USA > Iowa > Dickinson County > History of Emmet County and Dickinson County, Iowa, a record of settlement, organization, progress and achievement, Volume I > Part 23
USA > Iowa > Emmet County > History of Emmet County and Dickinson County, Iowa, a record of settlement, organization, progress and achievement, Volume I > Part 23
Note: The text from this book was generated using artificial intelligence so there may be some errors. The full pages can be found on Archive.org (link on the Part 1 page).
Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 | Part 5 | Part 6 | Part 7 | Part 8 | Part 9 | Part 10 | Part 11 | Part 12 | Part 13 | Part 14 | Part 15 | Part 16 | Part 17 | Part 18 | Part 19 | Part 20 | Part 21 | Part 22 | Part 23 | Part 24 | Part 25 | Part 26 | Part 27 | Part 28 | Part 29 | Part 30 | Part 31 | Part 32 | Part 33 | Part 34 | Part 35 | Part 36 | Part 37 | Part 38 | Part 39 | Part 40 | Part 41 | Part 42 | Part 43 | Part 44 | Part 45
A second meeting was called by the president on August 3, 1872, when a constitution and by-laws were adopted, and on the 7th of September another meeting of the officers and directors selected Tuesday and Wednes- day, October 8th and 9th as the date for a county fair. The society con-
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tinued to hold fairs annually for a few years, when, like its predecessor, it went down for want of sufficient support.
On June 7, 1893, articles of incorporation of the "Emmet County Agricultural Society" were filed with the county recorder. The objects of the society, as stated in the articles of incorporation, were "the improve- ment of agriculture, horticulture, mechanics and the arts, and of rural and domestic economy." The capital stock was fixed at $5,000 and the incorpo- ration was to date from June 1, 1893. The provisional officers and directors named in the articles were: R. K. Soper, president; C. A. Williams, vice- president; O. A. Meade, secretary; A. J. Penn, assistant secretary ; J. D. Wilson, treasurer; A. O. Peterson, H. M. Rohde, Samuel Reaney, C. S. Byfield and H. W. Woods, directors.
A few days later the county board of supervisors adopted a resolution donating $200 to the society to aid in the erection of buildings upon the fair grounds, when such grounds might be secured by the society. On Saturday, June 24, 1893, a well attended meeting was held in Graves' Hall in Estherville for the purpose of offering encouragement to the enter- prise. S. H. Mattson presided and M. K. Whelan acted as secretary. A committee, consisting of J. H. Barnhart, S. R. Millar, E. B. Campbell, William Nivison, J. N. Lee and R. K. Soper, was appointed to solicit sub- scriptions to a fund for the "lease or purchase of fair grounds and the improvement thereof." At another meeting in July the committee to solicit funds reported that 645 citizens had subscribed, but the amount of the subscriptions cannot be ascertained.
At the July meeting it was decided to reorganize the board of directors, so as to make it consist of one member from each township, and the fol- lowing were elected: Armstrong Grove, P. H. Burt; Center, I. C. Wild- fang; Denmark, Morten Petersen; Ellsworth, Nels Anderson; Emmet, S. B. Weir; Estherville, E. L. Brown; High Lake, J. N. Lee; Iowa Lake, Ammi Follett; Jack Creek, J. C. Mollison; Lincoln, (no election) ; Swan Lake, Cornelius Anderson; Twelve Mile Lake, L. L. Bixby.
The society obtained and improved a fair ground and for a number of years held successful fairs. Then the interest waned and J. H. Griffith bought up most of the stock, thus becoming the owner of the fair ground, which was converted into a farm when the society was disbanded, again leaving Emmet County without any organization for holding fairs or otherwise promoting the agricultural interests.
