Someone has suggested that we work out a list

giving the town or city in which the first AA

group was formed in each of the 50 US states

and 10 Canadian provinces, and also (where

possible) the month, day, and year the group

was started.



This will be used as part of the celebration

of AA's 75th anniversary next year.



I'll start it off by giving the information

on my home state of Indiana, plus the date

of Dr. Bob's last drink in Akron, Ohio.



It would be appreciated if someone from each

state and province could write in and give us

the relevant information for where they live.



Thanks!



Glenn C., South Bend, Indiana



THE 50 U.S. STATES:

Alabama

Alaska

Arizona

Arkansas

California

Colorado

Connecticut

Delaware

Florida

Georgia

Hawaii

Idaho

Illinois

Indiana: Evansville, 23 April 1940

Iowa

Kansas

Kentucky

Louisiana

Maine

Maryland

Massachusetts

Michigan

Minnesota

Mississippi

Missouri

Montana

Nebraska

Nevada

New Hampshire

New Jersey

New Mexico

New York

North Carolina

North Dakota

Ohio: Akron, 17 June 1935

Oklahoma

Oregon

Pennsylvania

Rhode Island

South Carolina

South Dakota

Tennessee

Texas

Utah

Vermont

Virginia

Washington

West Virginia

Wisconsin

Wyoming



(also Washington DC)



THE 10 CANADIAN PROVINCES:

Alberta

British Columbia

Manitoba

New Brunswick

Newfoundland and Labrador

Nova Scotia

Ontario

Prince Edward Island

Quebec

Saskatchewan

AA Started in Texas in February 1940



In late January and early February 1940, the Houston Press ran a series of

six articles about AA written anonymously by Larry J (Jewell). He was

rescued from Cleveland's skid row by the AA members there and had set out by

train from Cleveland to live and work in Houston. Larry had never attended

an AA meeting. While reading the Big Book on the train he had a spiritual

awakening. Soon after the articles were published Larry was joined by Roy Y

(Yeargan) and Ed H (Hudson) and AA started in Texas. The first Texas AA

meeting was on March 15, 1940 at the Houston YMCA. The news articles also

attracted the first Texas woman AA member, Benita C, who later married Larry

J.



The Houston Press Editor, Allen C Bartlett, hired Larry as an editorial

writer. In April 1940, the Alcoholic Foundation reprinted Larry J's Houston

Press articles as AA's first pamphlet. Sadly, though, Larry J later returned

to drinking and it lead to his death in 1944.



======================================================================

Info on the date of Dr Bob's last drink (based on some old, old notes)

======================================================================



The date of June 17, 1935 looks pretty compelling as Dr Bob's sober date.

The AMA Archives in Chicago, IL has confirmed that the 1935 Atlantic City,

NJ Convention that Dr Bob attended was held from Monday to Friday June

10-14. Images of the AMA convention program and session minutes are

circulating on the web showing June 10-14, 1935 as the dates of the

convention.



There are also good clues in AA literature for a deduction.



In "AA Comes of Age" (pgs 70-71) Bill W writes "So he [Dr Bob] went to the

Atlantic City Medical Convention and nothing was heard of him for several

days." In "Dr Bob and the Good Oldtimers" (pgs 72-75) it cites (with editing

for brevity): "Dr Bob ... began drinking ... as he boarded the train to

Atlantic City. On his arrival he bought several quarts on his way to the

hotel. That was Sunday night. He stayed sober on Monday until after dinner

... On Tuesday, Bob started drinking in the morning and ... [checked out of

the hotel] ... The next thing he knew ... he was ... in the ... home of his

office nurse ... The blackout was certainly more than 24 hours long ... Bill

and Anne had waited for five days from the time Bob left before they heard

from the nurse ... She had picked him up that morning at the Akron railroad

station ... As Bill and Sue [Smith] remembered, there was a 3-day sobering

up period ... Upon Dr Bob's return, they had discovered that he was due to

perform surgery 3 days later ... At 4 o'clock on the morning of the

operation [Bob] . said 'I am going through with this ...' On the way to City

Hospital ... Bill ... gave him a beer ..." In the video "Bill's Own Story"

Bill W says he gave Dr Bob a beer and "goofball" [a barbiturate] the morning

of the surgery. The same information is repeated in "Pass It On" pgs

147-149. See also "Not God" pgs 32-33.



Estimate of timeline based on the above:



June 09 Sunday: started drinking on the train to Atlantic City - in New

Jersey he bought several quarts and checked into Atlantic City hotel



June 10 Monday: stayed sober until after dinner



June 11 Tuesday: started drinking in the morning - later checked out of the

hotel.



