Guide to the Brookdale Club Collection (1920-1995)

The Brookdale Club Collection consists of a variety of materials relating to the club’s organization, business and interests.  The collection materials were generated from 1920-1995, and includes photographs, correspondence, ledger books, meeting minutes, membership rosters, real estate information, newspaper clippings and scrapbooks.  Materials reflect the club’s business and interests.

Brookdale is a small town located in the San Lorenzo Valley of Santa Cruz County.  In 1900, Judge Logan named the area Clear Creek and in 1902 the town got a post office and was renamed Brookdale.  Brookdale was a popular spot for those living in surrounding Bay Area cities; many families built their summer homes here.  One of the first to build in Brookdale was H.C. Capwell of Oakland, his home on Huckleberry Island was the first site of the Brookdale Club meetings.

The Brookdale Club emerged out of the desire of the summer residents to have organized social meetings and events.  By 1916 plans for the club had formed but were put on hold due to World War I.  After the war, plans were resumed and on August 5, 1920 the Brookdale Club was formed and in 1922 it was incorporated.

The intention of the club, as stated on their letter of incorporation is to “promote the civic and social welfare of the people residing in the village of Brookdale …”  According to the early by-laws, the club concerned itself with “Friendliness, sociability, and civic affairs.”  In addition to being a social club for the summer residents, the members organized to help raise money for fire fighting and fire prevention in the area.  In 1921 the club purchased land along the river.  In the summer of 1926 the Judkins Memorial Hall was purchased for use as a permanent clubhouse.  The club leased land from the Southern Pacific Company in 1923 and during the 1940s purchased land from Mrs. Logan.

In the early years of the club only property owners were able to become members.  Prospective members were nominated and accepted by a membership committee; annual dues were $6.00.  Membership was limited to 100, not including honorary members.  The actual membership fluctuated greatly throughout the life of the club with a low of only 15 members during the depression era.  The procedure for membership was outlined in the by-laws.  In the 1950s the club became a year-round organization, since many more people were permanent residents of Brookdale.  Members enjoyed regular social events put on by the club during the summer months, including: dances, musical performances, children’s parties, and various other activities.  On the third Thursday of each month the club would hold a social event.  Guests (non-members) were permitted to attend the social activities.  Other annual events were the Presidents Luncheon, Past Presidents Luncheon, and the Club Birthday Party.

The club leadership consited of officers, a board of directors, and an advisory board.  The officers included a president, a first vice president, a second vice president, treasurer, auditor, secretary and corresponding secretary.  These officers were also part of the board of directors.  New officer elections were conducted every year in August.  Business meetings were held monthly or by member request.  There were also standing committees for membership, program, hospitality, house, garden, reservations, publicity, finance, sunshine and telephone, and historian, all of which were described in the by-laws.

By the 1990s the club faced tough decisions with membership decreasing and costs of maintaining the clubhouse increasing.  In 1995 the organization decided to sell the clubhouse.  It was purchased in September of that year, and thus marked the end of the Brookdale Club.

CHRONOLOGY

1900     Judge Logan declared the area Clear Creek
1902     Clear Creek renamed Brookdale
1920     The Brookdale Club was officially organized by Mrs. Capwell and Mrs. Breed
1922     The Brookdale Club was incorporated
1923     The club leased land from the Southern Pacific Company
1926     Judkins Memorial Hall property was purchased for clubhouse
1949     Club becomes year-round
1949     In September the clubhouse was repaired by Lewis Hayes
1966     Fire at the clubhouse
1971     Water company easement
1984     The Brookdale Club Cookbook was published
1995     Clubhouse sold to Randy and Christine Wood and the club disbanded

The collection is organized into eight (8) series as follows:

SERIES I.  LEDGER BOOKS, 1920-1991

SUBSERIES I.A.  MEETING MINUTES, 1920-1980
SUBSERIES I.B.  RECEIPTS AND DISBURSEMENTS WITH AUDITS, 1931-1991

SERIES II.  BY-LAWS, 1963 AND 1968 AND 1984

SERIES III.  MEMBERSHIP, 1920-1989

SUBSERIES III.A.  ROSTERS, 1959-1989
SUBSERIES III.B.  OFFICER LISTS, 1920-1980
SUBSERIES III.C.  DUES CARDS, 1957-1974

SERIES IV.  WRITTEN HISTORIES AND RELATED CORRESPONDENCE, 1953-1990

SERIES V.  REAL ESTATE, 1923-1994

SUBSERIES V.A.  LEASE, 1923
SUBSERIES V.B.  MAPS, 1947 AND 1957 AND two with no date
SUBSERIES V.C.  CLUBHOUSE REMODEL, 1949
SUBSERIES V.D.  ASSESSMENTS, 1957 AND 1994
SUBSERIES V.E.  WATER COMPANY EASEMENT, 1971
SUBSERIES V.F.  ZONING, 1987-1988

