This historical account traces the Garland Street Literary Club, one of Flint, Michigan’s oldest continuous women’s organizations, from its founding in 1888 through its first 100 years. The book recounts how seven women—wives of prominent local figures—began meeting in a home on Garland Street with the goal of intellectual self-improvement, research, and discussion rather than casual socializing. Under formal constitution and bylaws, members researched and presented papers on varied topics and engaged in thoughtful debate. Over the decades the club evolved, expanding membership beyond its original neighborhood, adapting meeting practices, and reflecting broader cultural and civic changes in Flint. Lethbridge’s history highlights the club’s traditions of scholarship, community involvement, continuity, and how it served as a forum for educated women’s voices at a time when such opportunities were limited.

Alice Lethbridge was a local Michigan author and historian known for documenting aspects of Genesee County’s history. In addition to writing the Garland Street Literary Club history published in 1988 for the University of Michigan–Flint Archives, she also authored other regional histories, including Through the Years in Genesee: An Illustrated History (1985) and Halfway to Yesterday (1975). Her work focused on preserving and interpreting the cultural and civic heritage of Flint and its civic organizations and making that history accessible to local communities and archival collections.