taken May 24, 1894. The present officers of the club include Mr. Lowell Crusius, President and Mrs. Lowell Crusius, Secretary.
The organization meeting of the Farmers’ Club took place on the farm now owned by Chris Eichelberger opposite the St. Mary's Catholic Cemetery. The Bassetts were the grandparents of Gayle Schofield, and it was at Mrs. Bassett's suggestion the club was formed, as she had known a similar one in New York state, her former home. All the charter members owned the farms on which they lived, it being thought the owners would be more interested and more able to carry out the purposes for which the organization was formed.
A committee was appointed to inspect the farms of members and offer suggestions for improvement, but it has never performed these duties. Nevertheless, the farms soon began to show extra care, and improvements soon became noticeable. Mr. Elias S. Fursman, first president was a prominent and progressive farmer, and is written about in the Name and Fame chapter and the index of pioneers. Today the Club has a slogan, "One hundred years for the Farmers' Club."
There is a certain pride of membership longevity in this club, and today the senior members are Mr. and Mrs. Guy Armstrong with thirty-six years and Mr. and Mrs. Robert Mayne, Sr., with thirty-four years. Others like the Frank Scheers and the Owen Schertzs are piling up seniority.
THE EL PASO LITERARY CLUB, now the El Paso Woman's Club, was organized at the home of Mrs. A. O. Shur in the summer of 1898. The original officers elected were: Mrs. Hannah Shur, President; Mrs. Anna Kirkpatrick, Vice-President; Miss Jessie Cannon, Secretary and Mrs. May Fleming, Treasurer. This educational and social club has been active through the years, and includes country members as well as those living in El Paso. Present officers are: Mrs. Lyle Stewart, President; Mrs. K. A. La Rochelle, Vice-President; Mrs. Edward Ioerger, Secretary; Mrs. Harry Coss, Assistant Secretary; Mrs. Eugene Mayne, Treasurer. Executive Committee members include Mrs. Horace Baker, Mrs. Ralph Burster, Mrs. Edward Heiken and Mrs. Homer Sturm.
THE EL PASO COMMERCIAL CLUB was organized October 17, 1902, and for three decades was the most important civic body of men whose chief interest was the betterment of El Paso. The original officers were: Albert E. Fleming, President; Frank B. Stitt, Vice-President; J. F. Sturgeon, Secretary-Treasurer. The club incorporated on February 13, 1906; at that time Dr. Langhorst was president, J. J. De Motte was vice- president and F. G. Robinson, secretary-treasurer. For years the group had excellent billiard, card and reading rooms above 15 East Front Street, but the depression of the 1930's caused the club to abandon its charter and close.
EL PASO POST No. 59, THE AMERICAN LEGION was organized in response to a meeting called by Paul M. Mulliken in the city hall in February, 1919, attended by many veterans of World War I. Mulliken
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