Adair County, Missouri - Chapter 9: Fraternal, Patriotic and Industrial Orders, 1911

The first Lodge was organized under dispensation May 24, 1850, hy A. I). Green, with Isham B. Dodson, W. M.; John Huston, S. W.; Calvin W. Hardin, J. W.; J. M. Huston, secretary; Samuel Withrow, treasurer; Wash. Conner, S. D.; Andrew Crist, J. D.; Win. Ringo, toward and tyler. The first meetings were held in Dodson's log house, which stood on what is now South Osteopathy Avenue, directly west uf the Normal School. This lodge was chartered as the Kirksville Lodge No. 128, A. F. and A. M., on May 8, 1851. By the time this charter was granted a large membership had been acquired. This h-lce surrendered its charter in 18(53.

Kirksville Lodge, No. 105, A. F. and A. M., was organized on May -V>. 1S(>4. and chartered June 30. 1864. In it were many of the Lodge No. 128 which had surrendered its charter the previous year. The charter members were: Na]x>lcon Wilson, David Baird, Wm. F. Smith, James C. Smith, Washington Conner, David A. Ely, Sr., Wm. T. Por-

This lodge organized a building association in 1872, which erected a three story brick building on the western end of the north side of the -quart1. (Jrovind was broken on July 15 and the cornerstone laid on August 1. The latter event was the occasion of a notable gathering <>i Masons from Iowa and from Macon and Schuvler ( 'ounties. The Masons met at ten o'clock at the Cumberland Presbyterian church and marched to the Masonic Hall site. After the stone was laid, they marched t" the M. E. Church, where an address was given by John D. Vincil. A big basket dinner was indulged in at Wilson's drove. The building when completed cost about 815,000.

The Masons used the third floor of this building as their hull, ant dedicated it on the morning of June 24, 1873. The dedication ceninony was conducted by John M. Oldham of Kirksville. and Rufus K Anderson of Palmyra. After the dedication the Masons and \\\n friends enjoyed a big basket dinner in the grove west of town. Aftei dinner there was speaking in the grove by R. K. Anderson and Orii Root of Carrollton.

This building was completely burned to the ground on Decern!* : 13, 18(H). The lodge then secured quarters on the second floor of tt - building just east of the Savings Rank and retained them unti it moved to its present quarters in the building on north Elson, jiw north of where the old Masonic Building had formerly stood.

Adair Ixxlge, No. 3(H), A. F. and A. M., was organized May 21 1881, and was chartered the following October 31. The charter mem bers were E. O. Gates, John Burton, F. A. Grove, John Miller. \V. I. Fletcher, R. H. Browne. H. F. Millan, I). ('. Pierce. B. F. Lamkin B. F. Henry, and R. M. Ringo. Only three of these are still living H. F. Millan, B. F. Lamkin and B. F. Henry. This lodge used the Masonic Hall with the other lodge until the building was burned in 1890 It then used the same quarters as the other lodge on the south side of the square and remained there until October. 1910, when the present quarters in the Foster building on Washington Street one block ea>t from the square, were occupied.

Caldwell Chapter, No. 53. R. A. M.. was organized July 14. 1W. and chartered October 7, 18(>9. The charter members were: Win. T. Baird, Washington Conner, D. A. Ely. Sr.. Joseph Baum, Icabod Nagley, A. L. Shepherd, David Baird, Isham B. Dodson, George \Y Browning, Alanson Morris, R. M. Ringo. Napoleon Wilson. At present the membership is 124.

Ely Commandery, No. 22, K. T.. was organized December 12, 1872, and chartered October 7, 1873. The charter members were: P. K. Debbie, David Baird, John I,. Porter. R. M. Brashear, F. A Grove, D. P. Harris, W. R. Parsons. E. D. C. Shortridge, John J. Spencer, D. A. Ely, Sr., J. Q. Adams. E. J. Brown. A. F. Chadwick, W. M. Gates, A. J. Knight, R. L. Sharp, Thomas Shortell, H. L. Turner. Its membership is about 100.

