Jersey County, Illinois - Chapter 29: Fraternities and Other Organizations, 1919

Chapter 29: Fraternities and Other Organizations

MASONS - BLUE LODGE - CHAPTER - EASTERN STAR - ODD FELLOWS - ENCAMP¬ MENT - REBEKAHS - MODERN WOODMEN OF AMERICA - MODERN AMERI¬ CANS - ROYAL NEIGHBORS - KNIGHTS OF PYTHIAS - KNIGHTS OF COLUM¬

In 1882, the lodge purchased the third floor of the building owned by James A. Barr and A. W. Cross for the consideration of $1,500.00. They then raised the roof, and remodeled the same at an additional cost of about $1,800.00. They now have apartments, 24x110 feet in size. The main lodge room is about 24x60 feet in dimension, with ample ante¬ rooms, with a banquet room in the rear. Its regular convocations are held on Monday evening before the full moon of each month. The present officers of the lodge and its membership are as follows : J. C. Downey, AY. M. ; AY. T. Sumner, S. AY.; C. B. Pinkerton, J. AY.; A. H. Cochran, treasurer; C. S. Jewsbury, secretary; AAT. J. Post, S. D.; AY alter Leigh, J. D. ; AY. S. Neely, chaplain ; John Powell, marshal; Pearl S. Dabbs, S. S. ; H. H. McClusky, J. S. ; A. F. Pitt, tyler. Stated meetings, second Monday evenings of each month. Other lodges in the county are Full Moon No. 341, Grafton, and Fieldon Lodge No. 592, Fieldon.

The Jerseyville Chapter, Royal Arch Masons, was organized under dispensation, February 4, 1870, by John M. Pierson, Grand High Priest of this jurisdiction. The charter was granted October 7, 1870, the charter members being as follows : George L. Hassett, Robert N. Knapp, Andrew Jackson, Smith M. Titus, J. B. Schroeder, J. M. Squier, Morris

Order Of Eastern Star

Jerseyville Chapter, No. 656, 0. E. S., was organized March 16, 1910. The present officers are : Gladys 0. Searls, W. M. ; C. W. Johns, W. P. ; Rosetta Trabue, A. M. ; Eva Coulthard, secretary ; Harriet Pogue, treasurer ; Cyrena Schattgen, conductor ; Emma N. Simmons, A. C. ;

Eula McBrien, chaplain; Louise Wedding, marshal; Theo. Dodson, organist; Lucy King, Adah; Jennie Pinkerton, Ruth; Alma Simmons, Esther; Bessie Brannom, Martha; Laura Catt, Electa; Lula Bartlett, warder; Mary A. Schattgen, sentinel. The stated meetings are on the first Tuesday evening of each month.

Jerseyville Lodge No. 53, I. O. 0. F.

Jerseyville Lodge No. 53, I. 0. 0. F. was organized May 3, 1849, They occupied their original hall building on State Street until 1871; then they took possession of their new building, remaining there until they removed to the Yandervoort building on West Pearl Street. In 1888, this lodge erected a three-story building at the southeast corner of Washington and Pearl streets. The lodge completed and occupied the third story of the building. The second story is for offices, and the first floor has for many years been used as a postoffice. This lodge has been very prosperous during all the almost seventy years of its ex¬ istence. The present officers are: N. G., A. F. Eldred; V. G., Harry Niekens ; recording-secretary, 0. H. Richards ; treasurer, W. H. Groppel.

Jerseyville I. 0. O. F. Encampment No. 20

Jerseyville I. 0. 0. F. Encampment No. 20 was instituted on July 6, 1852, by Grand Patriarch James E. Starr. The Encampment sus¬ pended its organization, June 20, 1859. The last meeting was held June 20, 1859. It was re-organized July 16, 1867, and has since en¬ joyed prosperity. It occupied the lodge room of the subordinate lodge, and since its re-organization has had a very successful career. Its present officers are as follows: C. P., T. S. Ford; H. P., William Groppel; S. W., K. T. Nelson; J. W., J. R. Bright; secretary, 0. H. Richards; treasurer, George H. Woodruff.

Ruby Rebekah Lodge

The present officers of the Ruby Rebekah Lodge are as follows : N. G., Mrs. Elizabeth Eldred; V. G., Miss Elizabeth Fritz; R. S., Mrs. Nellie Richards; F. S., Mrs. Cora E. Ford; T., Mrs. Carrie L. Tack.

