Middlebury register. (Middlebury, Vt.) 1886-1937, 1906-06-08
THE ORDER OF P. OF n.
An Outline of Its rganixation by
o. II. Kelley Forty Years Ago.


o. II. Kelley Forty Years Ago.
The old yet ever new story of the
organization of the order of Patrons
Of Husbandry has been again retold
| by Mortimer Whitehead in the Ameri-
can Agriculturist. The Order, he. says,
originated in the mind of o. ii. Kel-
ley, a man of New England birth, who
went to Minnesota in his early man
hood and became farmer there In
1864 he was appointed II clerk in the
department of agriculture at Wash
ingtoD. Two years later, in January,
1866 Mr.. Kelley was commissioned 10y
the Hon. Isaac Newton, commissioner
of agriculture, to visit the southern
states for the purpose of obtaining
statistical and other information in re-
gard to conditions there 1t was while
travelling in the south that the thought
of a secret society of agricu1turists for
the protection and advancement of
their interests and as an element to re-
store kindly feelings among the peo-
pie first occurred to Mr.. Kelley.
The idea of giving women full mem
bership in the proposed Order origi-
mated with Miss Caroline A. Hall of
Boston, a niece of Mr.. Kelley, to whom
he had impaired his views of the new
association upon his return from the
south. In the full formation of the
Order six men were directly associated
with Mr.. Kelley. They were William
Saunders of the department of agricul-
ture, who next to Mr.. Kelley did most
In originating the Order; Rev. A. b.
Grosh of the same department, Will
liam NJ. Ireland of the postotfice de
partment, Rev. John Trimble and j. r..
Thompson of the treasury department
and F. NJ. Mcdowell, a pomologist of
Wayne. n Y. For nearly two years
these men labored with a faith and
zeal amounting almost to inspiration
until, with the assistance of friends
who became interested in the plan,
they completed a well devised scheme
of organization, based upon ritual of
four degrees for men and four for wo-
men, which is unsurpassed in the Eng
lish language for originality of thought,
diction.
Having formed constitution to gov
ern the Order to which this ritual was
adapted, these men met Dec. g. 1867.
and constituted themselves the Nation
al Grange of the Patrons of Hus-
bandry. with William Saunders as mas
ter. J. II. Thompson lecturer, William
NJ. Ireland treasurer and o. H. Kelley
secretary. The little brown building in
which the organization was effected
was at that time the Office of Mr.. Saun-
ders, and stood uncovered among the
trees in the gardens of the agricultural
department. Later Colonel Aiken OF
South Carolina and others made vigor-
Gus efforts to have the government pre-
serve this histo building. but they
were unsuccessful. The first subordi
nate grange was organized in Washing
ton Jan. s, 1865, as a school of instruc
ton, with William NJ. Ireland as mas
ter. The first dispensation for grange
was granted at Harrisburg. Pa, April
4, 1868, but the first regular subordi
nate grange to which IA charter was
issued was organized at FredOnia
y. Y. April 16, 1865. The first state
grange was that of Minnesota, Feb. 90
1869.
The new Order made slow progress
up to 1872, only 257 oranges having
been organized in the entire country
During that year, however, 1,105 were
organized, and the Order had an ex
istence in twenty-five states. The frs
meeting of the national grange as 6
delegate body was held at Georgetown
D. c., Jan. 8, 1873. with six of the
founders of the Order and seventeen
delegates present representing clever
states. In addition to these there were
four women namely. Miss
Caroline A. Hall, Mrs. O. H. Kelley
Mrs. ID. w Adams and Mrs. J. G. Alb
bolt. Previous to this meeting there
were only 1862 oranges but by tn,
end of the year 1870 10000 charter!
had been issued.