Pierian Club
Lampasas, Lampasas County, Texas
Marker Inscription
Pierian Club Twenty civic-minded women in 1902 chartered the Pierian Club of Lampasas, which became a member organization of the General Federation of Women's Clubs and the Texas Federation of Women's Clubs that same year. The club was named for the mythical Pierian Spring, and the members focused on literature, art, education, social issues, Texas heritage and philanthropy. In 1903, the Pierians joined with another group to begin a book collection for what would become the Lampasas Public Library. After more than a century, the club continues to support the library and to make substantial contributions to the betterment of the community. (2003)
Erected by Texas Historical Commission
The Story
In 1902 twenty civic-minded women chartered the Pierian Club of Lampasas, naming it for the mythical spring of the Muses and joining the state and national federations of women's clubs that same year. Focused on literature, art and philanthropy, the club helped launch a book collection in 1903 that became the Lampasas Public Library.
Why it matters
Women's clubs like the Pierians were engines of the Progressive Era, founding many of America's public libraries and asserting women's civic leadership decades before they could vote.
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