The Madison daily leader. [volume] (Madison, S.D.) 1890-current, 1915-04-27
ODD FELLOWS
MADISON MEMBERS OBSERVE
GOTH ANNIVERSARY-IN-
TERESTING EVENT.

sary of the institution of Odd Fellow
ship, and as an event appropriate to
the occasion burned a mortgage
which relieves their hall of indebted
ness. About 200 Odd Fellows and
Rebekahs we're present. Rev. C. Nc
Kibbin of the Presbyterian church
delivered an address on The Ami
versary of Odd Fellowship, followed
by Judge d. ID. Holdridge. subject,
What Does Odd Fellowship Stand
For? Music of the evening was by
eight male voices. Following the
ceremony of burning the mortgage
the Rebekah ladies showed their
pleasure at its destruction by sing
ing a parody on Goodbye, My Lover,
Goodbye. Refreshments were served
and the evening was very delightfully."-
spent socially.
History of Madison Lodge.
Madison Lodge No. 90, ~Independ-
ent Order of Odd Fellows. was insti-
tuted on April 10, 1880, at the old
town of Madison across the lake
south of the c~hautauqua grounds on
Lake Madison. No. 20 has just pass
ed it's 35th birthday. Dell Rapids
Lodge did the work of %instituting the
lodge and also of giving the initiatory
degree. There were ten charter mem
bers, viz: Brothers VIM. Lee, Peter
Marquart, John j. Jacobs, j. G.. Wads-
worth, Chas. Miller, Christian Ro-
seno. C. w. Howard, w. HI. Luce, j..
B.. Taylor and A. f. Clough. Three
of these are alive, Bros. Miller, Ro-
-Ax1 60 rV-. ~ n4. NJ
quart was our first noble grand.
April 10 to June 80, 1880; Bro. c..
Il. Kennedy to December 81, 1880,
ana Bro. Chas. Miller from January
| to June 80, 1881.
Bro. A. L. Fuller was No. eos first
initiate. Since that time No. 20 has
initiated h01 members. June 30,
1887, seven years and three months
from the time Of organization it had
102 members; December 81, 1908,
its membership had reached the POI
mark; June 80, 1914, when this
lodge was thirty-four years and three
months old, it had 312 active men,
bers, practically speaking. seven
years for the first 100, twenty-one
years for the second 100, and seven
years for the third 100 members.
This lodge, up TO last December 81,
had paid out for sick benefits to 343
brothers the sum of $7,403, and in
the same time had paid in special
benefits and donations, ~$1,724.90.
Sixty-eight brothers have passed
through the noble grand's chair, only
Bro. Peter Marquart and Bro. Chas.
NTs1lnr ha ~ NO hold thu nfErn the con
ond time. OF the sixty-eight past
grands, sixty are yet members of the
lodge. In the fall of 1880 the lodge
moved to the new town OF Madison
and occupied what was called the
Jim Davison's hall. In the %forepart
of January, 1882 the lodge moved to
the second story of the Luce building
over the place where the Madison
Cafe is now located, lot g., blk. 10,
original plat. This hall was 20x30
feet, and the collar beams were well
up on the rafters, rather a garnet
sort of a place compared with what
we have here for a hall. In August
1881, the members of No. 20 began
to talk of building an Odd Fellows
hall, so as to have a home of our
own. A committee consisting oil
Bros. J. NJ. Preston, A. f. Fuller and
A. Y. Clough were appointed to draft
plans and specifications for a two
story building, storeroom on first
floor and a hall on second floor. This
committee done its work, but the
financial end of the proposition was
not so easily got rid of. The broth
ers argued the pros and cons of the
situation until September 2, 1882
when a committee of three were
elected, viz: Bros. A. f. Clough
Dexter Rice and VIM. Lee, to devise
ways and means for raising money tc
finance the project, the plans and
specifications of the old committee
having been adopted.
At a special meeting held Septem-
Der z, the committee reported they
had $~1,99S.81 in sight, that the cost
of the building would be ~$2,573.81
p. II. Harth offered to sell Sc feet oil
the front of the lot where Jacks Res
taurant is, lot IL, blk. 16, original
plat, for $500. Bro. Harth's Offer
was accepted and the trustees were
instructed to proceed with the build
Ing. ruler bIUS. Duill the DuiluIut
and the lodge occupied its new home
the first part of January, 1883, the
lodge records do not state exact day
Again in the latter part of 1900, and
the forepart of 1901 our lodge mem
bers began talking of more room anc
looking for a new location. In July
they closed a deal for our present 10
cation. This hall vas built in the
year 1901 at a cost of $4,000, ant
was occupied by this lodge the fore
part of January, 1902. An addition
was built to the east end OF the hal
later on. The property is now worth
about $4,000.
In the early days of No. 20 w
used to assess its members 10 cents
apiece, or, as we often did, dig dowI
into our individual pockets and MAKE
a donation to pay sick benefits. Ii
those days the lodge hired no nurses
The brothers had to change off in TAX
ing care of a sick brother. Some