Dearborn Garden Club
Wolf Creek, Montana
Lewis & Clark District
Mailing Address: P O Box 263, Cascade, MT 59421-0263

Cheryl Hutchinson [468-2730] and Helen Shewman [468-9337]- Co-Presidents
Peggy Sloan - Secretary
Mary Nicholson - Treasurer


The Dearborn Garden Club of Wolf Creek (Craig to Great Falls included) is well into their new "year" of activities and programs. The next few meetings promise to be extremely fun, interesting and informative.

Newcomers are always welcome to attend the monthly meetings which are generally held on the third Wednesday of the month at Rosie's Fine Dining (Missouri Inn) off the Hardy Creek Exit about five miles south of Cascade on I-15. Luncheon is at 12:30 p.m., however, the October and July meetings are potlucks and are at NOON. January and February are not official meetings, but are no-host "get-together socials", again at Rosie's at NOON.

Celebrating 50 Years of Service

Many things have changed in the world since 1954, the year the Dearborn Garden Club was formed - and many things have stayed the same! For several years the group remained independent but in 1958, the club became a member of the Montana Federation of Garden Clubs, Inc. With 2008 being a major milestone in the club's history, let us review the past and note the differences and the similarities.

The first gathering was a picnic at a private home. Today, there is a picnic in July every year, sometimes at a member's residence. The membership was less than 20 so meetings were in homes each month; the membership has been as high as 60 and today stands at 54 and meetings are in public places. Programs were presented by individual members - today the programs are usually by professionals. Topics remain similar, though, landscaping, gardening, and lots of related topics.

The organizational meeting took place in early 1955, with the constitution and by-laws written. Meeting days were the third Wednesday (same as today), roll call (goes on now) and dues of 50 cents per family (now $10/person/year). Tours began in 1955 with a visit to the State Nursery in Helena. This custom continues with a tour of the Archie Bray Foundation in Helena this past August.

In 1958, our Federation year, the club created a Year Book for the first time. The Year Book was entered to state for judging for the first time in 1961 and won a one-year subscription to Horticulture magazine. Year Books are still an integral part of club life; and in 2007 the club was awarded 95 points out of a possible 100 points for their Year Book, by National Garden Clubs. In 1964 the Dearborn Cemetery and Chapel ground was landscaped and won a Sears, Roebuck Award. In 2005, the club received a landscaping grant for a Xeriscape Garden at Joe's Trail from Principal Finance and earned an award from National Garden Clubs for the project. Other projects continue:

  • 1959 Litter Campaign continues today as the Highway Clean Up Project (see picture below)
  • 1964 Community Planting - landscaping a service station in south Wolf Creek - continues with barrels planted around the area (see below)
  • In 1962 the Junior Garden Club made bluebird houses. Now club members make new houses, or renovate them as needed, and maintain a bluebird trail from Marshall Lanes to the Wolf Creek bridge along Recreation Road. Birds using the homes, number of eggs and other pertinent information are recorded.

    • In the late 80's, the club's center of activity switched from the Dearborn area to the canyon as membership increased. Stickney Creek area had received many trees and plants so landscaping was emphasized at Scenic View and Cascade, including the south entrance which was landscaped and shrubs installed between '87 and '89. A flower bed was put in at Wadsworth Park where a millennium bulb garden was planted in 2000 as part of a regional project. The bulbs still bloom each spring, even with a tree planted in the middle! Clean up is also done at the 9/11 garden, the area around the Freedom garden and the "Water Wise Garden" - all at the trail head of Joe's Trail in Cascade.

    Other similarities to the club's beginning years include making "Books of Evidence". Though not as many books were entered then, State and Regional prizes were won on bird books, floral books and charity projects. Today, our club is very enthusiastic about entering these contests. Our Press Books won certificates from State, Regional and National for many years with some very high scores.

    The Montana Federation of Garden Clubs, Inc. State Convention was held in Great Falls in 1969 and for the first time, Dearborn Garden Club had two delegates in attendance. Every year since then, the club has been represented by at least two members with a good number of them serving as State Chairmen, timers, pages, etc. Many times the club has been involved in a host role. Fall Board and District meetings were attended then and now. Hosting the District Director has been a continuing occurrence as has hosting the District meeting every four years. Many, many state-wide friendships have been made through these activities.

    Projects more recent include:

  • aluminum can recycling
  • donation of gardening books to Wadsworth Library
  • Bingo held every Thursday, September to May, with proceeds used for a scholarship for a Cascade High School graduate
  • Donation to the Rescue Mission and to the food cupboard; at Thanksgiving and Christmas, two food baskets are provided to families in need
  • In December, Quiet Day Manor is decorated and the residents and decorators share lunch; stockings are made, filled and given to children at several organizations in Great Falls and a monetary gift is made to a worthwhile cause.

    • Each May our Charter and Honorary Members are honored. We know they are the backbone and mainstay of our club to have kept it active and as vibrant as it is today, 54 years after formation and 50 years after Federation!

    Remember, as in the past, the Dearborn Garden Club meets every third Wednesday at 12:30 p.m.; usually at Rosie's Missouri Inn (take exit 244 off of I-15 northbound, exit 247 southbound). January and February, join us for lunch there at 12 noon. For information, call any club member; we will be happy to hear from YOU and have a guest!