TALLYHO YOUNG LADIES

San Jose Mercury-News, March 29, 1911

"Tallyho parties made up of the delegates to the Young Women’s Christian Association (Y.W.C.A.) conference here visited the Santa Cruz big trees yesterday ... more than 300 delegates are present from the schools and colleges of California, Arizona and Nevada." 

The Y.W.C.A. is the oldest and largest women’s organization in the world. The organization traces back to 1855 England when philanthropist Lady Mary Jane Kinnaird established the North London Home for nurses involved in the Crimean War. In 1877 this support group merged with the Prayer Union and became the Young Women's Christian Association. By 1900 hundreds of Y.W.C.A.s were in existence in the United States and a national organization was formed in 1906.

It is likely that the young ladies of this 1911 Big Trees Grove excursion made a point of seeing the Y.M.C.A. Tree which was dedicated to that organization back on May 17, 1887.  

Y.M.C.A. Tree - Author's Personal Collection

One unique aspect of the ladies' visit was how some of them arrived at Big Trees Grove. 

Two unnamed ladies pose at Big Trees Grove, circa 1900 - Courtesy of Ross Eric Gibson

"A walking party of Stanford women led by Mrs. Allen, dean of women of Stanford University, arrived yesterday afternoon. Miss Harriet Park and Miss Ruth Sampson, two of the most prominent senior women are members of the party which walked across the Santa Cruz mountains to be present at the conference."

Sources: “Capitola Conference Adjourns to Big Trees – Y.W.C.A. Delegates Form a Tallyho Party and Visit the Giant Redwoods,” San Jose Mercury-News, March 29, 1911;Encylopedia Britannica, “Young Women’s Christian Association,” https://www.britannica.com/topic/Young-Womens-Christian-Association; “Young Womens Christian Association,” Virginia Commonwealth University Libraries, Social Welfare History Project, 2020, https://socialwelfare.library.vcu.edu/youth/young-womens-christian-association/

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