Modern Woodmen Of America

man Camp No. 3410, also of Jerseyville, has a strong membership, and with other camps at Fieldon, Grafton, Elsah, Otterville, Delhi, Fidelity, Kemper and Dow, the total membership in the county is estimated at over 1,200.

Independent Order Modern Americans

The fraternal insurance order of Modern Americans was organized in Jerseyville with seventy members, September 27, 1898, by George A. Rowden, deputy vice president. The charter officers were : Eugene Hale, president; Samantha Wylder, vice president; W. H. Schroeder, secretary; Jacob Wagner, treasurer; Rev. William Kerns, chaplain. In 1914, a change was made so as to bring this league under the state law governing old line insurance companies, and the local lodge organization was abandoned. There are at present 200 members in Jersey County.

Royal Neighbors Of America

M. ; Dr. Cordelia Enos and Dr. Joseph W. Enos, P. There are 300 members at present and the officers are : Mrs. Maggie L. Akard, O. ; Mrs. Caddie Streble, Y. 0. ; Mrs. Lena Devening, P. 0. ; Mrs. Annie Snedeker, C. ; Mrs. Emma Wilcox, R. ; Mrs. Annie Reynolds, R. ; Mrs. Katherine Harris, M. ; Mrs. Kate Bums, A. M. ; Mrs. Lizzie Egelhoff, I. S. ; Mrs. Katherine Lund, 0. S. ; Mrs. Rosetta Trabue, Miss Blanche Corns, M. ; Dr. H. R. Gledhill, P. There are eight camps in Jersey County, with a total membership of 1,000, and this organization is claimed to be the second largest beneficiary society in the world, that is managed solely by women.

Knights Of Pythias

C. Cockrell, M. F. ; H. D. Stelle, K. R. and S. ; A. H. Barrett, M. A. ; Henry Nevius, I. G. ; John Wiley, 0. S. ; W. M. Jackson, P. C. ; W. F. Bowman, P. Their hall was on the third floor of the Jersey State Bank building. The lodge was very prosperous for a time, but later, interest abated to some extent.

Knights Of Columbus

Jerseyville Council No. 1692 K. C. is a fraternal association and in¬ surance organization whose members profess the Catholic faith. The council was organized in the City of Jerseyville, Jersey County, Ill., in 1913, and was chartered by the Supreme Council of the order located at New Haven, Conn., on June 1, 1913. The following were the charter members: C. P. Atchison, John R. Alyward, James J. Bane, John C. Bartman, John J. Brown, Nicholas F. Bray, M. D., T. W. Butler, Jr., Archie Cope, J. V. Cabalek, William G. Callahan, James J. Curran, Rev.

D. J. Doyle, Fred M. Doyle, M. D., John J. Driscoll, John Dunphy, R. H. Ely, J. W. Fitzgerald, J. J. Fleming, P. J. Fleming, T. J. Flem¬ ing, J. J. Flynn, R. E. Flynn, M. W. Greany, Leo H. Hall, L. P. Heffron, G. F. Heneghan, Leo P. Heneghan, M. Jennings, Richard Kiely, A. Kallal, Thomas A. Kraus, William J. Kraus, Edward F. Lahey, Rev. M. J. Mee, Rev. M. J. O'Mullane, F. X. McGrath, U. C. McGrath, F. J. Munstermann, L. Powers, F. M. Purcell, A. H. Quinn, J. U. Quinn, Thomas R. Quinn, William Roach, M. M. Roach, Edward H. Sauer, H. A. Shephard, H. L. Shortal, John L. Shortal, John M. Shortal, F. Scheffer, Leo R. Shortal, Joseph F. C. Schell, Louis Sweeney, Leo W. Tracy, Thomas M. Tracy, William Tracy, Daniel A. Tuohy, John A. Tuohy, Andrew Walsh, M. J. Walsh, Walter Walsh and Heber Wedding. The following were the first officers chosen by the council : Grand Knight, H. A. Shephard; Deputy Grand Knight, Fred M. Doyle, M. D.; recorder, Thomas R. Quinn ; chancellor, N. F. Bray, M. D. ; financial secretary, J. J. Fleming; treasurer, F. J. Munstermann; advocate, J. C. McGrath; warden, Leo H. Hall; inside guard, Louis Sweeney; out¬ side guard, Marcus Roach; trustees, Thomas Tracy, John Dunphy and Fred Scheffer. At the present time the council has a membership of 270 persons, 165 of whom are associate members, and ninety-five in¬ surance members. The present officers are as follows: Grand Knight,

The nation's call for soldiers lias been nobly responded to by this council, and there are now fifty Knights of Columbus of Jerseyville Council in the, active military service of the United States. The present Grand Knight of the Council, Francis B. Tracy, is an officer in the National Army. Many other members of the council will soon be in active military service.

