The Flora Garden club is an offshoot of the earlier Nacogdoches Garden Club, which was organized on December 9, 1939 when 30 women interested in garden study met at the Stone Fort. They held regular meetings the first Friday of each month from September to June. Projects of the Nacogdoches Garden Club included a spring flower show, yard beautification, plant exchange, planting of bulbs and the planting of over 300 redbud trees. During World War II membership declined precipitously, but the existing members continued to pursue their efforts in gardening and civic activities. In 1950, the Nacogdoches Garden Club had over 80 members and the club began to look for ways to interest the city in the potential restoration the Old Nacogdoches University. In 1951, the club obtained permission from the school board to restore the Old University Building and use it as a Civic and Garden Center. To see the restoration thru to completion, it was decided to divide the original club into five separate clubs organized as a Federation of Women's Clubs for Nacogdoches. These new clubs were the: - Flora Garden Club - Old South Garden Club - Pines Garden Club - Anna Raguet - Town and Country The Federation of Women's Clubs soon expanded to other women's club in Nacogdoches, incorporating 18 by the end of 1951. It completed the restoration of the Old University Building in the 1960s and furnished the building with donated antique furniture and artifacts. To this day, the Federation maintains the Old University Building for tourists to visit, free of charge. (excerpted and paraphrased from Helen O'Keefe's brief history in Box 1, Folder 2). Note written by Samuel Tadlock