Evening star., 1925-02-27
REORGANIZATION OF POTOMAC
GRANGE BRINGS UP HISTORY
National Organization Sprm1g From Local Bod,
After,Uard Long Dormant, WhicF Is Being
Repired With Ne,u Enthusiasm.
By A. VI. LOOMS.


In the reorganization recently OF
Potomac Grange, No. 1, Patrons Of
Husbandry, effected by Dr. T. c. At
keson. Washington representative OF
the National Grange, another step
has been taken which emphasizes the
influence which the National Capital
and Washingtonians have had In es-
tablishing this farmers fraternity
and in promoting and developing the
cause of American agriculture. The
National Grange was founded here 81
years ago, and an important part of
its organization was the chartering
and esta blishing in this city of the
subordinate Potomac Grange, char
tered as No. /, in which the ritual
was given its first exemplication and
the esoteric teachings were given
their first expression.
Starting here. the founder of the
order, Oliver Hudson Kelley, financed
in part by the initiation fees and
membership dues paid into Washing
ton Grange, went out on mission
airy trip 70 preach the gospel OF farm
er fraternity and establish other
oranges. In spite of difficulties. back
ed up by his Washington associates,
Mr.. Kelley finally succeeded. Poto-
mac Grange was organized January
I, 1868 Seven years later oranges
were being organized by the hum
dreds in all the agricultural States
each year, and the order had grown
to a membership running into hun
dreds of thousands.
Local Grange Reorganized.
Now Potomac Grange has been re-
organized. The fortunes of this one
organization, which had been the spe-
cial contribution of the National Cap
ital-the training school for this up
lifting movement in agrtculture-had
not been as prosperous as Its ma
tional organization or as the state,
county and local oranges founded by
the hundreds in the farming regions.
The present reorganization has come
about through the activities OF the
national representative here, with the
support OF a large number or mem
bers and former members from Varl-
Gus parts of the country, who have
been drawn to Washington because OF
the opportunity here. Although the
organization was only brought about
late in October, there are now apout
so men and women who have found
in II A new means of cooperation
among themselves.
From records which have been dis
covered here complete hlstory
Of the local grange can be written.
The first meeting was held January
7. 1858, Quoting from the records
now in his Office, the national secre-
tary, c. NJ Freeman, Tippacanoe City,
Ohio, writes::
Potomac Grange, No. l, was or
gantzed January I, 1868, and dispen-
sation issued the same day by Deputy
o. II. Kelley" o. H. Kelley in his
history of the grange gives an ac-
count of the organization of the first
grange. He says: We decided to
meet in q room on Ninth street on
the evening of the sth of January.
The room was so filled with ONCE
furniture we could not drill to any
advantage and decided to have our
next meeting at Union League Hall
Meeting Held I'm February.
Another meeting was held February
9, at which the organization was COM
pleted, but the list of officers is not
given. "wednesday evening" says
Mr.. Kelley. February 10, 1868. we
had an exceedingly interesting meet
ing of Potomac Grange at the hall in
the old Intelligencer Building, at
which the first man. ever regularly
initiated in due form in our order re-
ceived the first degree-Brother Board
man OF New York. The officers officiat-
ing on this occasion were the following
Master, w. NJ Ireland: overseer, W.
A. Galley; lecturer, W. q. Perry;
steward, II. Dinsman assistant
steward. ]. E. Douglas; chaplain. A.
F.. Moulden; gatekeeper, Ed P. Far
ris; Ceres, Mrs. Pynchon; Pomona,
Mrs. Perry: Flora, Miss Douglas.
o. II. Kelley acted as floor manager.
Among those present were Mrs. Ire
land, Mrs. Moulden, Mrs. Dtngman,
Mrs. Galley Mrs. Gass, Brothers
Saunders, Trimble, Tilden. Mullen,
Pynchon, Glass, Haley and Kerr"
On April 3, 1868. Mr.. Kelley started
on his first trip Of organization among
the farmers of the country.
National EclipSes Local.
Once started, the grange grew in a
remarkable manner. American agrt
culture was rapidly growing, but
there was no great agricultural prob
lem Washington ceased to have
special place in it's category
incident to this growth became SO
heavy a task of administration and