Sons Op Temperance

The Jersey ville Division No. 16, Sons of Temperance, was the first lodge of a secret order, not only in the City of Jerseyville, but in Jersey County as well. It was organized August 4, 1847, with the following officers: B. C. Woods, W. P.; A. B. Morean, W. A.; W. B. Nevius,

R. S. ; Thomas L. McGill, A. R. S. ; W. J. West, F. S. ; Charles H. Knapp, treasurer; Amos Brown, chaplain; P. C. Walker, conductor; A. B. P. Staats, A. C. ; George Wharton, I. S. ; Francis Osborne, 0. S. ; Elihu J. Palmer, P. W. P. Interest gradually died out and finally meetings were no longer held, and the division was abandoned. This division was re-organized February 11, 1878, by Grand Worthy Patriarch, Rev. J. Nate, of the grand division of the Sons of Temperance of Illinois. The charter members were Henry Gill, Lewis R. Myers, William F. Gammel, Johnson Morris, Daniel McFain, George Morley, Eli D. Walker, Henry Delicate, William H. Pogue, Benjamin C. Clayton, Daniel W. Phillips, Oscar B. Hamilton, Stephen Catt, James A. Barr, James C. Ross, George W. West, Francis Osborne, Lewis R. Phelps, Francis R. Dutton, Norman E. Landon, Charles W. Enos, N. H. Landon and Wil¬ liam McBride. The officers elected to serve the first term were the following: Daniel McFain, P. W. P. ; James A. Barr, W. P. ; Benja¬ min Clayton, AY. A. ; Oscar B. Hamilton, R. S. ; Charles AY. Enos, A. R.

The division organized wfith thirty members and advanced to 200. The interest in this lodge wras very strong for a time, but later abated, and meetings gradually ceased.

Davis, R. S.; W. E. Hibble, F. S. ; H. C. Gill, T.; J. W. YanCleve, chaplain; John Mode, I. G. ; Christian Harmes, 0. G. ; Fred Hartzan, C. ; D. W. Zeller, Henry Heller, and Philip Block, trustees. Besides these officers the members were as follows: Philip Block, David W. Zeller, John W. Vinson, John M. Waller, Charles A. Edgar, Conrad Borger, Frederick Hund, Frederick Nagle, C. F. Hawkins, George W. Wolf and George W. Shafer. The meetings were held on the first and third Mondays of each month, in the Hamilton building, corner of Washington and West Pearl streets.

The Woman's Relief Corps was organized October 26, 1893, with a membership of twenty-seven and Mrs. Emma B. Everts was the first president. The present officers are : Mrs. Ellen Stephenson, president ; Mrs. Ella F. Rue, secretary, and Mrs. Martha M. Tack, treasurer.

active part in the great anti-saloon crusade. Among the original mem¬ bers were Maria Ford, who was president for many years, Mary Farley, and Mesdames Jane Randolph, Mary Coddington, Virginia C. Harbert, Daniel Stelle, Abner Barr, Abner Cory, Jane Pittman, Sarah Norris, and Margaret Derby, the last two named, both octogenarians, are still living, and the others have passed to the great beyond. In 1884, all of the records and library were burned, and since that time the meetings have been held mainly at the homes of the members, who have main¬ tained an aggressive war upon the saloons until their extinction in Jerseyville, and since that time they have been engaged in many classes of work. Since the declaration of war by the United States in 1917, the members have been especially active in aiding the Red Cross and all other work helpful to our soldiers and sailors. The present officers are: President, Mrs. Rosetta 0. Trabue; corresponding secretary, Mrs. Fan¬ nie D. English; recording secretary, Mrs. Lulu Bartlett; treasurer, Mrs. Luella Birkenmayer. In 1902, the district was changed to county organizations, formed of unions at Bethel, Fidelity, Kemper and Jerseyville, of which County Union, Mrs. R. 0. Trabue is president; Mrs. F. H. English is vice president ; Mrs. Ida Baxter, corresponding secre¬ tary ; Miss Edna Miller, recording secretary ; Miss Laura Lamb, treas¬ urer; Mrs. M. W. Lynch, auditor. Mrs. R. 0. Trabue has been president of the County Union most of the time since its organization, and also secretary of the State Union.

