Area Club
"The purpose of The Great Northern Pipe Club is to stimulate and advance the general welfare of pipe smoking, pipe collecting, and tobacco. It develops a fraternal spirit among pipe smokers and provides a medium for the exchange of information among members.
The Early Days
The Great Northern Pipe Club was founded on a rich history of pipe enthusiasts in the upper Midwest. As early as the late 1960s, an active and diverse group of pipe collectors was meeting regularly in Minneapolis-Saint Paul, Minnesota. The "Twin Cities" was a lively "hotbed" for pipe collectors. The local newspapers covered the club and many articles attracted an increasing number of members.
Unfortunately, as pipe smoking interest declined through the ‘70s, so also did the interest in the pipe club. A few determined members continued meeting irregularly (most often on Saturday mornings) at J. R. Fielding‘s on Larpenteur Avenue in St. Paul. Through the efforts of Ryan Brase, a pipe club eventually achieved recognized status as an official organization at the University of Minnesota. But, the membership roster included only 16 names, and its future was uncertain.
Prossimo articolo: The New York Pipe Club