Boise Civic Flower Show Advertisement photograph

The Village Improvement Society (later South Side Improvement Club) was organized on March 22, 1904 by Mrs. A.C. DeMary, Emma Burgess, and Grace Scott Murphy at the home of DeMary—later known as the Hopffgarten House. The group’s aim was to aid the Village of South Boise, at the time a sprawling rural portion of Ada County. Other notable charter members included: Mrs. W.H. Ridenbaugh; Mrs. W.S. Bruce; Josephine Galaher; Mrs. A. Rossi; Annie Caldwell; Mrs. M. Fitzpatrick; Mrs. W.W. Hard; Mrs. I.E. Poteet; and Mrs. J.B. Poteet.

The club had four standing committees: road and wayside, parks, yards, and school grounds. The group’s projects focused on improving the community through actions including filling mud holes on Broadway and Boise Avenues, weeding school yards, planting trees, and establishing parks.

In 1913 when the Village of South Boise was incorporated into Boise City, the group changed its name and became involved with supporting various welfare agencies, beautifying different areas of the city, providing funds to St. Luke’s Hospital and Boise Junior College, and aided in the set-up and management of the Carnegie Library through membership on the Library Board and filling the position of Librarian. In 1925 the group began an annual community flower show, awarding prizes and ribbons for different categories and showing exhibits by professional growers.