Our History

For 75 years now, the Little House on Mulberry Street has been a cherished dream come true for generations of local Girl Scouts.

You see, for a good many years the Girl Scouts were a sort of orphan organization. Everybody felt sorry for them, but the help they received was mostly too little and too late. They had some grand leadership in the old days but very little backing. Mrs. Forest W. Blanton, Mrs. Rawleigh Baker, Mrs. Robert Hollowell, Miss Leorah Walls and Mrs. William Collins (known to the girls as “Ma Collins”) were among the outstanding leaders of the girls during the early days.

Even in those early days, the girls had dreams of a home of their own and it came true in a way. The Lions Club bought a house for them and Lawrence Vannice gave them a five-year lease on a plot of ground a mile north of town.

The house was strictly a summer affair and was set in some grand hills and among trees. It could be used for picnics but no heat was about all. Drinking water had to be carried from town and there were no toilet facilities. Billy Gill’s dad built a grand fireplace in one end of the cabin. Until cold weather made the house too uncomfortable, they had some grand times out at the cabin. The loft was even furnished with a number of bunks and mattresses so that the girls could stay overnight.

But the cabin was so weak and lacking in space, it was finally given up after the five-year lease had ended. The girls continued to hold meetings and campouts in town with only the enthusiasm of the faithful few.

Soon the interest in the local Girl Scouts had increased. Somehow the girls raised enough money to finance a week at Camp Dellwood for the entire troop. That did the trick! They came home thinking of nothing else but a Dellwood of their own. They had camped out in tents and learned some of the joys of outdoor life.

As their number grew, they gradually passed some of their enthusiasm on to the parents who were in a position to do something about it. A sort of a town council was formed and plans were made to enlist some of the civic organizations in helping the Girl Scouts. Pretty soon a lot of the influential people were helping and things began to look more cheerful.

The Catholic congregation had outgrown its chapel on Mulberry Street and purchased and rebuilt the ‘House by the Side of the Road.’ The former chapel was now for sale.

On April 21, 1949, leaders of the then existent Girl Scout Troops of Danville, moved by the growing demand for Girl Scouting and lack of facilities for meeting places, started negotiations with St. Mary’s Catholic Church for the Mulberry Street property. The selling price was quoted at $8,000.00. By May 26, 1949, through the generosity of Danville’s clubs and organizations, ten businessmen, the parents of the Girl Scouts and the 1949 Camping Fund earned and donated by the girls themselves, $3,750.00 had been raised. Father Anthony McLaughlin offered an additional $500.00 as the Church’s donation to a community project.

A Board of Directors was enlisted who accepted the remaining $3,750.00 mortgage and agreed to administer funds and attend to legal matters pertaining to the Little House. Since there was no camping that summer, the older girls continued to meet and work on the Little House.

The building, as purchased, was comprised of one large room with a raised altar and choir loft; one smaller room; a bathroom; an enclosed space behind the dais; and a large clothes closet. The heat was supplied by an automatic gas furnace. That first summer, a parent, for his donation, converted the choir loft into nine lockers so that each troop could have storage space for materials and supplies. Through various contributions by parents, civic-minded persons, and money over and above expenses earned at the big concession, equipment for the kitchen was purchased along with a piano and a victrola. The large closet was converted into a small kitchen with an ice refrigerator, a sink, and a gas stove. A large oak work table and sideboard were placed in the smaller room and green burlap bulletin boards were built at eye-level on the walls.

The official opening was an Open House Tea held for the public on Sunday, November 5, 1950, when more than 200 people inspected the Little House.

In the fall of 1932 a group of Danville seventh grade girls asked Miss Leorah G. Walls to start a Girl Scout troop.

Eighteen girls met with Miss Walls at the Court House to organize. The group camped out in a cabin on the Luther Prather farm after the Danville Lions Club had renovated the cabin for their use. Members of the original Ways and Means Committee were Miss Walls, Mrs. Martha King, Mrs. Mabel McCoun and Mrs. Iva Debra.

Among the first local scouters included: Freda Williams (Crews), Alma Jean Winfrey (Haldane), Mary Jane Thomson (Paddack), Kathleen Williams (Shaw), Peggy McCoun (Crum), Mary Maxine Tharp (Nekar), Mary Jane Walls (Brothers), Norma Lou Miller (Stuart), Oranna Wellman (Terry), Jean McClain (Barker), Evelyn McClain (Vance), Virginia Belle Keeney (Coats), Mary Louise King (Vannice), Ruth Carolyn Dawson (Doeden), Ruth Prather (Murry), Edna Frances Debra (Brown), Ruth Freeman (Clement), and Wanita Wood (Ashley).

1930s – Founding Years

• 1931: The first Danville Girl Scout Troop was organized in the Assembly Room of
  the Courthouse.
• First Troop Leader: Miss Leorah G. Walls (Danville teacher), later joined by
  Miriam Osborn.
• 1935: Margaret Franklin (later Margaret Baker) took over as troop leader
• Jeannette Blanton took over as troop leader when Margaret started her family
• Early scouts recall learning, bonding, and “making do” with few resources.
• Some highlights included campouts at the Luther Prather farm and the formation of the first Ways and Means Committee.

1940s – Growing the Movement

• 1946: Troop 5 was formed with 8- and 9-year-old Brownies.
• Leaders: Jean Walls and Mildred Elson.
• Troop activities included Camp Friendly, Dellwood, and earning scout ranks.
• Meetings were first held at churches and schools before moving to the Little House after its 1950 dedication.

1950s – The Little House Era

• Girl Scouts now had a permanent “home” at the Little House.
• Camp Friendly became a summer tradition with hikes, badges, crafts, and early morning revelry.
• Leaders coordinated everything from KP duty to swim lessons.
• The Danville Girl Scout Association formed to furnish the Little House and support growth.

1960s – Expansion and Adventure

• Girl Scouting’s national image shifted to embrace more diversity and independence.
• Danwood became part of the larger Hoosier Capital Council.
• Day Camp held in Blanton’s Woods; troops also camped at Dellwood, Gallahue, and McCormick’s Creek.
• Senior Scouts traveled to the Appalachian Trail and even canoed in Canada!

1970s – Neighborhood Leadership

• Neighborhood Chairmen included Nancy Hume, Gail Tharp, and Vickie Carter.
• The annual Girl Scout Christmas Bazaar raised funds for the Little House and camping gear.
• Neighborhood camporees were held at Camp Gallahue, Blanton’s property, and McCormick’s Creek.
• By decade’s end, about 25 troops operated in the Danville and Mill Creek area.

1980s – Service and Growth

• The Danwood Service Unit (formerly “Neighborhood”) continued to grow, adding North Salem Schools and became part of the Hoosier Capital Girl Scout Council.
• Fundraising evolved with the introduction of the QSP magazine sales program.
• Camporees were held at the Archery Club and Camp Dellwood.
• Community and Council support helped sustain strong leadership and participation.
• From the original 18 girls, the Girl Scout movement in Danville expanded to 15 troops with a total of 306 girls.