The Garden Club

In 1917, a group of ladies interested in home care for the sick met at the Herb Lawson home in Beaver Center. This group was formally organized by Miss Swenson, a teacher in District 31, as the Beaver Mothers Club.

The group included members from Mower County and so adopted the name County Line Mother's Club. Not wishing to exclude members who were not mothers, they later changed the name again to County Line Progress Club.

Mrs. Donald McGillivary, Sr. was the leader of a successful project to promote gardening activities. On December 20, 1938, the group adopted a constitution and bylaws similar to those outlined in the Minnesota Horticulturist. Thus the Le Roy Garden Club came into being. The first flower show was held at the J. J, Johnson home.

Upon raising its membership from 18 to 70 in 1939, the club was awarded a bronze cup by the state society. It is now one of the traveling awards presented during the flower show together with five other traveling trophies which have been donated to the club.

In 1952, the club voted to landscape and care for a triangular plot of ground between Highway 56 and Dale Avenue, in eastern Le Roy. The group also maintains the landscaping and flowers by the west "Welcome to LeRoy" sign. The club has landscaped the area around the Le Roy Library.

Books of interest to gardeners are presented to the Le Roy Library in memory of deceased members.

The club sponsored the first Farm to Market Days in 1974 and continued until 1977. They assisted with the District Flower Show, "Panorama" from 1962 until 1981.

Monthly meetings include discussion of gardening and houseplant subjects. The club numbers 24 members.