The Masonic Orders of Kirksville have laid the cornerstones of a number of public buildings in the town. Among them the main building of the State Normal School (now called Baldwin Hall) in 1871; Science Hall of the Normal School, 1905; M. E. Church South, 1882: Masonic Hall, 1891; and Smith's Business College, 1883. The Grand Lodge of Missouri laid the Court House corner stone in 1896.

Brashear. - Paulville Lodge, No. 319. A. F. and A. M., was organized at Paulville on June 14, 1809, under a dispensation granted by tin (Irand Lodge of Missouri on May 6, 1809. The charter was granted nrtoU-r 12. 1809. The charter members were: S. N. Holloway, L. S. Mu>ick. R. M. Brashear, C. Patterson. W. B. Keller, D. C. Lord, J. L. Hickman. When the town of Brashear was laid out, Paulville moved t > Brashear. and with it went the Paulville Masonic Ixnlge. A hall wa> secured and this was dedicated on December 27, 1875. In 1884 :;i< Jodne occupied the third story of the Brashear Academy building mi-ted that year. In 1890 the Academy building was remodeled into ;i fhurch and since that time the Masons have occupied other quarters.

Northwestern Ijodgc, No. 88 (Colored), A. F. and A. M.. of the '.rami I^dge of Missouri, Iowa, Nebraska, and Minnesota, was chart-red August 23. 1878. It is still in existence.

KiKksviLLE. - Adair Lodge, No. 90, I. O. (). F.. was chartered May 21, 1850, but who the charter members were is not known. The charter was pierced by a cannon ball during the battle of Kirksville <»ii August 0, 1802, and was so soiled and mutilated as to make it impos- >ihlc to decipher from it who the charter members were. Moreover, the early records of the lodge were so poorly kept that the lodge today knows practically nothing regarding its early membership.

At the time when the battle of Kirksville occurred the Odd Fellows were occupying quarters in the Linder building, a three story frame, on the southeast corner of the square, where Myers Bros, shoe store now stands. This room had been used since 1858 and continued to \- used until 1871, when the lodge arranged for new quarters by adding .-. third story to the building built by Mr. Tuttle on the southwest cori rr of the square. For twenty years the lodge used these quart er>. It 1892 the Good Templars' Hall, which was in the third story of the buil - ing adjoining the Odd Fellows on the south was bought and the partition wall between the two halls was taken out. This gave the lodgi the comfortable quarters which they have used ever since. The dedication of the newly enlarged hall, which occurred on December W 1892, was the occasion for a big demonstration. The oration of rlday was delivered by Past Grand Master Jewell of Carrollton. Vis - ing Odd Fellows from neighboring towns were present.

The Kirksville Rebecca Lodge was chartered May 24, 1889. h\- fore that the Rebecca degree had been conferred on several women ;r. the open Odd Fellows Lodge. At least two had the degree confern upon them in February, 1859.

The Grand Lodge of I. (). O. F. of Missouri convened in Kirksviut May 14-17, 1900. The sessions were held in the Normal School char*- Mr. Hiram Lloyd of St. Louis, was Grand Master at the time.

Brash ear. - Brashear Lodge, No. 522, I. O. O. F., was organif i January 15, 1896, by H. S. Games, Grand Master, of Trenton, M< The charter members were: C. A. Chadwick, E. \V. McDennit, Rainier, J. J. Mitz, Colonel Vawter, W. T. Boone, M. B: Sherwoo-i W. S. Vawter, H. H. Barnhart. The founding of this lodge was tls occasion of a large gathering of Odd Fellows from nearby places, thirtyfive coming from Kirksville, fifteen from La Plata, twelve from Hur< - land, and two from Novelty. The organization was effected in thafternoon, and at night three members were admitted by card and twelve by initiation. This made the membership twenty-five to star: with. The membership at present (1911) is 100; so far only one dealt has occurred in that number.

Novinger. - Novinger Lodge. No. 010, I. (). O. F., was charters May 23, 1901. The charter members were: George E. Bates. S. A Boltz, Henry Frankford, A. A. Hader, and W. E. Huff. The charter was surrendered, however, on February 18, 1911.

