The club movement began in the late 1880’s. There were social clubs and societies promoting various civic interests.. The Harriet Stevens Literary Club was among them, founded in 1898. This women’s club was described as being “composed of an aggressive cultured class” which held a prominent place in the make-up of Dayton’s literary circles. It’s membership included a long list of women considered “representative of all that is best in the intellectual growth of the city.”

The club was named after Harriet Stevens, a Daytonian described as having “remarkable intellectual gifts” and one of the early teachers of Dayton. She was one of the first teachers when a high school was established in Dayton. Over 50 years of her life were given to the active work of teaching.

In 1922, the club purchased 60 trees for Van Cleve Park (the former name of RiverScape MetroPark) and the bronze tablet that you see today as a memorial to the club. The timing of this donation coincided with the erection of Founders Bench, which incidentally includes an acknowledgement for E.E. Barney, Harriet’s brother.