Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1911-03-16
NEW |. D. D. F.
LODGE BUILDING
Plans and Specifications Pre-
pared by A. F. BiIlmeyer,
Local Architect.

The above cut is a facimile of the
| handsome new home of the l. O. O.
F. Lodge No 81 Grand Rapids, Wis
consin, which will be erected on
Second street as soon as the frost
leaves the ground.
The building will be 80 feet wide
| by 100 feet deep, the first story will
contain a store and entrance and
stairway leading to the second floor,
which will be used exclusively for
Lodge purposes, and will contain a
| large cherry club room across the en-
tire front, kitchen, ante-room, cloak
room, ladies and gentlemen's toilet
rooms, four property rooms and a
large meeting hall twenty-eight feet
by fifty-two feet. The building was
planned by A. F. Billmeyer, Archi-
tect who was awarded the plans un-
der competition, who will also super
intend the construction. The bidders
for construction were Mr.. Herman
Able, Mr.. Louis Schroeder and the
Weinberg Construction Co., the last
named being the lowest bidder re-
ceiVed the contract, and work will
commence as soon as the weather
will permit.
The first lodge of Odd Fellows was
organized in this city during the lat
ter part of the sos. Among the char
ter members were Eusebe La Vigne,
George A. Corriveau, Captain Joseph
Cotey, W. B. Butler, L. KRONER. Their
place of meeting was on the West side
over CorriVeau's store, the present
sight of the Centralia Hardware Com
pany's building. This store building
has been moved south and is now
used for a store room by the Central
ia Hardware Company. At this time
there was no bridge connecting the
East and West sides of the city and
members from the East side were fer
ried across by Henry Rablin, who
then owned and operated a system
of ferry boats. After the war broke
out most of the members enlisted and
the charter of the first lodge was sur
rendered during the early COS. The
regalia and properties of the lodge
were sold to the Plover lodge, then
one of the largest and most flourish
ing lodges in Northern Wisconsin.
The lodge was re-instated in this
city on December 5th, 1873 with the
following Odd Fellows as charter mem
bers: c. L. Powers, F. w Burt, O.
scar Taylor, Lemuel Kroner, Seth
Reeves and Joseph L. Cotey. The
hall over Dr. Writer'S Drug store,
(the present site of the Witter Ho-
teD. This building was destroyed by
fire shortly after the recognizing
of the Order The members then rent
ed the lodge room over the William
Miller store, opposite the LibrarJ
by the Empire Saloon In 1877 the
lodge moved to quarters fitted up in
the old Catholic church building, on
the site now vacant, just East Of
the old stone building formerly occu-
pied by the First National Bank of
this city.
During the early sos the lodge NOV
ed its quarters to the F. Pomainville
building, which building is still stand
ing on the same site and is occu-
pied by the Barnes Candy store. The
lodge rooms were located in the quar-
ters now used by Mr. Edward Pomair
vile, Justice of the Peace. During
the early COS the lodge engaged quar-
ters in the Gardner building, across
the hall from the presdlt Masonic
Lodge rooms and occupied these quar-
ters until the Gardner building chang
ed hands in January 1911 They are
now occupying temporary quarters
in the present G. A R. building on
Oak street.
The lodge has always enjoyed finar
cial prosperity and it is with great
satisfaction that the present mem
bers feel warranted in erecting and
occupying the proposed quarters to
be built this summer. Some of the
| most prominent citizens of Grand
lapids past and present are entered
in the records Of this Order
Born to Mr. and Mrs George
] Tomske a son. Thursday. March g