Beresford Cat Club, Chicago, IL

The Beresford Cat Club of America, Inc. was organized in Chicago, Illinois, in 1899. The folowing year, the club held its first cat show in January, 1900, reportedly awarding 176 prizes. According to Cats Magazine, "The Beresford Cat Club is the original organization upon which the Cat Fancy in America is built." The club survived despite political coups and insurrections, and in 1906 it formed the basic structure that eventually became the American Cat Association (ACA).

Beresford was not the first organized club in North America, but it certainly was the fastest growing and became the most powerful.

Learn more about the Beresford Cat Club here.