By Susan Couso
The Monticola Club was created on April 20th, 1912, by Philenda Spencer. Born Lucy Philenda Montgomery in 1847, in Michigan, Spencer came to the Honey Lake Valley as a young teen.
Her marriage to Lassen County’s first District Attorney, Ephraim Van Buren Spencer, exposed her to the legal profession. She became California’s first female Notary Public in 1891.
Spencer’s battle to promote the rights of women went on for many years, culminating in the passing of the bill in 1911 which allowed women the right to vote in California.
It only seemed proper that women should be allowed the same rights as men, and along with those rights came responsibilities. Spencer felt that a woman’s service organization was needed to show that women could help their communities as well as men could. The Monticola Club was formed to promote the betterment and beautification of the local community and to promote education.
The new club needed a name, and they asked for suggestions from their members. Mrs. Mary Pinneo suggested the name “Monticola”, and it was chosen because of its meaning and the attractiveness of its sound when spoken. Monticola is Latin for mountain-dweller.
The membership of the new Monticola Club grew rapidly as local women joined to show their support. Meetings were held in member’s homes and the Methodist Church parlor.
Spencer died in 1915 and the lot on South Lassen Street, where the Monticola Clubhouse now stands, was donated in her honor. The club couldn’t afford to build on the lot, so they had it leveled and planted trees and grass to make it more attractive.
In 1923, the Monticola Club worked to name the passes and peaks in the newly-created Lassen National Park, and several of these features are named in honor of the Spencer family. Congressman John E. Raker, Philenda’s son-in-law proposed the bill to create the park.
Throughout the history of the club its members have worked to make our area a better place. They have worked to promote the history of the area, and they have worked tirelessly to plant trees and shrubs.
In 1932, they worked with other organizations to plant 2,000 trees on the bluff west of Susanville. They landscaped the area around Roop’s fort and planted numerous trees and shrubs in Memorial park.
The Monticola Club promoted “Lilac Day” as an effort to plant lilacs throughout the area, in places like the court house, elementary schools, the fairgrounds, Lassen Cemetery, Lassen’s Monument, and the old hospital.
In April of 1949 Susanville won 4th place in a contest created by Better Homes & Gardens magazine called “More Beautiful America.” The city’s improvement and clean-up program was conducted by the Monticola Club and the group worked to give Susanville a better image by sponsoring a contest to clean up back yards.
Memorial Park was created through the efforts of the Monticola Club. The club pushed the community leaders to create a park and playground. There were four sites to choose from; the area adjacent to Roop’s fort, an area at North and Gay Streets and two areas near the Susan River. Memorial Park sits on land that formerly was Cy’s Dairy, just east of the fort.
The Monticola Club donated tables, fireplaces, picnic equipment, and of course, trees and shrubs.
The club was also concerned with area youth, and especially their safety. They supported programs to promote bicycle safety, and in 1952, they placed reflective stickers on bicycles so they could more easily be seen. In the early years of the County Library, the Monticola Club donated more than 4,000 books, and Monticola Club scholarships have assisted many students in furthering their education.
In 1953, the Monticola Club worked to secure the location of a “proposed medium security penitentiary” for Lassen County.
In January 1953, the Monticola Club finally, after 40 years, moved into their newly-completed clubhouse, which has been in constant use, both for club meetings as well as for numerous other events.
