The Somerset reporter., 1897-03-11
Skowhegan Grange History.


When that severe drought occurred ia
Minnesota in 1865 and compelled that
pioneer farmer, o. H. Kelley to seek
employment in the Agricultural Depart
ment at Washington, the world little
knew what the mighty future was about
to develop from this seemingly unim-
portant incident.
When President johnson on New
Years day, 1866, selected that same
pioneer farmer to take a journey through
the south as representative of that
apartment to learn the true condition
of the farmers of that section, no one
living, even in the highest flight Of
fancy, could have measured the far
reaching influences that were to grow
out of that seemingly unmportant move
ment. And when it entered the fertile
brain Of that same pioneer farmer that it
was possible to form some society, some
organization that would unite the
farmers of this country "by the strong
and faithful ties Of agriculture the
farmers little dreamed that that brain
was giving birth to a movement which
was destined to break the bands that
had for so many long years bound the
farmer and his family to life of isola-
ton, TO meagre opportunities, to such
limited privileges.
Ga that ever memorable fourth day of
December 1867, when that little band
who constituted the founders of our
order met in the office of VIM. Saunders,
Department Of Agriculture, Washing
ton, and then and there gave to the
farmers of our land the great Magma
Charta Of their rights, even then no in
spired mind, no prophetic vision could
at that early day pierce the opening
future and disclose to the world the
height, and depth and breadth the order
was destined to reach.
But there was something in the prnci-
Piles of the order, in its beautiful rituals
tic teachings, that stirred the hearts of
the farmers and their wives with won
derful power, and so it moved with
mighty impulse out from the national
capitol, onward to New York, to Pennsyl-
vania, to the great ) ates OF the north
west, across the Rockies to the golden
loved New England, until in its marve-
lous sweep it strikes the garden spot of
our own commonwealth and influences
the thirty-nne charter members of
Skowhegan Grange to meet as they did
just twenty-one years ago yesterday,
and place their honored names upon our
roll book, thus laying the foundation
broad and deep upon which we who
were TO come after them might build.
We gather this evening to recognize
the twenty.first anniversary of that
event. There is something 'markahle
in the fact that our most worthy brother
whom, above all others, was selected to
occupy the Masters chair this year, had
the honor to organize this grange with
the following charter members: B. NJ.
Hight, Martha Hight, Horace Eaton.
Ellen NJ. Eaton, Alexander Crawford,
Lucinda A. Crawford, Randall Hill,
Warren :. Parkman, Loantha j. Park
man, 5. f. Steward, Caroline M. Stew
ard, Alonzo Richardson, Horace Beal, |.
c. Dorothy, Sarah j. Dorothy, Warren
Worthy, Lucinda F. Worthy A. r. Smi-
ley, c. w. Pratt, Lewis Beal, Altana b.
Beal. Susan Hill, Elvira F. Beal, X. w.
Coleman, Augusta A. Coleman, X. w.
Homsted, Phiena p. Homsted, Abel H.
Patten, Mary II. Patten, d. w. Parkman.
Lydia Parkman, Abner ). HOxie, Aria
Hoxie, John K. Horn, Lizzie II. Horn,
StetsoH s. Bowman, Pathena Bowman,
Eva +. Dearborn and Rista II Dorothy.
OF these thrty-nine charter members the
following fourteen are still with ~,
members of the grange: Horace Eaton,
Ellen NJ. Eaton, Loantha J. Parkman,
Elvira +. Beal, L. c. Dorothy, Sarah
j. Dorothy, Lucinda f. Worthy, A. K.
Smiley, Lewis Beal, Altana B. Bral,
Augusta A. Coleman, Abner 5. Hoxie,
Aria Hoxe and Parthena Bowman.
The whole number of members who
have enrolled their names upon our
records. is 40. OF this number Al are
known to have died while members of
the grange 1852 compose our member
ship at this date, leaving Isl who have
received withdrawal or demit cards or
stand suspended.
Our grange has been most fortunate
in the selection of these worthy brothers
who, during all these years have occu-
pied the Masters chair. Bro. b. NJ.
Hight had the honor of first presiding
over the deliberations of the newly form
ed grange, and the example he set for
his successors in office lives with US to-
day. Bro. w. ID. Hayden, whose eyes are
now dim with age, was the next Master,
then came Bros. A. X. Smiley, o. }.
Hancock, Horace Eaton, Lewis Beal, Hor-
ace Beal, Ansel Holway, y. A. Withee,
c. f. Smith, w. B. Whittier and Alonzo
smith, our present Master, Bro. Hol-
way, has the longest record in this office
>of any of the brothers.
Equally fortunate have we been in
filling the important office of Lecturer,
excepting of course the writer of this
article, and to their skill and ability we
owe much Of our prosperity. Bro.
Horace Beal, whose sacred memory will
ever remain with us, was the first 10
that Office and repeatedly filled it AS did
Bro. Alonzo Smith who followed. Then
came Bros. c. +. Smith and B. NJ.
Hight, sisters f. l.. X. Adams, Celia A.
Nolin and 5. f. Whittier, Bros. :. F.
Emerson, ID. ). Wiley, d. II. Bartlett,
:. :. Woodman and sister Ella II.
Crowel.
The office OF secretary which our
order recognizes as the most arduous of
all was first filed by Bro Lewis Beal
who is with US today, a faithful and de-
voted member, followed by Bro. G. K.
smith, sister +. l.. X Adams, Bros.
Aonzo Smith aud A. X. Smiley, sisters
Eva b. Smiley, Vesta A. Withee and
Ella II. Crowel, sister Crowell having
filled the office for six years, Bro. S. F.
Emerson and sister Georgia A. Tobey.
A. -