Dublin Core
Title
History of the Odd Fellows in Maynard
Description
A monograph outlining interesting facts about the International Order of Odd Fellows lodges in Maynard.
Creator
Berger Koski
Date
1966
Identifier
2015.479
Document Item Type Metadata
Text
(ocr scanned text follows. partially edited!)
ODD FELLOWS
The Lincoln Library of Essential Information imparts this knowledge -to us of the Independent Order of Odd Fellows:
"A Secret, Fraternal, Beneficiary Society, founded in England sometime during the second quarter of the 18th Century. A Grand Lodge of Odd Fellows for England was formed at London in 1803. In 1809 a subordinate Lodge at Manchester, successfully declared itself independent of the Grand Lodge, and, as the Independent Order of Odd Fellows, Manchester Unity, constitutes today the large st English branch of the Order.
Thomas Wildey is considered to have been the founder of the Society in America , although other Lodges are known to have existed before Wildey came to the United States. In 1819, Willdey and other English associates organized a Lodge of Odd Fellows in Baltimore, which received a charter from the Manchester Unity. In 1813, the American order declared its independence of the older society. Three degrees are conferred in Lodges of Odd Fellows. Those who have received the third degree are eligible to membership in an encampment, where three further degrees are conferred. A uniformed degree of the order, known as the Patriarchs Militant, is open only to those who have received the Royal Purple Degree of an encampment. The Rebekah degree for women members was established in 1851,"
As the above in dicates , there were three distinct orders of Odd Fellows - the original order in London, the Manchester Unity and the American . In Maynard we had two lodges, one affiliated with the Manchester Unity and the other with the American Order. Gutteridge's History informs us that Loyal Assabet Lodge, I,0,0, F Manchester Unity was instituted January 17, 1884 and two and a half months later
on April 2, 1884m the Maynard Lodge, I.0,0,F. of t he American Orcler was or organized,
The reasons are obscure why the need for two lodges. Possibly the people of English descent wanted the Manchester Unity and the Scotch and other nationalities wanted no part of it.
June 23, 1899 news report shows the following officers as being installed:
In Manchester Unity - Isac Binl~s, Fenton Roeers, H. Oxford, David Miller, Gavin 'I'aylor, J.E.Pnill ips, i.lillio.m '.l'nittaker , J,J, l,1,rgan,
(2. ) July l l~, 1899 news report s hows the f ol l owing officers being install ed in the
I. 0,0,F. Lodc;e 131: Lewis Shaw, John Gerow, Henry Kimmel, TomCarey, GeorGe Henderson , !
Will iam Stewart, George Champi on, Jr . , Joseph Sinc;l eton , Cli fford Cheney , George Robinson , Reid Lyons, John Marsden, Chaplain Charles Roberts , Lorenzo Clark.
Both Lodges car r ied on socia l af fairs of various ki nds , pool, smoke-tal ks, dances , 13a.lls on to p of in i tiation of new members and meetin gs.
He do not know the tota l membershi p of either Lodge but a Februa r y 6, 1914
news arti cl e of the Manches te r Unit y lod ge observing its th i rtieth ann i versary
b ri ngs out that twenty - thr ee members in i tiated this Loclse and one hundred and ni net y- four wer e pr esent at th i s part i cular anniversary program. On liay 2, 1919, Lodge 131 observed the One Hundredth Anniversary of the foundinB of .the American Order and the
t hirty -fifth of the l ocal l odge at Cooperative Hall with four hundred in attenda nce , The Mizpah Rebekah Lodge for womenmembers were part of this Lodge and participated
in the observance s. April 30, 1909 this same Lodge celebrated its twenty-fifth
at Masonic I-T.la.l T'ne followin g individua ls were on the celebrations committee at
the two affairs: Mrs . Moses Chandler, James E..t.o,n, J.A.McPherson, Fred Randell, L.E,Tiodwa.y, Wil liam Bi shop, Cli fford Cheney, A,M.Howard, A,E,Randel l , Robert Lester , Fred Archer , Tom Smith , Palp h .Case, Arth ur Champa gne , Tom Denni ston, Ol iver Trees andadditionalRebekahswereRhodaSmith,MaryLeithead,SadieGase,Jeannette Graham, Gertru de Keene and Lucy Case .
!sar ch 11, 1921 an Od.dFel lows Ball tool<. place i n Col onia l Hall wit h Frank Sheridan's Orchestra pl ayin s . The news r eport does not in dica te which order this was .
November 9, 193J~o. ffic ers were installed of the I. O.O,F, Manchester Unity at Od. Fellous Hall as follous: 'romUsher, Fred Brmm, Isaac Binks, ~ orge Brmm, Willia m Newman, 1\l Billett , Louis Emers on, Willia m Cou.tter , James Coul ter , Charles Coulter and Fred Green. Note the above name - I.0 ,0,F, t,hnchester Unity. This would i ndicate that the two order3 muct hnve merged some tim e in the past. There
(3,) i c no record of i t i n newspapers and in conve r sation with Mr. Albert Hod1:sess he
mai ntains that the i1Inre ican Order was the one i n ex i stence in the 1930' s, I f there was a merger, possibly a compromise name, as the above would indicate was adopted.
A curiou s note of /\.u13Uts20, 1915 in the paper b:.ars quoting in ful, "Movementafoot t o organize an Odd Fell ows As sociation with r ooms i n I. O. O.F . Block . Rooms open
every evenins. Papers, books, magazines, pool and card tables. All OddFell m1s 11
Welcome. Possibly it was sometimeafter that there was a merger .
It was lodge 131that had its headquarters in the r.o.o.F.Block on Nason Street.
This building was ori ginally buil t by I.oewand the upsta irs rented to the lodge. The Rebekah 's ar e still i n exi s tence i n 1966 but the Odd Fellow s ~akened in
membership by the early fift ies so that the lodge was disbanded. Apa.per will be pre par ed on the Rebekahs.
All dat es in t his pa.per r efer to the Maynar d News.
Read at Mar ch , 1966 meeting of The Maynard Historica l Soci ety
B. R. KOSia
ODD FELLOWS
The Lincoln Library of Essential Information imparts this knowledge -to us of the Independent Order of Odd Fellows:
"A Secret, Fraternal, Beneficiary Society, founded in England sometime during the second quarter of the 18th Century. A Grand Lodge of Odd Fellows for England was formed at London in 1803. In 1809 a subordinate Lodge at Manchester, successfully declared itself independent of the Grand Lodge, and, as the Independent Order of Odd Fellows, Manchester Unity, constitutes today the large st English branch of the Order.
Thomas Wildey is considered to have been the founder of the Society in America , although other Lodges are known to have existed before Wildey came to the United States. In 1819, Willdey and other English associates organized a Lodge of Odd Fellows in Baltimore, which received a charter from the Manchester Unity. In 1813, the American order declared its independence of the older society. Three degrees are conferred in Lodges of Odd Fellows. Those who have received the third degree are eligible to membership in an encampment, where three further degrees are conferred. A uniformed degree of the order, known as the Patriarchs Militant, is open only to those who have received the Royal Purple Degree of an encampment. The Rebekah degree for women members was established in 1851,"
As the above in dicates , there were three distinct orders of Odd Fellows - the original order in London, the Manchester Unity and the American . In Maynard we had two lodges, one affiliated with the Manchester Unity and the other with the American Order. Gutteridge's History informs us that Loyal Assabet Lodge, I,0,0, F Manchester Unity was instituted January 17, 1884 and two and a half months later
on April 2, 1884m the Maynard Lodge, I.0,0,F. of t he American Orcler was or organized,
The reasons are obscure why the need for two lodges. Possibly the people of English descent wanted the Manchester Unity and the Scotch and other nationalities wanted no part of it.
June 23, 1899 news report shows the following officers as being installed:
In Manchester Unity - Isac Binl~s, Fenton Roeers, H. Oxford, David Miller, Gavin 'I'aylor, J.E.Pnill ips, i.lillio.m '.l'nittaker , J,J, l,1,rgan,
(2. ) July l l~, 1899 news report s hows the f ol l owing officers being install ed in the
I. 0,0,F. Lodc;e 131: Lewis Shaw, John Gerow, Henry Kimmel, TomCarey, GeorGe Henderson , !
Will iam Stewart, George Champi on, Jr . , Joseph Sinc;l eton , Cli fford Cheney , George Robinson , Reid Lyons, John Marsden, Chaplain Charles Roberts , Lorenzo Clark.
Both Lodges car r ied on socia l af fairs of various ki nds , pool, smoke-tal ks, dances , 13a.lls on to p of in i tiation of new members and meetin gs.
He do not know the tota l membershi p of either Lodge but a Februa r y 6, 1914
news arti cl e of the Manches te r Unit y lod ge observing its th i rtieth ann i versary
b ri ngs out that twenty - thr ee members in i tiated this Loclse and one hundred and ni net y- four wer e pr esent at th i s part i cular anniversary program. On liay 2, 1919, Lodge 131 observed the One Hundredth Anniversary of the foundinB of .the American Order and the
t hirty -fifth of the l ocal l odge at Cooperative Hall with four hundred in attenda nce , The Mizpah Rebekah Lodge for womenmembers were part of this Lodge and participated
in the observance s. April 30, 1909 this same Lodge celebrated its twenty-fifth
at Masonic I-T.la.l T'ne followin g individua ls were on the celebrations committee at
the two affairs: Mrs . Moses Chandler, James E..t.o,n, J.A.McPherson, Fred Randell, L.E,Tiodwa.y, Wil liam Bi shop, Cli fford Cheney, A,M.Howard, A,E,Randel l , Robert Lester , Fred Archer , Tom Smith , Palp h .Case, Arth ur Champa gne , Tom Denni ston, Ol iver Trees andadditionalRebekahswereRhodaSmith,MaryLeithead,SadieGase,Jeannette Graham, Gertru de Keene and Lucy Case .
!sar ch 11, 1921 an Od.dFel lows Ball tool<. place i n Col onia l Hall wit h Frank Sheridan's Orchestra pl ayin s . The news r eport does not in dica te which order this was .
November 9, 193J~o. ffic ers were installed of the I. O.O,F, Manchester Unity at Od. Fellous Hall as follous: 'romUsher, Fred Brmm, Isaac Binks, ~ orge Brmm, Willia m Newman, 1\l Billett , Louis Emers on, Willia m Cou.tter , James Coul ter , Charles Coulter and Fred Green. Note the above name - I.0 ,0,F, t,hnchester Unity. This would i ndicate that the two order3 muct hnve merged some tim e in the past. There
(3,) i c no record of i t i n newspapers and in conve r sation with Mr. Albert Hod1:sess he
mai ntains that the i1Inre ican Order was the one i n ex i stence in the 1930' s, I f there was a merger, possibly a compromise name, as the above would indicate was adopted.
A curiou s note of /\.u13Uts20, 1915 in the paper b:.ars quoting in ful, "Movementafoot t o organize an Odd Fell ows As sociation with r ooms i n I. O. O.F . Block . Rooms open
every evenins. Papers, books, magazines, pool and card tables. All OddFell m1s 11
Welcome. Possibly it was sometimeafter that there was a merger .
It was lodge 131that had its headquarters in the r.o.o.F.Block on Nason Street.
This building was ori ginally buil t by I.oewand the upsta irs rented to the lodge. The Rebekah 's ar e still i n exi s tence i n 1966 but the Odd Fellow s ~akened in
membership by the early fift ies so that the lodge was disbanded. Apa.per will be pre par ed on the Rebekahs.
All dat es in t his pa.per r efer to the Maynar d News.
Read at Mar ch , 1966 meeting of The Maynard Historica l Soci ety
B. R. KOSia
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