Encyclopedia Dubuque
"Encyclopedia Dubuque is the online authority for all things Dubuque, written by the people who know the city best.”
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Affiliated with the Local History Network of the State Historical Society of Iowa, and the Iowa Museum Association.
OPTIMISSES CLUB
OPTIMISSES CLUB. Founded in January, 1972 the Optimisses Club was the auxiliary of the men's OPTIMIST CLUB. The first of the club's fundraisers was the sale of The Purple Martin by R. B. Layton. The book outlined details of the bird's life including its wintering in the Amazon Basin to its appearance in the Dubuque area around the end of March.
The club also sold a pamphlet for the construction of appropriate housing for the birds.
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Source:
Brimeyer, Jack, "Club Prepares Populace for Purple Martins," Telegraph-Herald, March 16, 1972, p. 7