Besides the lodges just described, there are Odd Fellow lodges at Sperry (No. 553), at Connelsville (No. 668), and at C.ibbs (No. 507.) But no information concerning them has been available.

This lodge occupied the Odd Fellows lodge room for a while after it was organized. Subsequently it moved into its present quarters over the Kirksville Savings Bank. Its present membership is 250.

Novixger. - Xovinger Lodge, Xo. - , Knights of Pythias, was chartered October 18. 1900. The charter members were: Henry Frankford, John T. Novinger, John W. Cook, H. Shott, F. W. ('loss, A. Steele, E. Doner, J. (1. Vanlaningham, R. A. Carnes, J. W. Capps, C Hennick, J. d. Strayer, U. B. Snyder. C. W. Rainwater. J. J. Bowen, Wni. (Jreen, W. B. Evans, S. C. (iorrell, A. E. Hamilton. 1). P. Shaver, Wm. Long, J. Siders, Jno. Black. The K. P. Hall was built in 1900, and has been used not only by this lodge but by other fraternal orders and by the various churches at different times.

Kirksville. - Kirksville Lodge, No. 464, B. P. O. E., was instituted on January 30, 1899. The instituting officers were from the St. Louis Lodge, No. 9, who came in a special car. The work of instituting the lodge was followed by a banquet. The charter is dated June 22,

1899, and contains the names of the following charter members: Fre». X. Chapman. E. T. Brcwington, V. H. Greenwood, CI. M. Laugl F. C. Miller, E. H. Bcstman, C. B. Matthews, M. J. Maxwell. C. W Adams, H. H. Straight, C. A. Hamilton, W. T. Stephenson, and Wm Smith. This lodge has been particularly prosperous in the last few years. It erected a handsome club house on the corner of Klson ui.<i Jefferson streets in 1910, the formal opening of which took place on January 3, 1911. The cost of this building was al>out $30,000. Th- first floor is given up to reception rooms, gaining rooms and the hV on the second floor are the offices ami an immense lodge room wh is arranged in a very artistic fashion. The charity work of this lodge K very extensive. For sonic years it has fixed up a Christmas tree in ite rooms for the poor children of the town and thus gladdened the heart' of many of them by their generosity and sympathetic treatment.

Two of the members of this lodge are life members; they are F. N Chapman and J. F. Eekert. Rev. Chapman was Grand Chaplain of the national organization one year.

KlRKSVILLE. - Milton Lodge. No. 103, A. O. C \\\, was chartered February 1, 1879. Later the uniform rank of Select Knights was organized also. The order was a fraternal order, but it put special eniphaM* upon its benevolent insurance system. For some cause or other the insurance assessments began to be increased about fifteen years, and continued to go up more and more. The result was many members withdrew. The lodge in Kirksville has been defunct for five years or morr

Besides the A. O. U. W. there havfe been several other benevolent fraternal organizations represented in Kirksville. Among them were the Knights of Honor and the Knights of Maccabees. The former is known to have existed in 1882, and the latter in 1892, but as to how long they lasted and what they did, nothing further can lx» said.

Kirksville. - When the war closed there was a wide-spread desire to perpetuate the bonds of friendship and brotherly love which had l*en formed by comrades in arms. This desire gave rise to several organizations. Among these was the Union Soldiers' League. A league was partially formed in Kirksville in September, 1866, and Sergt. S. W. Williams was appointed to confer with the Secretary of State League. ( apt. F. M. Shelton, Asst. Surgeon A. Douglas, ('apt. E. O. Gates, H. (I. Kernodle, D. S. Hooper, and S. W. Williams were the leaders in this movement.

The Union Soldiers' League, however, did not prosper. The Grand Army of the Republic proved to be the organization that enlisted the interest and support of the greatest number of Federal soldiers. The fiM post was organized at Decatur, Illinois in 1866.

