USA > Iowa > Marion County > History of Marion County, Iowa, and its people, Volume I > Part 32
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Mutual Lodge, No. 473, located at Swan, was presided over in 1914 by Burr Shook as worshipful master and S. M. Cart held the office of secretary. The lodge then numbered fifty members. Tues- day evening on or before the full moon in each month is the time of holding the regular meetings.
Firm Lodge, No. 425, located at Dallas, meets on Saturday eve- ning on or before the full moon in each month. In 1914 this lodge reported fifty-three members, with J. W. Brellhart as worshipful master and R. E. Hixenbaugh, secretary.
The youngest Masonic lodge in the county is Integrity Lodge, No. 584, which is located at Bussey.
In Marion County the higher degrees of Masonry are represented by Tadmore Chapter, No. 18, Royal Arch Masons, which was organ- ized at Knoxville in the spring of 1857, and Melita Commandery, Knights Templars, also located at Knoxville.
There is also a "side degree" connected with the Masonic fra- ternity called the Order of the Eastern Star, to which the wives,
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sisters and daughters of Master Masons are eligible. The oldest organization of the Eastern Star in Marion County is Knoxville Chapter, No. 85, which in 1914 numbered about two hundred mem- bers. Pella Chapter, No. 318, is also a strong organization, and there are Eastern Star chapters at Tracy and Bussey.
INDEPENDENT ORDER OF ODD FELLOW'S
The modern order of Odd Fellows is the outgrowth of a society which was founded in England in the latter part of the eighteenth century under the name of "Antient and Most Noble Order of Bucks." About the year 1773 this order began to decline and some four or five years later the name Odd Fellows first appeared in the ritual. In 1813 several lodges sent delegates to a meeting in Man- chester and organized the "Manchester Unity of Odd Fellows." Soon after that Shakespeare Lodge, No. 1, was organized in New York-the first introduction of the order in America. The first per- manent lodge in the United States, however, was organized in 1819 by Thomas H. Wildey and was located at Baltimore, Maryland. From that humble beginning the order has grown until it is one of the strongest fraternal societies in the country.
The first lodge of Odd Fellows in Marion County was organized at Hamilton on August 3, 1855, under the name of Hamilton Lodge, No. 78. It started with five charter members, Dr. J. T. French being the first noble grand. In January, 1893, this lodge purchased a tract of ground just east of the original plat of Hamilton and laid out a cemetery, which is well kept and one of the pretty burial places of the county. In 1914 the membership was sixty-eight.
Pella Lodge, No. 87, was organized in 1855 and in 1914 num- bered forty-one members.
The next Odd Fellows' lodge in the county is Knoxville Lodge, No. 90, which received its charter on March 21, 1856. Five charter members signed the roll and the lodge was instituted with Hugh Thompson as the first noble grand and C. G. Brobst as the first secre- tary. In 1914 Knoxville Lodge numbered 264 members. It owns a fine hall at the southwest corner of the public square and is in a flour- ishing condition.
Since the institution of these three pioneer lodges ten others have been organized in the county. The following list of these lodges, with the number of members, is taken from the report of the Iowa Grand Lodge for 1914. Durham, No. 199, membership 88; Marys- ville. No. 307, organized in February, 1875, membership, 40; Pleas- Vol. 1-21
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antville, No. 446, membership, 127; Swan, No. 478, membership, 108; Tracy, No. 568, membership, 87; Bussey, No. 591, membership, 36; Attica, No. 657, membership, 30; Columbia, No. 660, member- ship, 69; Dallas, No. 725, membership, 78; Percy, No. 730, member- ship 43.
Knoxville Encampment, No. 87, was chartered on October 18, 1876, with George Whipple as grand patriarch and William Garrett as grand scribe, and eight charter members.
In connection with the Independent Order of Odd Fellows there is a degree called the Daughters of Rebekah-generally spoken of as the Rebekahs- to which the wives, daughters and other near female relatives of Odd Fellows are eligible. Nearly every Odd Fellows' lodge has its Rebekah degree. Marion Rebekah Lodge, No. 70, located at Knoxville, was organized on October 21, 1875, with sixteen charter members, and in 1914 was one of the strongest lodges in the State of Iowa.
KNIGHTS OF PYTHIAS
On February 15, 1864, five members of the Arion Glee Club in Washington, D. C., met and listened to the reading of a ritual writ- ten by Justus H. Rathbone, a clerk in one of the Government depart- ments. The five men were Mr. Rathbone, Dr. Sullivan Kimball, William H. and David L. Burnett and Robert A. Champion. After listening to the reading of the ritual, which is founded upon the story of Damon and Pythias, they decided to organize a fraternal society to be known as the Knights of Pythias. Washington Lodge, No. 1, was organized on February 19, 1864, but, the Civil war being then in progress, the growth of the order was slow until about 1869, when it spread rapidly to all parts of the nation.
The oldest Knights of Pythias lodge in Marion County is Knox- ville Lodge, No. 72, which was incorporated on December 31, 1892, though it was organized on October 26, 1882. At the time of the incorporation J. J. Roberts was chancellor commander ; J. V. Brann, vice commander ; E. H. Gamble, keeper of the records and seal, and J. S. Bellamy, master of the exchequer. This lodge owns its hall and is in a prosperous condition.
Pleasantville Lodge, No. 149, was incorporated on February 5, 1900, with W. H. Merritt, J. J. Bristow and W. A. Summy as trus- tees. Amended articles of incorporation were filed with the county
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recorder on May 28, 1906. There are also Knights of Pythias lodges at Pella and Bussey.
IMPROVED ORDER OF RED MEN
This fraternal society claims its origin in the Sons of Liberty, a patriotic organization in the American colonies at the time of the Revolutionary war. The destruction of the tea in Boston Harbor was due to the revolutionary spirit of the Sons of Liberty, some of whom disguised themselves as Indians and threw the tea chests over- board in preference to paying the unjust tax levied thereon by the British Parliament. Out of this incident grew the Improved Order of Red Men some years later. The local lodges are called tribes and nearly always bear an Indian name.
The first organization of the Red Men in Marion County was Chemacum Tribe, No. 42, located at Dunreath. It was incorporated on April 4, 1899, though it had been in existence for more than five years prior to that time. The officers at the time of the incorpora- tion were: J. H. Stevens, sachem; T. Gibbons, senior sagamore ; R. L. Bailey, junior sagamore; George Simpson, chief of the rec- ords; L. Flaherty, keeper of the wampum. After some years the membership decreased and the tribe was discontinued.
Competine Tribe, No. 55, was organized at Knoxville in 1894, with Cambridge Culbertson as the first sachem and John W. Wright as the first prophet. This tribe was incorporated on May 28, 1898. The officers at that time were as follows: A. A. Bonifield, sachem; C. A. Vaughn, senior sagamore; F. M. Adams, junior sagamore; James Hanley, chief of records; Seth Way, keeper of the wampum. Competine Tribe is still in existence with a large and growing mem- bership.
Other tribes in the county are Ontario, No. 73, located at Pleas- antville; Elk, No. 101, at Bussey ; White Breast, No. 106, at Harvey ; Ah Wa We, No. 129, at Marysville; Opeachee, No. 137, at Tracy and the tribes at Pella and Melcher. Several of these lodges or tribes have connected with them organizations of the Daughters of Poca- hontas, composed of the female relatives of the Red Men.
GRAND ARMY OF THE REPUBLIC
Shortly after the close of the Civil war a number of men who had served in the Union army assembled in New York and organized a patriotic society to include those who had served as commissioned
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officers only. From this idea sprung the Grand Army of the Repub- lic, to which every honorably discharged Union soldier-officers and privates alike-is eligible. The local societies are called posts and are usually named for some distinguished soldier. In the early '8os the order spread to all parts of the country and local posts were organ- ized in several of the towns of Marion County. But the "line of blue" gradually grew thinner and thinner as the veterans answered the last great roll call, and at the beginning of the year 1915 there were but two posts in the county, viz: John C. Ferguson Post, No. 49, at Knoxville, and Albert C. Hobbs Post, No. 404, at Pella.
John C. Ferguson Post was named in honor of John C. Fergu- son, who enlisted from Marion County as a private on August 13, 1861, in Company E, Eighth Iowa Infantry. On September 23, 1861, he was made major of the regiment and on February 7, 1862, was promoted to lieutenant-colonel. The post meets in a room in the courthouse on the fourth Saturday afternoon in each month and at the close of the year 1914 numbered about seventy-five members.
Albert C. Hobbs, after whom the Pella post was named, enlisted on May 21, 1861, as second lieutenant of Company B, Third Iowa Infantry. On February 14, 1862, he was promoted to the captaincy of the company. He was severely wounded at Shiloh on April 6, 1862, from the effects of which he died two days later. This post donated two 3-inch rifled cannon, to place before the soldiers' monu- ment in Pella, in 1912.
The aims and objects of the Grand Army are to collect relics and historic documents pertaining to the Civil war, and to aid and assist needy comrades and their families. To help in this work two organi- zations of women have been formed. One is known as the Woman's Relief Corps and the other as the Ladies of the Grand Army. There is a woman's relief corps in connection with John C. Ferguson Post at Knoxville, and Albert Hobbs Circle, Ladies of the Grand Army. was organized at Pella in December, 1907.
MISCELLANEOUS SOCIETIES
Home Lodge, No. 108, Ancient Order of United Workmen, was organized at Knoxville on March 22, 1877, with twenty-five charter members. This lodge is nominally still in existence, though no meet- ings are held, the members merely paying their dues and assessments to protect their insurance.
Knoxville Collegium, No. 18, of the V. A. S. Fraternity, was organized on September 23, 1879, with seventeen members and C. B.
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Boydston as the first rector. Its subsequent history could not be learned.
During what was known as the Grange Movement, several local granges of the Patrons of Husbandry were formed in the county, and later, when the Farmers' Alliance grew into prominence, several local alliances were organized, but with the decline of the two organiza- tions the local societies gradually died out.
Knoxville has lodges of the Loyal Order of Moose and the Inde- pendent Order of Foresters, and there are a few fraternal organiza- tions at other points in the county, of which no definite information could be obtained. But from the foregoing it will be seen that the leading fraternal societies are well represented in the county.
CHAPTER XX MISCELLANEOUS HISTORY
THE ROSE ANN MCGREGOR CASE-THE MAJORS WAR-EARLY DAY LAW- LESSNESS-TREASURY ROBBERIES-JIM LANE'S TRAIL
About the time Marion County was organized an incident oc- curred within her borders that perhaps has no parallel in the history of the nation. It grew out of an act entitled "An act to regulate blacks and mulattoes," approved by Governor Lucas on January 21, 1839, and which was as follows :
"Section 1. Be it enacted, etc., that from and after the first day of April next, no black or mulatto shall be permitted to settle or reside in this territory, unless he or she shall produce a fair certifi- cate from some court within the United States of his or her actual freedom, which certificate shall be attested by the clerk of said court, and the seal thereof annexed thereto by the said court, and give bond, with good and sufficient security, to be approved by the board of county commissioners of the proper county, in which such person of color may reside, payable to the United States, in the penal sum of five hundred dollars.
"Section 2. If any negro or mulatto, coming into this territory as aforesaid, shall fail to comply with the provisions of the first sec- tion of this act, it shall be and hereby is made the duty of the county commissioners in any county where such negro or mulatto may be found, to summon him, her or them to appear before some justice of the peace to show cause why he, she or they shall not comply with the provisions of this act. And if such negro or mulatto shall still fail to give the bond and security required by the first section of this act, it shall be the duty of the county commissioners of such county to hire out such negro or mulatto for six months, for the best price in cash to be had. The proceeds of such hiring shall be paid into the county treasury of the proper county, for the use of such negro or mulatto, in such manner as shall be directed by the board of county commissioners aforesaid."
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A few months before Marion County was organized one John G. McGregor came from Illinois to what is now Indiana Township and stopped at the house of George Henry, who assisted him in selecting a claim. After finding a location to his liking, McGregor asked the privilege of living in the house with Mr. Henry until he could build a cabin of his own. The following description of what happened afterward is taken from Donnel's Pioneers of Marion County :
"Mr. Henry, being desirous of accommodating those who were to become his neighbors and inasmuch as the family of Mr. Mc- Gregor was small, consisting only of the man and his wife, he readily assented to that arrangement also. But when the guests arrived, the astonishment of Mr. Henry may possibly be imagined, when he first beheld in Mrs. McGregor a full-blooded African, about as dark- as the darkest of her race, possessing all the charms that could be summed up in a figure of ample proportions and features of com- bined brilliancy and prominence. As a matter of course, after this discovery, he lost no time in reconsidering his promise. He was not disposed to encourage further 'domestic relations' with this inter- esting pair and honestly signified to Mac that his mind had under- gone a change on the subject. So the latter, with his lovely spouse, was compelled to seek some other shelter. Not finding a house, they camped out, as they had previously done, until their cabin was built.
"But the nature of their relationship was such that they were not permitted to enjoy it long in peace. It was taken for granted that they were living in violation of a statute of the territory forbidding matrimonial connection between blacks and whites, and, for this offense, were arrested and brought before Justice Levi Bainbridge, on Lake Prairie, for trial. Not being very well satisfied with the rulings of this court, they took a change of venue and their case was turned over to Justice Mike Morris, who happened to be present. After giving it a hearing, Mike referred the matter to the Mahaska County grand jury-this being previous to the organization of Marion-where it ended, the jury not finding a true bill against the offenders."
The matter was not ended, however, for in October, 1845, after Marion County had been organized, L. W. Babbitt, clerk to the board of county commissioners, called attention to the fact that a colored woman was living within the limits of the county without having complied with the provisions of the act of 1839. The commissioners then issued the following order : "That all blacks or mulattoes resid- ing within this county be required to enter into bond with good secur- ity, to be approved by this board when in session, or by the clerk in
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vacation, for their good behavior and otherwise comply with the provisions of an act entitled 'An act to regulate blacks and mulattoes,' approved January 21, 1839, and all other laws in force against blacks and mulattoes in this territory."
This order was signed by all three of the commissioners-Conrad Walters, David Durham and William Welch-and Mrs. McGregor was summoned to appear before John T. Pierce, an acting justice of the peace, to show cause why she should not comply with the pro- visions of the territorial laws. Both the order and summons were ignored by McGregor and his dusky wife and Mr. Pierce so reported to the commissioners. The minutes of the commissioners' court for January 8, 1846, contain the following entry relating to the case :
"It appearing from the return made by said justice that the afore- said Rose Ann McGregor had failed to show good cause why she should not comply with the provisions of said act, and that after being allowed a reasonable time to comply with the provisions of said act, and having refused or failed to comply as aforesaid, it is hereby ordered that unless the said Rose Ann McGregor shall comply with the provisions of an act entitled 'An act to regulate blacks and mulattoes,' approved January 21, 1839, on or before the 29th day of January, 1846, the sheriff shall proceed to sell the said Rose Ann McGregor to the highest bidder for the term of six months for the best price in cash to be had."
The 29th of January rolled around and still Rose Ann had not complied with the law of the territory or the order of the commis- sioners. Then the fun began. Sheriff J. M. Walters was directed to bring Rose Ann bodily to the county seat. To quote again from Donnel :
"Armed with this authority and attended by his deputy, Dr. L. C. Conrey, the two proceeded to the residence of the McGregors. Ap- parently, this visitation had been expected by the wary Rose Ann, for when the officers reached the house they found the doors barred and their application for admission was pointedly refused. Not wishing to perpetrate any violence in the performance of their duty (and, perhaps, actuated by a sense of caution, for Rose Ann was reported to be the possessor of a gun, a good marksman, and, to quote the words of our informant, 'some in a bear fight'), they resorted to a little strategical compromise, by which the besieged promised to go to town the next morning. But the officers, having no faith in this promise, retired a few rods from the house and secreted them- selves behind a shock of corn fodder, to watch the movements of their intended prisoner, and seize her if a favorable opportunity presented.
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Presently they saw her emerge from the house, with gun in hand, and survey the premises with a cautious glance. Seeing no danger, she returned within doors, where she left the gun, and immediately reappeared, going to the woodpile for fuel. Now was the best oppor- tunity to nab her. The two men started at their utmost speed, intend- ing, if possible, to get between her and the house; but 'the race is not always to the swift.' Rose Ann soon discovered them and so far outran them that she had time to bar the door before they reached it. Here now was a crisis that required prompt decision, activity and nerve. Such a thing as being outgeneraled by a nigger could not be thought of. Parley was out of the question ; and what sort of a report should they make on returning to Knoxville without their prisoner? Their reputation was at stake and rather than risk it they would risk their lives. So Walters ordered the doctor to make a battering-ram of an old sled tongue that happened to be lying near at hand and batter in the door. The order was immediately obeyed and as the door swung back Walters bounded into the room and caught the determined Rose Ann in the act of raising the hammer of her gun. The doctor followed and seized the weapon just in time to save his own life, for it was already aimed at him with the evident intention of firing. Having disarmed the prisoner, she had no other choice but to surrender unconditionally. The doctor then fired off the gun, the report of which indicated a heavy charge, very probably intended for the use she attempted to make of it.
"The battle now over and the victory so fortunately won, the officers immediately set out on their return to headquarters with the prisoner. It was growing late in the afternoon and some haste was necessary to reach town before dark ; so, in order to make better speed, and, perhaps, prompted by a feeling of generosity, the doctor mounted Rose Ann on his horse, he going before, leading the way in the nar- row Indian trail that was then about the only kind of road in the country.
"As it happened, the sheriff had business in another direction and accompanied them only part of the way. Consequently the deputy was left in sole charge of the prisoner. Having been so completely conquered, and afterwards so kindly treated to a means of convey- ance, it was not supposed that she would become treacherous or troublesome on the way. But Rose Ann was not to be won by any such evidences of kindness, so long as she was subjected to the humil- iating condition of a prisoner for no fault except race and color. She was disposed to take advantage of her captor's confidence, and she did. A short time after the sheriff left them-the doctor walking
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a few steps in advance-Rose Ann suddenly turned about and dashed homeward on a full gallop, to the astonishment and mortification of her captor, who looked after her a moment without any decisive purpose what to do about it. But he concluded to pursue her at all events, and did so as rapidly as he was able. On the way he found his pill bags, which he was then in the habit of carrying with him, being in the practice of medicine ; they had bounded off in the extraor- dinary flight of the captive. After a mile or two of pursuit, the doctor became weary and turned in for the night at the residence of John Welch."
The next day Rose Ann appeared before the commissioners and gave the required bond. The entry in the records closing this famous case reads: "John G. McGregor presented the bond of Rose Ann McGregor, a black person, signed by Rose Ann McGregor as prin- cipal and John G. McGregor and Amos Strickland as security condi- tioned for the good behavior of the said Rose Ann, which was approved by the court."
THE MAJORS' WAR
What is known in Marion County history as the Majors' war grew out of the troubles connected with the entering of certain lands in the county. In 1844 five brothers and two sisters by the name of Majors came from Illinois and settled in the western part of Mahaska County. One of the sisters was a widow with two sons and the mother also came with the family, making ten persons in all entitled to select claims. They had enough ready money to enter the lands claimed by the members of the family, as well as some additional land. In 1847 Jacob H. Majors, acting as the agent of the family, entered all the land claimed by them and three timber claims belonging to, or claimed by, John Gillaspy, Jacob Miller and Peter Parsons. He was soon informed that these three claims had already been taken by the men above named and excused himself on the ground that he was ignorant of the fact, but he made no move toward restoring the land to the original claimants.
When the news of the situation spread among the settlers, con- sternation reigned. Meetings were held at which resolutions de- nouncing the Majors family were adopted. A central committee of the several claim clubs sent word to all the members, requesting them to attend a meeting at the residence of Jacob H. Majors, to see if he could not be induced to make restitution of the claims. Majors was one of the county commissioners of Mahaska County, and at the time
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of the meeting was at Oskaloosa attending a meeting of the board. A messenger was despatched to Oskaloosa to notify him that his presence was desired and the crowd waited until nightfall for his return home. He failed to comply with the message and another was sent to him, advising him that if he did not return within a given time his property would be destroyed. Some of the settlers went to their homes when darkness came on, but many camped on the ground to await the result. About daybreak the following morning, the log stable, some corn cribs and other out-buildings were set on fire and a number of hogs were either burned or killed by the incensed settlers.
Upon hearing that his property was being destroyed, Majors sent word that he would deed back the land to the claimants and the people returned to their homes, expecting that the promise would be kept. But in this they were mistaken. No sooner was the present trouble past than Majors reconsidered his promise and had a warrant issued for the arrest of several of the most prominent leaders on what he termed a mob. John W. Wright of Knoxville has in his historical collections the original document, of which the following is a copy :
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