FAIR ASSOCIATION
Early in the year 1916 a movement was started for the revival of the agricultural society and a tentative organization was effected. A petition was presented to the county board of supervisors asking that body to pre-
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sent to the voters of the county a proposition to give official support to the enterprise. The petition was granted and at the general election on November 7, 1916, the following question was submitted to the electors :
"Shall the County of Emmet, in the State of Iowa, purchase real estate for county fair purposes, at a cost not exceeding $12,000, and levy a tax on all the taxable property within said county at a rate not to exceed four- tenths of a mill on the dollar of the taxable value, in addition to all other taxes, year by year, commencing with the current levies, to pay the indeb- tedness incurred for the purchase of such real estate, and the interest thereon, until said indebtedness, both principal and interest is completely paid?"
The majority of the voters expressed themselves in favor of the propo- sition and on December 21, 1916, at a meeting held in the office of Lambert & Case the "Emmet County Fair and Agricultural Association" was per- manently organized with the following officers: G. E. Moore, president; R. G. Ross, vice president; H. M. Lambert, secretary ; James Rainey, treas- urer; L. H. Heinerich, R. S. Harris, S. M, Reed, George W. Murray, J. S. Peterson, P. S. Anderson, J. R. Horswell, John Thompson and I. Coleman, directors. At the meeting articles of incorporation were prepared and the new organization started on its career with bright prospects for success.
MASONIC FRATERNITY
Freemasonry is without doubt the oldest of the secret and fraternal organizations of modern times. One of the traditions of the order says it was first introduced in England about 926 A. D. by Prince Edwin, and Masonic documents dated in 1390 are still in existence. Mother Kilwinning Lodge in Scotland was established in 1599 and its records show that it has been in continuous existence since that date. It claims the distinction of being the oldest Masonic organization in the world. The Grand Lodge of England was instituted in June, 1717, and it is the mother of all Masonic lodges in countries where the English language prevails.
As early as 1730 the Grand Lodge of England authorized the Grand Master to provide for the institution of Masonic lodges in the American colonies. Daniel Coxe was therefore appointed "Provincial Grand Master of the Provinces of New York, New Jersey and Pennsylvania in America." About the same time a provincial grand master was appointed for the colonies of New England. Before the close of the year 1730 a lodge was organized at Philadelphia and another in New Hampshire, each of which claims to be the first Masonic lodge instituted in Ameica.
The order was introduced into Iowa under the authority of the Mis- souri Grand Lodge. On November 20, 1840, a lodge was organized "under dispensation" at Burlington. It afterward received a charter from the
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Grand Lodge of Missouri as "Burlington Lodge, No. 1." Rising Sun Lodge, at Montrose, and Eagle Lodge, at Keokuk, held charters from the Grand Lodge of Illinois, but they were known as Mormon lodges and were not recognized by the Missouri Grand lodge or the subordinate lodges under its jurisdiction. They continued in existence for some time after the assassination of Joseph Smith, the Mormon prophet, and his brother Hyrum, which occurred in June, 1844, while they were held as prisoners in the jail at Carthage, Illinois. Some time prior to that the charters of Rising Sun and Eagle lodges had been revoked by the Illinois Grand Lodge, and they were not permitted to participate in the formation of the Iowa Grand Lodge in January, 1844.
North Star Lodge, No. 447, located at Estherville, is the oldest Masonic lodge in Emmet County. Its charter is dated June 5, 1884. In the charter C. I. Hinman is named as worshipful master; W. H. Davis, senior warden; M. K. Whelan, junior warden. The lodge is still in existence and according to the Grand Lodge report for 1916 it then had a membership of 176. On Monday, July 22, 1889, was laid the corner- stone of the building on the northwest corner of Sixth and Des Moines streets, in the second story of which the Masonic bodies of Estherville have their home. The corner-stone was laid by Deputy Grand Master Van Saun and the oration was delivered by Judge Carr of the District Court. Visitors were present from Emmetsburg, Spirit Lake, Cedar Rapids and other places. The box deposited in the corner-stone contains the "archives" of the lodge and historical documents pertaining to Estherville and Emmet County.
Emmet Lodge, No. 533, located at Armstrong, was instituted in 1893 and at the beginning of the year 1917 reported eighty-four members. Its regular meetings are held on Tuesday evening before the third Wednesday in each month. The Masonic Association of Armstrong was incorporated on December 29, 1914, for the purpose of building and operating a Masonic hall, opera house and business offices. The capital stock of the associa- tion was fixed at $10,000. Through this association Emmet Lodge owns a good hall and is in a flourishing condition. The first board of directors of the association was composed of S. C. Hays, William Stuart and F. A. McDonald.
Jeptha Chapter, No. 128, Royal Arch Masons, at Estherville, was instituted under a charter dated September 25, 1897, and is the only Royal Arch chapter in the county.
Esdraelon Commandery, No. 52, Knights Templar, was chartered on July 9, 1889, with George A. Goodell, eminent commander; D. L. Riley, of Spirit Lake, generalissimo; J. P. Forrest, captain-general; Alex- ander Peddie, of Emmetsburg, prelate; M. K. Whelan, senior warden; W. L. Telford, junior warden; J. N. Lee, recorder; P. J. Sargent, treasurer;
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T. W. Carter, warder; T. J. Randolph, sentinel. At the close of the year 1916 this body had a membership of 126.
ORDER OF EASTERN STAR
Connected with the Masonic fraternity there is a "side degree" called the Order of the Eastern Star, to which the wives, mothers, sisters and daughter of Master Masons are eligible. Local organizations are called chapters. The oldest chapter in Emmet County is North Star, No. 200, which was organized at Estherville with twenty-five charter members. Mrs. Jennie Ellerston was the first worthy matron and H. G. Pittenger the first worthy patron. The chapter now has 125 members and meets on the second Wednesday of each month. Sadie Ross was worthy matron in 1916; T. J. Lerdall, worthy patron, and Lulu A. Brown, secretary.
There is also a strong Eastern Star chapter at Armstrong, with over one hundred members. At the close of the year 1916 Mrs. J. F. House- man was worthy matron and Mrs. H. A. Kingston, secretary.
INDEPENDENT ORDER OF ODD FELLOWS
Modern Odd Fellowship is the outgrowth of an order started in Eng- land about the middle of the Eighteenth Century under the name of "The Antient and Most Noble Order of Bucks." This "antient" organization worked under a ritual that contained many of the essential features and ceremonies now used by the Odd Fellows. About 1773 the "Order of Bucks" began to decline, but the membership who remained faithful reor- ganized it some four or five years later, when the words "odd fellow" first occur in the ceremony of initiation. In 1813 several lodges sent delegates to a convention in Manchester, where the "Manchester Union of Odd Fel- lows" was organized. A little later a few members of the Unity came to America and organized Shakespere Lodge, No. 1, in the City of New York. It lived but a short time, however, so that the credit of being the first permanent lodge in the United States belongs to the lodge established by Thomas H. Wildey in Baltimore, Maryland, in 1819.
Estherville Lodge, No. 423, Independent Order of Odd Fellows, was organized on April 18, 1887, with the following charter members: Samuel Collins, A. L. Houltshouser, H. G. Graaf, William Mahlum, S. E. Rathe and J. D. Rutan. The lodge was incorporated on October 24, 1893, and the articles of incorporation were filed with the county recorder on January 15, 1894, after having been approved by F. W. Evans, Grand Master for the State of Iowa. The articles were signed by A. O. Peterson, William Mahlum and Samuel Collins as the corporate trustees. This lodge is now in a prosperous condition and has a strong membership.
Armstrong Lodge, No. 635, was incorporated on April 5, 1898, the
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articles having been approved by the grand master, J. C. Koonz, of Burling- ton, on the last day of March. Arthur Loomer, J. W. Pugsley and G. R. Hardman constituted the first board of trustees. The lodge holds meet- ings regularly and numbers among its members some of the most sub- stantial citizens of Armstrong and vicinity.
Mckinley Lodge, No. 332, located at Ringsted, holds regular meet- ings on Monday evening of each week, and has a large membership. There is also an Odd Fellows' lodge at Gruver, making four in the county.
Fort Defiance Encampment, No. 154, was instituted on October 17, 1893, with the following charter members: Samuel Collins, E. H. Ford, Olus Gates, George Godden, H. G. Graaf, H. A. Jehu, John Johnck, William Mahlum, G. W. Mattson, Frank Miller, A. O. Peterson, W. J. Pullen, J. D. Rutan, H. O. Sillge, H. Sorgenfrei and E. I. Stanhope. This is the only encampment in Emmet County.
DAUGHTERS OF REBEKAH
This a degree or order to which the wives, mothers, sisters and daughters of Odd Fellows are admitted. The members are generally spoken of as "Rebekahs." The oldest Rebekah lodge in Emmet County is Har- mony, No. 55, which was organized on April 23, 1889, with A. O. Peter- son as noble grand; Mrs. W. M. McFarland, vice grand; Mrs. Orphia Rutan, recording secretary; Mrs. James Espeset, financial secretary ; Mrs. A. O. Peterson, treasurer; Mrs. George Allen, chaplain. There are also Rebekah lodges at Armstrong and Ringsted, both of which have a strong membership. The Ringsted Rebekah lodge meets on the second and fourth Wednesday evenings in each month.
KNIGHTS OF PYTHIAS
On the evening of February 15, 1864, five members of the Arion Glee Club of Washington, D. C., met and listened to the reading of a ritual upon which it was proposed to found a new secret order. The five men were Justus H. Rathbone, David L. and William H. Burnett, Rob- ert A. Champion and Dr. Sullivan Kimball. The ritual, which was writ- ten by Mr. Rathbone, was founded upon the story of Damon and Pythias, and some one suggested that the new order be called the Knights of Pythias. That name was adopted and on February 19, 1864, the five origi- nal "Knights" organized Washington Lodge, No. 1. The Civil war was then at its height and the growth of the order was slow until about 1869, when it began to flourish and in a few years it had spread to all parts of the country.
Red Gauntlet Lodge, No. 233, was organized at Estherville on June 5, 1889, by a "team" from Spirit Lake and members from other lodges
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in near-by towns, with sixteen charter members. The officers installed at that time were as follows: T. W. Carter, chancellor commander; E. B. Myrick, vice chancellor; Charles Miller, prelate; A. D. Cooley, master of arms; E. P. Butterfield, keeper of the records and seal; G. N. Evans, master of finance; N. A. Erdahl, master of the exchequer; E. E. Goff, inner guard; Bert Miller, outer guard.
The lodge was incorporated on February 5, 1903, with J. C. Lovell, G. K. Allen and J. T. Johnson as trustee. In 1909 Red Gauntlet Lodge went down and was reorganized as Estherville Lodge No. 14, which was incorporated on October 25, 1916. The officers of this lodge at the close of the year 1914 were: Edward Maniece, chancellor commander; A. M. Jones, vice chancellor ; Vance Noe, prelate; J. C. Lilly, master of the work ; Frank Eiden, keeper of the records and seal and master of finance; C. A. Dayton, master of the exchequer; Carl Johnson, inner guard; Horace Pullen, outer guard. Regular meetings are held every Thursday evening. This is now the only Knights of Pythias lodge in the county, though there was formerly a lodge at Armstrong.
PYTHIAN SISTERS
This organization is to the Knights of Pythias what the Eastern Star is to the Masonry and the Rebekah degree is to Odd Fellowship. Esther- ville Temple, No. 180, was organized on the afternoon of November 14, 1916, in the new Knights of Pythias hall. Mrs. Martha McAllister, of Hawarden, grand chief; Mrs. Anna Morrison, of Grundy Center, grand senior; Mrs. Bertha Cruver, of Spencer, grand mistress of records; and Miss Edna Brown, of Spencer, district deputy, were present. The officers installed were: Mrs. Chris Rosenberger, P. C .; Mrs. Frank Wing, M. E. C .; Mrs. Frank King, E. S .; Mrs. G. H. Lucas, E. J .; Mrs. William Foshier, manager; Mrs. Frank Nelson, M. R. C .; Mrs. Vance Noe, M. F .; Mrs. George Cox, protector; Mrs. Richard Sheldon, guard. The member- ship roll showed forty-six charter members.
Thirty-five members of Milford Temple were present at the cere- mony of instituting the new temple, after which supper was served to all at Wing's cafe across the street. After supper everybody returned to the hall, where the floor work of the degree was illustrated by the Milford degree team of sixteen young ladies. Their illustration was applauded and the affair closed with a social dance.
GRAND ARMY OF THE REPUBLIC
Just before the close of the Civil war, Dr. B. F. Stephenson and W. J. Rutledge, surgeon and chaplain respectively of the Fourteenth Vol. 1-14
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Illinois Infantry, discussed the advisability of organizing a patriotic society, to be composed of those who had served as soldiers, sailors or marines in the service of the United States during the war. The war came to an end and nothing was done for about a year. Then the two men sent out notices to some of their old comrades calling a meeting at Decatur, Illinois, on Friday, April 6, 1866, and at that meeting the Grand Army of the Republic was born. In the declaration of principles at the time adopted the objects of the organization were set forth as follows: "To maintain and strengthen the fraternal feelings which bind together the soldiers, sailors and marines who united to suppress the Rebellion; to perpetuate the memory and history of those who have died; and to lend assistance to the needy and to the widows and orphans of soldiers."
The plan of organization adopted at the Decatur meeting contem- plated a national head, with each state as a "department," and local societies called posts. For a time the growth of the order was slow, but about 1880 it underwent a reorganization, after which posts were multi- plied more rapidly. The largest membership in the history of the order was reached in 1890, when the Grand Army numbered 409,489. Since then it has steadily decreased, the monthly death rate in 1915 being about one thousand.
Isaac Mattson Post, now the only one in Emmet County, was organ- ized on September 3, 1884, with the following charter members: J. B. Austin, S. E. Bemis, L. L. Bixby, Hnery Brooks, James Bunt, D. W. Cleveland, Henry Coon, L. A. Gould, J. W. Hill, W. W. Johnson, Amos Ketchum, Joseph N. Lee, Fred Luikhart, C. B. Mathews, Harvey Miller, Philip Miller, E. B. Myrick, A. J. Nicholson, A. K. Ridley, R. E. Ridley, G. F. Schaad, J. M. Sharp, M. A. Vandenburg, L. S. Williams, George West and Charles Young. The first officers were: S. E. Bemis, com- mander; Charles Young, senior vice commander; Harvey Miller, junior vice commander; Joseph N. Lee, adjutant; H. C. Coon, quartermaster.
Isaac Mattson, after whom the post was named, was born in Brad- ford County, Pennsylvania, in 1822. About the time he attained to his majority he went to Boone County, Illinois, and in the winter of 1853-54 he came to Iowa. A few months later he went to Wisconsin, where he was living at the commencement of the Civil war. He enlisted in one of the Wisconsin infantry regiments and served until nearly the end of the war, when he was discharged for disability. In 1869 he came to Emmet County and died there on July 31, 1884, about a month before the post was organized.
For years after the Grand Army was established the posts held meetings regularly, and on Memorial Day the members turned out to decorate with flags and flowers the graves of their fallen comrades.
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But as time passed the "line of blue" grew thinner each year on Decora- tion Day; many of the posts became so decimated in numbers that they were disbanded; and of those that remained in existence only the posts located in the larger cities make any attempt to hold regular meetings. About the only time many posts have meetings are when some member dies and the survivors are summoned together to bury him in accordance with the rites of the order.
WOMAN'S RELIEF CORPS
Connected. with the Grand Army of the Republic is the ladies' auxiliary known as the Woman's Relief Corps, composed of the wives and daughters of the veterans of the Civil war. The corps auxiliary to Isaac Mattson Post was organized on March 18, 1886. It is known as the Isaac Mattson Relief Corps, No. 315. Mrs. Mary G. Williams was the first president; Eliza M. Bemis, senior vice president; Emma Sondrol, junior vice president; Frances Barber, secretary ; Abbie Peterson, treas- urer; Esther A. Ridley, chaplain; Miss Ella Coon, conductress, and Miss Della Miller, guard. The charter members, in addition to the above officers, were Adelia Jarvis, Mary L. Graves, Grace Johnston, Sallie Mattson and Grace Miller.
A great deal of charitable work has been done by the Woman's Relief Corps throughout the country in caring for the sick and needy, finding homes for soldiers' orphans, etc. In this work the Estherville corps has shown a commendable zeal, but, as in the case of the Grand Army, the members are growing older and less able to take an active part as they were wont to do in the years gone by. One by one they are answering the "last roll call," and in a few years more the Woman's Relief Corps, like the organization of valiant veterans to which it .was auxiliary, will be a thing of the past.
THE ELKS
In the winter of 1867-68 a few "good fellows" in the City of New York fell into the habit of meeting together of evenings to while away an hour or two in social converse, "swapping yarns," singing songs, etc. After a few meetings a permanent club was formed and Charles Vivian, a member of a minstrel company, suggested the name of "Jolly Corks," which was adopted. Not long after that some members of the club proposed they organize a fraternal society. The name of "Jolly Corks" was objected to, on the ground that it was not sufficiently dignified for a secret order, and a committee was appointed to decide upon and report a new name. The committee happened to visit Barnum's Museum, where
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they saw an elk and learned something of that animal's habits. The name, "Benevolent and Protective Order of Elks" was then proposed by the committee, accepted by the club, and on February 16, 1868, was organized the first lodge of Elks, composed largely of theatrical people and newspaper men.
The second lodge was organized in Philadelphia in 1870, after which the order was carried, largely by actors, to other cities. There are now over twelve hundred lodges in the United States, and the order num- bers about 300,000 members. As the order grew many of the convivial features were eliminated and more attention paid to charity. At Bedford City, Virginia, the Elks have a national home for aged and indigent members, which is maintained at a cost of $40,000 a year. The initials B. P. O. E. are sometimes interpreted as meaning "Best People On Earth." The motto of the Elks is: "The faults of our brothers we write upon the sands; their virtues upon the tablets of love and memory."
Estherville Lodge, No. 528, was organized on November 9, 1889, and enjoys the distinction of being the only lodge in the country located in a city with less than five thousand population. Not long after the order began to grow a rule was adopted that no lodge should be organized in a city with less than that number of inhabitants. In the case of Estherville a special dispensation was obtained from the supreme author- ities, but since that time similar dispensations have been refused other cities. The Estherville lodge was organized with forty-five charter mem- bers and W. L. Rammage as the first exalted ruler. It now numbers about five hundred members. R. G. Ross was exalted ruler at the begin- ning of the year 1917, and Jay Howard was secretary. Recently the lodge has purchased a site on Des Moines Street, immediately east of the postoffice building, and the members have organized a stock company for the purpose of erecting a club house that will be a credit to the Elks and an ornament to the City of Estherville. It is to be built in the summer of 1917.
DENMARK'S MINDE
Emmet County has one society that probably has few counterparts in the country. On July 4, 1895, at a picnic on the Nielsen farm, a short distance east of Ringsted, seven men entered into a verbal agreement to organize a society "to promote the interest and welfare of the Danish population of the County of Emmet, State of Iowa," etc. Three days later a meeting was held at the Larsen schoolhouse and the "Denmark's Minde" was organized. Within a short time the society had a member- ship of fifty. In the constitution at that time adopted it was set forth that the society was organized for the purpose of promoting "harmony
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and sociality among the Danes living here, to keep fresh the memories of our native land, to preserve the Danish language and to give aid in case of sickness."
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