Corporal Dix Post, No. I, Department of Missouri, G. A. R, was oreanized in 1866 or early in 1867, and was the first post organized in the ^tate and is said to have been the first west of the Mississippi River. Dr. R. H. Browne and J. A. Gormly were among those instrumental in bringing al)out the organization of the post. The post lived but a 4iort time, owing to the fact that politics got into it, as was the ease with the organization nationally. By 1869 it was dead. The "iily surviving members of the original post, as far as is known, are -Wph D. Miller, now of Topeka, Kansas; Edward Ammerman of Lmore, California; and George F. Williams of Kirksville.

The post was named after Corporal Harvey Dix, of Company I). Third Iowa Infantry, who was killed in an engagement northeast of Kirksville on August 19, 1861. He was the first Union soldier to be killed within the limits of Adair County. An account of this event ha- already been given. The credit of suggesting this name for the jH>t is said to belong to Joseph D. Miller, who was later sheriff of the county.

lowing charter members: R. H. Browne, John Burton, W. J. Ashlo< J. H. Kinnear, J. \V. Tinsman, G. F. Williams, R. G. Bielby. B. Heiny, John Shaver, J. A. Tinsman, Sanford Snyder, and A. D. Risd< By this time twenty-one other posts had been organized in the Ma so that the post number was now 22. The old} name was ret aim The records show than an enrollment of 341 has been attain since the organization. But many of them have died, others mov away, and some dropped, so that at the present time there are only members. The attendance at the meetings, however, is only ai* fifteen.

The post meets the first and third Thursdays of each month in t Grand Jury room, the use of which the county court has given to without charge. A few war relics have been placed in this room, and is hoped to add to these so that a good museum may be formed.

The Post has always observed Memorial Day, and has not on decorated the graves of old Federal soldiers, but for many years it h also decorated the graves of the Confederates who were buried in t cemetery after the battle of Kirksville.

A few years ago a monument was erected over this grave, and a tive assistance was rendered by the Post in securing the funds for t! purpose.

Brasheah. - The Sergeant Ryan Post at Brashear was chart en October 0, 1884. The charter members were: M. A. Church, B. i Hall, J. X. McCreary, J. S. Mclntyre, B. W. Church, D. Y. Conkl J. Z. Smith, W. H. Steele, W. H. Dunham, J. Hartsock, B. Pierce, I Tuttle, J. F. Wise, J. Norris, and R. U. White. Exactly one humln different names have been enrolled, but the present active memberslii is only seventeen.

Besides these posts at Kirksville and Brashear there have Uv three others at least: the Jas. A. Smith Post at Millard; the A. 1 Hickman Post at Shibley's Point; and the Post at Sublette. No it formation concerning their organization or subsequent history has Ixr secured, except that the post at Sublette was disbanded some year ago, and the membership was merged in the post at Kirksville.

Inasmuch as the G. A. R. was responsible for some of the County S>ldiers' Reunions held in this county, it may be appropriate to give ;i lirief account of them here.

For years county soldiers' reunions were held annually late in the Minuner; most of them were held in Kirksville. These reunions would include processions, camp fires, a good deal of speaking, and various kind* of amusements. The earliest reunion of which there is any record was held in 1808. An immense crowd attended. The chief event of the reunion was a sham battle in which many of the maneuvers of August I). 1802 were reenacted. Major John A. Pickler superintended -L« battle. There was a good deal of political speaking both morning and afternoon. Among the speakers were Major Clements of Macon, Major (Haze of Macon, State Supt. T. A. Parker, and Major Williams. It nopius that the political coloring given to this celebration made it unpopular, so that soldiers' reunions were not held any more for a long time. At least there is no mention of any in the newspapers until 1880.

Soldiers* Reunions seem to have been held annually during the eighties, hut no one ever surpassed the one held in 1880. Moreover, complaints began to be made against the management ; it was said that emotionable side shows were permitted and that the accommodations were not adequate. Moreover, it cost a great deal of money to provide for the entertainment of the crowds that attended, and the cost Ml pretty heavily upon the same men from year to year. For these reasons the reunions seem to have been discontinued after 1889.

The one held in 1885 was marked by the organization of an association of the survivors of the Twenty-Seventh Missouri Infantry and mother for the Tenth Missouri Infantry. J. E. Pierce was President and J. H. Xovinger, Secretary of the first; G. D. Cray was President "f the second.

