DUANE
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Duane's take
Here's my telling of what the official marker has to say about the Wednesday Review Club of Killeen, Texas. Twelve women. September 1906.
That's where this story begins. Twelve charter members came together and organized what they called the Ladies Literary Society of Killeen. Now, you might think that name had a good long run ahead of it.
You would be wrong. One month later, one single month, they changed it to the Wednesday Review Club. Make of that what you will, but whatever they were debating in those early meetings, they moved fast when they made up their minds.
And that, it turns out, tells you just about everything you need to know about this group. They pursued studies in American and international history and literature, meeting on a regular basis not just for a season or a year but for generations. Generations.
That word is doing a lot of work, and it earns every bit of it. But here's the thing about the Wednesday Review Club that really sticks with you. They didn't just read.
They showed up for Killeen. They helped establish one of the first lending libraries in town, and they donated books and other materials to local public schools. Twelve women walked into a room in September 1906 with a name they were about to change, and what they built outlasted nearly anything else you could point to on that street.
The books they put on shelves, the libraries they helped stand up, the generations of members who kept showing up on Wednesdays. That's a legacy that doesn't need any embellishment from me.
What the marker says
Organized by twelve charter members in September 1906, this organization was originally known as the Ladies Literary Society of Killeen. The name was changed one month later to the Wednesday Review Club. Pursuing studies in American and international history and literature, club members have met on a regular basis for generations. The club has also provided civic leadership in Killeen with such projects as establishing one of the first lending libraries in town and donating books and other materials to local public schools. (1988)