Wayne County, Ohio - Chapter 14: Fraternal Societies, 1910

Chapter 14: Fraternal Societies

Almost with the planting of the first colony of pioneers in Wayne county Masonry took root, and has, with the passing of the decades, flourished well.

Ebenezer Lodge No. 33, Free and Accepted Masons, was organized, as seen by the date of the charter, January 4, 1816, that instrument, however, being dated December 13, 1819. The charter members were as follows; Thomas G. Jones, Thomas McMillen, William K. Stewart, Abner Eddy, William Larwill, Thomas Thorp, Constant Lake, Plumb Sutliff, Joseph H. Larwill.

The number of members in this lodge in 1909 was one hundred and seventy-two, and the officers for that year were as follows : Lester E. Wolfe, worshipful master: John W. Ames, senior warden; H. Wayne Hart, junior warden: John Stevens, Jr., treasurer; James B. Minier, secretary; James C. Poole, senior deacon; Harry C. Sweeny, junior deacon; William F, Pate, senior steward; Oscar D. Kaufman, junior steward; James B. Minier, chaplain ; George S. Limb, tyler.

In 1878 the chapter had a membership of seventy-eight. Its present membership is one hundred and eighty, including non-residents. Present officers: Fred J. Leopold, high priest; Carl M. Limb, king; James C. Poole, scribe ; George J. Schwartz, captain of the host ; John M. Russell, principal sojourner; John W. Ames, royal arch captain; Samuel H. Boyd, treasurer; James B. Minier, secretary; William F. Pate, grand master of third veil; Harry C. Sweeny, grand master of second veil; J. Frick Tyler, grand master of first veil ; George S. Limb, guard.

Other Masonic lodges in Wayne county are ; Cedar Lodge No. 430, at Orrville; Garfield Lodge No. 528, at Shreve ; West Salem Lodge No. 398; Oriental Chapter No. 128, West Salem.

West Salem Lodge

Wooster Lodge No. 42, Independent Order of Odd Fellows, was organized, as seen by its charter, June 21, 1845. The charter members were: R. J. Eberman, William S. Johnson, George Brauneck, J. S. Ward, R. A. Kinney. Its membership, in 1878, had reached one hundred and fifty-two, and January i, 1909, was three hundred and seventy-three. Its officers at present are: George Lautzenheiser, noble grand; Julius Gerlach, vice grand;

Kilbuck Encampment No. 17, Patriarchs Militant, was chartered September 5, 1846, with members as follows: William S. Johnson, R. J. Eberman, John Bristle, P. P. Eckfield, William W. Hanna, Jacob C. Chapman, John M. Naylor, Solomon R. Bonewitz, Samuel Mentzer, Samuel Christine, J. W. Schuckers, Isaac N. Jones. In June, 1878, this body had a membership of eighty, and the present membership is one hundred and forty-nine. The officers are, at this date, Harry Smith, chief patriarch; Julius Gerloch, senior warden ; R. T. Bechtel, financial scribe ; E. O. Powers, recording scribe ; J. A. Schamp, high priest; Harry Baumgardner, treasurer. This is the only encampment in Wayne county.

There are Odd Fellows lodges at the following points in this county : Orrville, with a membership of one hundred fifty-five ; Doylestown, with a membership of one hundred and six ; West Salem, with a membership of seventy-seven; Creston, with a. membership of thirty-seven; Fredericksburg, with a membership of thirty-nine; Dalton, with a membership of forty-six; Applecreek, with thirty-four members.

West Salem Lodge No. 442 was instituted June 10, 1870, with charter members as follows: John S. Addleman, M. H. Huffman, W. H. Fishack, J. S. Carmack, W. C. Baker, John Keeler, Neal Patterson.

At Doylestown the lodge was instituted August 17, 1854, and now has a live membership of one hundred and twelve. They own a fine block in which their lodge room is situated and a part is leased to the Knights of Pythias. The charter members were as follows : William H. Redinger,

Knights Of Pythias

Rising Star Lodge No. 22, Knights of Pythias, at Wooster, was instituted April I, 1870. The date of its charter is February i, 1871, and the charter members were as follows : John H. Carr, Albert Braunick, Henry J. Kauffman, Samuel Rouston, John M. Ebey, Michael S. Goodman, Arnold Richenbach, xA.ugustus E. Gasche, Charles S. Frost, John S. Caskey, John K. Mc- Bride, Leander Firestone. In January, 1878, this lodge had a membership of forty-two knights. Its present membership is two hundred and four

Morning Star Lodge No. 41, Knights of Pythias (German), was instituted December 29, 1871, its charter bearing date of February 15, 1872. The charter membership was as follows : M^illiam Nold, John J. Bringger, Jacob

In 1878 the lodge had a working memljership of seventy-two knights. On June 18, 1907, this lodge was united with the Rising Star Lodge. The present (1909) officers of the combined lodge are as follows: G. E. Brown, chancellor commander, Lloyd Sanborn, vice-chancellor: Benton G. Hay, prelate; William A. Stevens, master of work; V. P. Moses, keeper of records and seal ; R. B. Snyder, master of finance ; John Stevens, Jr., master of exchecquer; Harvey Joliff, master-at-arms; Frank Ault, inner guard; Karl

Other Knights of Pythias lodges in Wayne county are: Sterling Lodge, at Sterling, with a membership of one hundred and thirty-one ; George Glessner, keeper of records and seal; Grace Lodge No. 184 has a membership at Doylestown of eighty members, with O. B. Heffleman as keeper of records and seal; Central Lodge No. 212, at Orrville, with a membership of one hundred, with W. T. Frazer as keeper of records and seal; Applecreek Lodge No. 324, at Applecreek, with a membership of forty-eight, with H. H. Wilhelm as keeper of records and seal ; Smithville Lodge No. 483, with twenty-three members, at Smithville, with W. G. Stevens as keeper of records and seal ; Challenge Lodge No. 630, at Shreve, with a membership of forty-four, with W. K. Miller as keeper of records and seal.

The Uniform Rank of Wooster, known as Funk Company No. 53, was instituted October 18, 1900. It has a present membership of thirty-six. Its 1909 officials are: J. J. Keister, captain; Samuel Manson, first lieutenant;

Improved Order Of Red Men

Unas Tribe No. 57 at Wooster of this fraternal organization was instituted Ma_v 20. 1871, with the following charter members: Albert Brauneck,

Royal Arcanum

Wayne Council No. 13 of this secret beneficiary and life insurance order (similar to the Knights of Honor) at Wooster was instituted September 5, 1877. Its charter members were: Daniel Funck, Joseph C. Plumer, Lewis

Knights Of Honor

Orr Lodge, Knights of Honor, was instituted July 9, 1875. The officers were: Rev. J. C. Kauffman, director; William M. Orr, past director; S. X.

Coe, vice-director; S. D. D. Tanner, assistant director; J. S. Evans, guide; A. J. Heller, reporter; J. G. Hartman, financial reporter; John Coffee, treasurer; Rev. J. AI. Jenkins, chaplain; George Ream, guardian; Solon Boydston, sentinel.

This lodge has for its object mutual life insurance and social functions. Its establishment at the town of Orrville gathered together a goodly number of the people - men and women - who, besides having an excellent mutual life assurance benefit, by the payment of small dues, also had a good time socially.

At Shreve the Knights of Honor instituted a lodge June 19, 1875, with the following as its charter members: E. Eritzinger, John Zehner, C. C.

Grand Army Of The Republic

In Wayne county there have been, since 1881, formed several posts of the Grand Army of the Repulilic, including those at Wooster, Shreve, Dalton, Doylestown, Eredericksburg, West Salem, Orrville, Creston, Smithville. New Pittsburg and Burbank. Those tha.t have a sufficient number of the old comrades of '61 and '65 at this date (1909) to hold meetings and transact business are as follows : Wooster, Shreve, Dalton, West Salem, Orrville, Creston, New Pittsburg.

Given Post, No. 133, was formed as a part of the Ohio Department, Grand Army of the Republic, on September 12, 1881. The post now numbers about seventy-six, but from one date to another it has contained on its rolls as many as three hundred and fifty soldiers. The present elective officers of this post are as follows: Commander. William Flummer; senior vice-commander, R. J. Smith; junior vice-commander, W. H. Myers; chaplain. S. J.

The Woman's Relief Corps was organized soon after the post, probably in 1884, and has always been a helpful auxiliary to the post. A few years later was formed the Ladies of the Grand Army, another society which is made up of 'women who are either wives, sisters or daughters of Grand Army men. This society is styled the Ladies' Circle of the Grand Army of the Republic.

There are the Daughters of Veterans, also the Spanish- American War Camp, all of which semi-military societies are well organized at this date.