The Young Men's Christian Association was organized in December, 1900, with eight members, with John Christy, president; George Wood¬ ruff, Jr., vice president; E. L. Alexander, secretary; J. W. Becker, director; and Walter S. Daniels, treasurer. The meetings were held in the Daniels building.

The Jersey County Agricultural and Mechanical Association held its first meeting at its grounds near Jerseyville October 13, 14, 15, and 16, in 1869, and this was a great success. The first officers were : David E. Beaty, president; Samuel W. Davis, secretary; William Kirby, treas¬ urer; and William Shephard, Hugh N. Cross, J. H. Simmons, Lathrop L. Kirby, Jeremiah Beaty, James H. Bell, Jasper M. Terry, James E.

Starr, Arch Craig aucl Caleb A. Post, directors. Mr. Davis resigned as secretary and Morris R. Locke was elected to the office. The annual meetings of the society were attended with great interest, and used not only for exhibiting purposes, but as a meeting place of former settlers of the county, and really as a home coming time for the residents. In 1885 the officers of the society were, P. D. Cheney, president ; Robert Newton, vice president; J. A. Shephard, treasurer; Morris R. Locke, secretary ; James S. Daniels, J. V. Stryker, H. C. Terry, J. L. Post, M. B. Trabue, Spencer Wyc-koff, J. C. Cadwallader, L. L. Kirby, Andrew Beierman, J. N. Lurton, Leslie Cross and James R. Colean, directors; with Col. William H. Fulkerson, grand marshal, J. K. Cadwallader, assistant marshal; James R. Colean, clerk of races; M. C. Bentley, super¬ intendent of grounds; J. N. Lurton, superintendent of amusements; Leslie Cross, superintendent of arena. The reception committee was as follows: Mr. and Mrs. D. E. Beaty, Mr. and Mrs. Henry Ryan, Mr. and Mrs. William H. Fulkerson, Mrs. Antoinette Cross, Mr. and Mrs. Oliver P. Powell, Mr. and Mrs. Edward Trabue, and Mr. and Mrs. John N. Conklin. In later years, on account of the locating of the State Fair at Springfield, and it being impossible to arouse the people's in¬ terest in the annual meetings of the Association, they were finally aban¬ doned, but they had been a great success for many years.

The Jersey County Farmers' Institute was organized in accordance with statutory enactment in 1890. The first officers were: Col. W. H. Fulkerson, president ; J. W. Becker, secretary and treasurer. Annual meetings have been held from that time to this. Frank J. Kallae is now president and Herbert U. Lander is secretary and treasurer.

In connection with the annual Farmers' Institute, held January 8 and 9, 1901, the Jersey County Domestic Science Association, was held at the same time, with Mrs. Walter E. Carlin as president ; Mrs. M. C. Stelle as vice president; Miss Fannie Fulkerson as secretary; and Miss Mamie Cadwallader, treasurer. These meetings have been continued until the present time.

chapters. The Boy Scouts are strong in numbers and earnest in pur¬ pose, as are the Camp Fire Girls. There is a Jersey County Sunday School Association, a Jersey County Teachers' Association, a Jersey County Farm Bureau, a Jersey County Centennial Celebration Asso¬ ciation, a Jersey County Historical Society, and a Jersey County Good Roads Association.

War Work

The local chapters of the Young Men's Christian Association, the Red Cross, the Fuel Committee, the Food Committee, the Boys' Re¬ serves, the Emergency Club Leader, the Home Guards, the Women's Council of Defense, the State Council of Defense, the Junior Red Cross, and all of the societies of the churches, and the fraternities and social organizations, are exerting themselves to the utmost to do everything in their power to aid the government in war work and the encourage¬ ment of the proper spirit for patriotic Americans in this most critical period in their history.