Allegany County Maryland--Women

Cumberland Civic Club Works For City's Benefit

The women of Cumberland were ever interested in the business and cultural growth of the city, working individually and through church and fraternal organizations for the various projects, but the need of an organization devoted to civic betterment was felt by many and in May of 1909 the Cumberland Civic Club was organized.

Cumberland Rotary Club honors female members
Salute to Women event coincides with 25th anniversary of open membership requirement

Angie Brant
Cumberland Times-News

CUMBERLAND — Past and present female members of the Cumberland Rotary were honored Tuesday for their efforts in the humanitarian organization.

Led by Shirley McIntosh, assistant district governor, the Salute to Women in Rotary recognized the important impact women have had in the local club and in Rotary organizations throughout the world.

County Federation of Women's
Clubs Doing Effective Work

The need of organized effort among club women bad been keenly felt and the knowledge that federated efforts bring about greater achievements the clubs of the county gathered together to launch a county federation, the first meeting being in September 1913, another in October of the same year, with Mrs. B. R. Henderson as head, the group being reorganised in January of 1915 with Miss Anne M. Sloan of Lonaconing as president and has since then flourished successfully.

The Civic Club of Cumberland was established in 1909 by seventeen women whose purpose was to work for the city’s improvement. In 1913 several smaller clubs merged to form the Allegany County Federation of Women’s Clubs, and in 1917 a local chapter of the National Women’s Suffrage Association was established.

Sarah W. Bromery, 1880 - 1980

The Metropolitan A.M.E. Church was first organized and a board of trustees elected in 1837. Sarah W. Bromery, a prominent leader in the African-American community, served in 1937 as Chairwoman of the 100th Anniversary Celebration of the Metropolitan African Methodist Episcopal (A.M.E.) Church in Cumberland.

Sarah Rebecca Arnold

In 1901 Rebecca Arnold began laying the groundwork for establishing the first Eastern Star Chapter in Cumberland. This organization of “fraternal love and friendship” consisted of 33 charter members and was comprised of the wives, mothers, daughters and sisters of the Masons of Cumberland. The city’s first Eastern Star Chapter was officially instituted in 1901 in the Masonic Lodge rooms located in the City Hall – Academy of Music building.

Janet Wilson - Superintendent Garrett County Public Schools

On July 1, 2012 Janet Wilson became the first woman to serve as Superintendent of the Garrett County Public School System. Prior to that time she had been employed with the Allegany County Public School system, most recently serving in the capacity of Chief Academic Officer. The article below is from the Cumberland Time-News provides some background on Dr. Wilson and her appointment:-

Wilson ready to dig in as Garrett superintendent
Board ‘excited and happy’ to hire educator

Allegany County was established in 1789, and for some period of time there were several privately operated schools, for girls as well as boys. In 1798 the Allegany County Academy, a college preparatory school was incorporated. In 1849 the Academy constructed a new facility on Washington Street, now the public library. The ladies of Cumberland held a large fair, raising hundreds of dollars for the school and the purchase of “philosophical apparatus”, things such as a color-wheel, microscope, telescope, and artificial eyes for the school’s use.

Dr. Eileen B. (Brinker) Steele, Educator: 1929-2019

The following is excerpted from Dr. Eileen Steele's obituary appearing on the Sowers Funeral Home of Frostburg, Maryland website:

Dr. Judith "Judie" Thelen, Educator and Elected Official

The following is excerpted and edited from the Scarpelli Funeral Home of Cumberland, Maryland website, which also provided the photograph: