The Wichita city eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1872-1883, 1876-04-06
The Grange In Sslgwick County.

Very little had been heard OF the organize.
lion now known Patrons of Eusbandry,
here in this portion of Kansas. up 10 the
spring OF 1873. Early in the spring OF that
year few mon in The north part of she coun-
~, having become satisfied that the principles
aud ohjcel> of the grange were right aud that
IL was truely and honestly an organization in
the Interest," of the aericultlrist. got together
little company OF farmers. and resolved 10
send word Ia a. !. Cramer, of Lawrence. who
wa, then General Deputy for the State OF
Kansas, 10 come down aud organize them into
grange. This grange was organized in the
eastern part OF Eagle township, aud was nam
ed Advance Grange. No III. Myron Camp
was elected the first master, l.. G. Crawford,
secretary and 1hos. j. Smith, treasurer. A
few months after this grange was organized
j. J. Sitton, at that time deputy Tor Butler
county, organized Ninnescah grange, in MIN
nescah township. Zarah McClung was elect
ed first master of the grange and Frank Sum-
mcrs, secretary. Park grange was the next
grange organized, and was organized by y.
NJ. Willard, deputy for Harvey. Jno. r. Car
penter was elected first master, and c. s.
Zimmerman secretary. Wakulla grange, No.
1886, b. c. Smith master, and L. +. Cross sec
rotary, was also organized soon after by
Deputy Mllard. The following oranges were
organized by Deputy Sitton nearly in the
order in winch they are named: Valley
grange, Il. L. Thompson master; Prairie Gem
J. Is. York, master; Grant D. q. Jacobs,
master; Waco j. A. Nelson master; Clarion Z
A. Van Ness, master; Rockford j. II. Min
mich master; Gem +. W. Chase master !;
Yosemite grange, J. J. Williams master
Sometime during the fall of 1873 the recon-
mendation OF J. l.. Zimmerman for the posi-
ton of Deputy for Sedgwick county, was for
warded to the master of the State Grange.
and thereupon he was Immediately commits
stoned rs deputy. The completion Of the or
sanization of the rest OF the territory in the
county into oranges was made by Deputy
Zimmerman. During the winter of 1873 and
the spring of 1874. the number of oranges in
the county increased to thirty aud the men,
bership TO upwards of twelve hundred. A
season Of unparalleled grange prosperity fol-
lowed. There was such an enthusiasm to
join the Order. all over the country. as was
doubtless never seen in any other Order be-
fore. Early in the fall of 1873 cooperative
Commercial Agency, Tor the counties of But
Ter, Sedgwick, Cowley, sumner and Harvey,
was organized at Wichita, ui,der the auspices
of the grange. warehouse WAS built and
an agent appointed, but through incompetent
cy and mismanageinent, it came near result
ing IN a failure. Under the pres ent manage
ment, hswcver, we are happy TO be able to
state, that, in our opinion, 1t will be brought
out OF all lis difficulties, aud yet prove such
power for good, in the organization under
whose patronage Ii has been established, as
its most sanguine friends hoped it would be-
Quite a number OF oranges have consolidated
with neighburing grauges, or have taken the
initatory steps toward doing so. and some of
the members whose hearts never were IN the
Order, have been dropped from the rolls or
expelled; yet we teri confident that we ex-
press the opinion OF all good Patrons when
we say that the grange was never stronger
nor more prosperous than ii is to-day Ii we
read Alright, the future has in il tokens Of
good for the grange in ihi. county.