The History of The Western Reserve Herb Society
The Western Reserve Herb Society had its beginnings in February of 1942, with a special Exhibit of Herbs by Mrs. Armin Boethelt and Mrs. Donald Gray at the Cleveland Garden Exposition at Cleveland’s Public Auditorium. The Exhibit was a big success. The list of attendees who enthusiastically supported the establishment of an Herb Society grew to about 250 names. The Western Reserve Herb Society was born, the name chosen to demonstrate the intention to draw members, not just from Cleveland, but from the larger surrounding community of Northeast Ohio, historically established in the beginning of the 19th century as the Western Reserve.
Early meetings were held at historic Dunham Tavern (the location of one of the Herb Society’s earliest gardens), at a number of eminent public institutions, and in members’ homes. In these early days, the Western Reserve Herb Society maintained small public herb gardens, including a plot offered by the City of Cleveland at the site of an existing perennial garden on Cleveland’s Wade Oval. That site later became the location of the present Western Reserve Herb Society Garden in 1969. The new Garden, designed by then Garden Chairman, Faith Swanson, incorporated a large oval knot, as had the earlier Garden on the site. The Herbal Knot has remained the easily recognizable signature of the Western Reserve Herb Society.
In 1947, The Western Reserve Herb Society joined the Herb Society of America, and hosted its first Annual Meeting west of the Alleghenies. In 1968, it was incorporated as a nonprofit educational corporation by the State of Ohio, and is recognized as a 501(c)(3) tax exempt organization of the Internal Revenue Code.
The Western Reserve Herb Society continues, as it began, as an association of gardeners who share joy in the use and delight of herbs. Notable developments, which continue to this day, include:
- The maintenance of an extraordinary public Herb Garden, located at what is now the Cleveland Botanical Garden campus of Holden Forests and Gardens, through the labors and support of its members;
- The publication, since 1947, of a monthly newsletter, Herb Scents;
- The annual October sale of its own handmade herbal products to the public, with the proceeds used to support the maintenance of the Herb Garden;
- The publication from time to time of cookbooks, compiling herbal recipes of its members, and specialized handbooks on herbal topics
Contact [email protected] for additional information about WRHS.