SERIES VI.  PHOTOGRAPHS AND NEGATIVES, 1952-1986

SERIES VII.  CLUB ACTIVITIES, 1951-1995

SUBSERIES VII.A.  NEWSPAPER CLIPPINGS, 1951-1995
SUBSERIES VII.B.  COOKBOOK, 1983-1984
SUBSERIES VII.C.  BRIDGE CARD, n.d.

SERIES VIII.  SCRAPBOOKS, 1956-1995

SERIES I.  LEDGER BOOKS, 1920-1991

Three (3) Boxes

Series Scope and Content Summary

This series contains the ledger books, meeting minutes, receipts and disbursements for the Brookdale Club.

This series is divided into two (2) subseries:

Subseries I.A.  Meeting Minutes, 1920-1974
Subseries I.B.  Receipts and Disbursements with Audits, 1971-1991

Subseries I.A.  Meeting Minutes, 1920-1974

Two (2) Boxes

Subseries Scope and Content Summary

This subseries contains the meeting minutes ledgers for the Brookdale Club.  Of note, the ledger for 1969 to 1974 contains a letter from the California Secretary of State (Edmund Brown) concerning the reinstatement of the non-profit corporation status.  The status had apparently been suspended in 1955 under the old loyalty oath requirement which was no longer constitutional.

Box ID#: Folder ID#
1:1-7  Meeting Minute Ledgers from 1920-1956
2:8-11  Meeting Minute Ledgers from 1956-1974

Subseries I.B.  Receipts and Disbursements with Audits, 1971-1991

One (1) Box

Subseries Scope and Content Summary

This subseries contains the Receipt and Disbursement Ledgers with audits for the Brookdale Club.

Box ID#: Folder ID#
3:12-17  Receipt and Disbursement Ledgers, 1971-1991

SERIES II.  BY LAWS: 1963, 1968, AND 1984

One (1) Folder

Series Scope and Content Summary

This series contains the Brookdale Club By-Laws for the years 1963, 1968 and 1884.

Box ID#: Folder ID#
4:18  Brookdale Club By-Laws

SERIES III.  MEMBERSHIP, 1920-1989

Seven (7) Folders

Series Scope and Content Summary

This series contains the officer lists, membership rosters, and dues cards for the Brookdale Club.

Thus series is divided into three (3) subseries:

Subseries III.A.  Club Officer Lists
Subseries III.B.  Club Membership Rosters
Subseries III.C.  Club Dues Cards

Subseries III.A.  Club Officer Lists, 1920-1980

One (1) Folder

Subseries Scope and Content Summary

This subseries contains the Brookdale Club Officer Lists.

Box ID#: Folder ID#
4:19  Brookdale Club Officer Lists

Subseries III.B.  Club Membership Rosters

Three (3) Folders

Subseries Scope and Content Summary

This subseries contains the Brookdale Club Membership Rosters.  Of note the club membership includes artists, some of whom were part of the Santa Cruz Art League, and several members were associated with and made donations to the St. Andrews Church of Ben Lomond.

Box ID#: Folder ID#
4:20  Brookdale Club Membership Roster
4:21  Brookdale Club Membership Roster
4:22  Brookdale Club Membership Roster

Subseries III.C.  Club Dues Cards, 1957-1974

Three (3) Folders

Subseries Scope and Content Summary

This subseries contains the Brookdale Club Dues Cards.

Box ID#: Folder ID#
4:23  Brookdale Club Dues Cards, 1959-1974
4:24  Brookdale Club Dues Cards, 1957-1970
4:25  Brookdale Club Dues Cards, 1958-1972

SERIES IV.  WRITTEN HISTORIES AND RELATED CORRESPONDENCE, 1953-1990

One (1) Folder

Series Scope and Content Summary

This series contains copies of partial histories of the Brookdale Club written by club members.  These histories provide vital insights into the origin of the club, key people, places, and activities.  Hazel Wapple wrote a comprehensive history up uo 1968 that was used as the basis for future histories and the list of presidents was added to over time.The series also contains correspondence between club members about creating a written history and discussing the future of the club.