June 12 Wednesday: was in a blackout (likely greater than 24 hours)



June 13 Thursday: blackout continues (may have arrived at Akron train

station)



June 14 Friday: picked up by nurse in the morning at the train station. Then

picked up by Bill W at nurse's house (5 days after leaving). Day 1 of 3-day

dry out period with Bill W.



June 15 Saturday: day 2 of 3-day dry out period with Bill W.



June 16 Sunday: day 3 of 3-day dry out period with Bill W.



June 17 Monday: day of the surgery - Bill W gives Dr Bob a beer and a

goofball (3 days after Dr Bob's return)



Cheers

Arthur

Pennsylvania -- Philadelphia Feb 28 1940.



The founders included Jim B., Charlie B.,

Bayard B., Fitz M., George S., McCready H.

[at whose place it was held, 2209 Delancey St],

and Ed P.



Bayard B. was also the founder of AA on

Martha's Vineyard -- he's the only one I

ever met, shortly before his death in,

I think, 1961.



Jim B. and Fitz have stories in the Big Book.



- - - -



From: Cindy Miller <cm53@...>

(cm53 at earthlink.net)



Pennsylvania: Philadelphia, 28 February 1940



- - - -



From: Shakey1aa@...



Greetings from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania,

where the 1st organizational meeting was

2/28/1940 and the 1st group was the

Philadelphia Mother Group formed by Jimmy

Burwell on  March 6, 1940.



In "Memoirs of Jimmy" he states that "between

Feb and June 1940 Fitz," meaning J. H. Fitzhugh

Mayo "and myself started groups in Philadelphia,

Washington and Baltimore."



Shakey Mike Gwirtz

Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

(see you at the National Archives Workshop

in California later this summer)

First AA groups in Maine, Maryland, West Virgina,

Iowa, Minnesota, and Florida



The first continuous meeting in Maine was in 1946. It met in Bangor over a

garage. There is very little information on it but on January 11th, 1947; a

group registered with New York as the Bangor Group. The oldtimers who I have

talked to claimed that it was a new group, not an offspring of the garage group.

Anyway, the oldest registered Group in Maine is The Portland Group, which

registered with New York on January 7th, 1947 - four days before the Bangor

Group.

Lee N.



- - - -



From: Rick Benchoff <rxichard2nd@...> (rxichard2nd at yahoo.com)



Baltimore, Maryland: what later came to be

called the 857 Group first met on June 16, 1940.



Additional info: Jimmy Burwell was in attendance at

this meeting in addition to four Baltimore area men.



Rick B.

Hagerstown, Maryland

Member of the Hagerstown Group

(founded in September 1946)



- - - -



From: Richard H <area73archives@...> (area73archives at yahoo.com)



Here you go from Area 73, West Virginia.

First AA Group registered with New York was

in Charleston, WV on March 1, 1942.



Best regards,

Richard Humway

Area 73 Archivist



- - - -



From: "tomper87" <tomper99@...> (tomper99 at yahoo.com)



This is the earliest I can find in Iowa.



Iowa  Des Moines Oct 1943



Great idea to see how AA spread across the country and Canada.



Tom P.



- - - -



First AA group in Minnesota



From Jean F. <jeanfid@...>

(jeanfid at gmail.com)



Patrick Cronin's dry date was November 11,

1940; he was visited by Chan Forman (a former

Minnesotan) and Bill Long from Chicago AA.

The Armistice Day blizzard kept them here in

Minneapolis long enough to help Cronin stay

sober and hear the message.



In April of 1941 Pat got two rooms (which

quickly spread to five rooms) and a telephone

at 200 East Franklin so as to organize a group.



Bill Wilson made his first visit here to

Minneapolis on October 26, 1941.  Eventually

the club was moved to the Washburn House at

2218 1st Ave So, now lovingly known as the

Cronin house.



I'm sure there are others who will chime

in here.



- - - -



From: Lynn Sawyer <sawyer7952@...>

(sawyer7952 at yahoo.com)



Dear fellow HistoryLovers,

Yes, I CERTAINLY DO remember '2218', as it

was also lovingly called!!  Went to many a mtg.

there, and had a few meals there, too.



(They sold sm. meals from the kitchen, which

was next to a large mtg. room on the 1st floor.



Thanks for letting me share!



Lynn S.

[Now] Sacramento, CA

alcoholic



- - - -



From: Archives Historie <firsthings1st@...>

(firsthings1st at yahoo.com)



Florida history:  December 1940, Commander

Junius Cotten met at the Jacksonville Naval

Air Station with Thomas Sharpe.



1st meeting in Florida!



Registered with AA on June 30, 1941.



In Jacksonville.



From the Area 14 Archives in North Florida