staging an annual toy collection, repairing the toys, and distributing them to needy children at Christmas time. With the help of their husbands they were successful in creating and maintaining a skating rink, a toboggan slide, and tennis courts, with much of the labor volunteered. Children's welfare was of primary importance so they held many fundraisers, using the proceeds for eyeglasses for school children, and for books and supplies for the library.
The Junior Civic League was also responsible for the first complete renovation of the interior of the library, a project that was long overdue. Working together, the Junior and Senior Leagues purchased a new flagpole and flag, and presented it to the city at the time of the centennial celebration in 1956. The gazebo was repaired and painted, and new benches were purchased for Memorial Park. The Junior League was a very active force for the betterment of Bayfield for over forty years, but in the late 1970's when women began to enter the public work force, membership declined and the group disbanded. Their positive influence is still evident in the community today.
The Senior Civic League remains the oldest continuous organization in Bayfield today. We continue to move forward, changing our focus in order to adjust to changing times. Beautification and the well-being of Bayfield remain top priorities.
The women of the Civic League have reproduced the Indian Pageant Cookbook for the Sesquicentennial observance in the hope that it will serve as a pleasant reminder of the rich history and dedicated people who have helped shape this northern community.