Box ID#: Folder ID#
4:26  Written Histories and Related Correspondence

SERIES V.  REAL ESTATE

Six (6) Folders

Series Scope and Content Summary

This series contains documents related to the Brookdale Club’s property and activities based around the property.

This series is divided into six (6) subseries:

Subseries V.A.  Union Pacific Lease
Subseries V.B.  Maps
Subseries V.C.  Clubhouse Remodel
Subseries V.D.  Assessments
Subseries V.E.  Water Company Easement
Subseries V.F.  Zoning

Subseries V.A.  Union Pacific Lease

One (1) Folder

Subseries Scope and Content Summary

This subseries contains the lease between the Union Pacific Company and the Brookdale Club for the specified property.

Box ID#: Folder ID#
4:27  Union Pacific Lease, 1923

Subseries V.B.  Maps

One (1) Folder

Subseries Scope and Content Summary

This subseries contains four maps of the club’s property.  Two of the maps are dated while the other two are not.

Box ID#: Folder ID#
4:28  Maps

Subseries V.C.  ClubHouse Remodel, 1949

One (1) Folder

Subseries Scope and Content Summary

This subseries contains the blueprints and written documents that describes what changes would be made to the clubhouse.

Box ID#: Folder ID#
4:29  Clubhouse Remodel, 1949

Subseries V.D.  Assessments, 1957 and 1994

One (1) Folder

Subseries Scope and Content Summary

This subseries contains the assessments that were done on the club’s property.  One done in 1957 and the other just before the property was sold.

Box ID#: Folder ID#
4:30  Assessments

Subseries V.E.  Water Company Easement, 1971

One (1) Folder

Subseries Scope and Content Summary

This subseries contains the legal documents that required the club to comply with the water district’s need to replace pipes on the property.

Box ID#: Folder ID#
4:31  Water Company Easement, 1971

Subseries V.F.  Zoning, 1987-1988

One (1) Folder

Subseries Scope and Content Summary

This subseries contains documents that discuss the historical and resisdential zoning of the clubhouse.  It contains correspondence between club officers and the city.

Box ID#: Folder ID#
4:32  Zoning, 1987-1988

SERIES VI.  PHOTOGRAPHS AND NEGATIVES, 1952-1986

Two (2) Folders

Series Scope and Content Summary

This series contains photographs of various club events as well as negatives for other club activities.  The photographs have been grouped when possible by event.

Box ID#: Folder ID#
5:33  Photographs and Negatives, 1952-1986

SERIES VII.  CLUB ACTIVITIES, 1951-1995

Three (3) Folders

Series Scope and Content Summary

This series contains newspaper clippings, the club cookbook, and club bridge cards.

This series is divided into three (3) subseries:

Subseries VII.A.  Newspaper clippings
Subseries VII.B.  Club Cookbook
Subseries VII.C.  Club Bridge Cards

Subseries VII.A.  Newspaper Clippings, 1951-1995

One (1) Folder

Subseries Scope and Content Summary

This subseries contains newspaper clippings as well as scrapbook clippings spanning four decades.  The clippings document club parties, officer installations, and pieces that spotlight club members.

Box ID#: Folder ID#
5:34  Newspaper Clippings, 1951-1995

Subseries VII.B.  Club Cookbook, 1983-1984

One (1) Folder

Subseries Scope and Content Summary

This subseries contains a cookbook created by Lucille Lund.  She catered most of the club club activities and luncheons.  The cookbook was sold to club members.  The subseries contains a mock up of the pages of the cookbook as well as correspondence between club members and the printers about the creation of the finished book.

Box ID#: Folder ID#
5:35  Club Cookbook, 1983-1984

Subseries VII.C.  Club Bridge Card

One (1) Folder

Subseries Scope and Content Summary

This subseries contains “Men’s Bridge Card”.  The Brookdale Club hosted many card parties throughout the lifetime of the organization.

Box ID#: Folder ID#
5:36  Bridge Card

SERIES VIII.  SCRAPBOOKS, 1956-1995

Two (2) Boxes

Series Scope and Content Summary

This series contains scrapbooks that document the club’s activities.  The scrapbooks contain photographs, clippings and cards.  Some of the scrapbooks have loose documents in the back including newsletters and extra pictures.  Some of the items were removed from the scrapbooks by club members before they were donated to the archive.

Box ID#: Folder ID#
6:37-39  Scrapbooks, 1956-1987
7:40-41  Scrapbooks, 1987-1995