By 1880 something of the bitterness of feeling which the war had produced, l^egan to wear away, and it was felt safe and desirable to hold » reunion of the old soldiers. Extensive preparations were made t'T the event. They seem to have begun with the organization of an aviation of the survivors of the Seventh Missouri Cavalry who lived in Adair County. This was done in December, 1870. S. M. Crawford was made President of this organization and T. J. Dockery, Secretary. ( oinpanies C, F, C, H, I and M were represented by the members. 1 lie following April a Union Veterans Association was formed at Kirksville and committees were appointed to arrange for the reunion. A camp ground was laid out along the northwestern edge of the town, and hundreds of tents pitched there for the accommodation of the old soldiers.

The crowning feature of the reunion was the sham battle. S plies from the government were secured, so that the men engage* 1 it had uniforms, arms, and other equipment very much as in real ur life.

In 1880 a movement was started to form an association of tin* > vivors of the Thirty-Xinth Missouri Infantry. It was occasioned the accidental meeting one day of eight of the survivors in front of court room. These eight were Otis Miller, Egbert Policy, John Broadi Jerome B. Greenslate, Thos. J. Spencer, Valentine Judd, John Cah and W. B. Deaton. A call was made for all the survivors to meet organization, but it is not known what became of the matter.

Sons of Veterans - A chapter of the Sons of Veterans v organized here several years ago, and after it lapsed it was reorganiz' but as yet enough interest has not been manifested to keep it going

W. R. (-. - The Woman's Relief Corps of Kirksville was organ i* on April 30, 1885, with sixty-six charter members. The first Preside was Mrs. Julia E. Dockery, and the first Secretary was Mrs. Ma Sparling. The membership reached the ninety mark at one time.

U. D. C - The United Daughters of the Confederacy of Kirksvi effected an organization on August 8, 1891. Mrs. B. P. Gentry wa.> l first President. The society did not flourish, as there were very few w were eligible who would take an interest in it.

D. A. R. - The Ann TIaynes Chapter of the Daughters of t American Revolution at Kirksville was organized on February 9. VM' The charter members were Minnie Brashear, Roma Brashear. M Edith Campbell, Mrs. Adah Caskey Cockrell, Mrs. Ruby Bowen Cooh Mrs. Louisa Taylor ( ierdine, Mrs. Sarah Trowbridge Hall, Mrs. Kat erine Harrington Swaney, Mrs. Blanche Still Laughlin, Mrs. Flora ? Mason. Mrs. Charlotte O'Neill, Clara O'Xeil, Clara Brown Spenct Mrs. Quintilla Haynes Ringo. Alethea Ringo, Mrs. Eugenia Rim Moorman, Mrs. Ethel Ringo Weatherly.

The duties of this chapter include an annual visit to the grav of the two Revolutionary soldiers buried in Adair County, at whit time these graves are cleaned and decorated with flags and flown the preservation of historical relics and the location of places e.»nnect» with the early history of Missouri and Adair County; the encouragement of patriotic education among the school children of the county; and the study of American history in detail by the members.

Patriotic education among the school children is encouraged through offering annually a prize to any school other than the high school at Kirksville. for the best essay on some historical subject selected by a eonnnitte of the chapter, and also through teaching them to salute the Bag and to arise when the national hymn is being sung.

The two Revolutionary soldiers buried in the county are .James Fletcher and Thomas Lay. The record of service of Fletcher is as follows: Private in Fourth Troop commanded by ('apt. Win. Parsons. First Regiment Light Dragoons, Continental Troops; name appears on pay-roll of the Company for January. 1 783 ; was taken prisoner at <>nc time. He was born April 29, 1758 and died in Adair County September 27, 1845, and was buried on the old Amsbaugh farm not far from the lower iron bridge, eleven miles southwest of Kirksville. He had nunc to Missouri in 1830.

was buried in the Cain-Collett cemetery, six miles west of Kirk>viil> For years and years nothing marked their graves. However, it: 1890 a monument was erected at the grave of Lay, and in 1891 one unplaced at the grave of Fletcher. These were provided for through tU generosity of the public-spirited citizens of the county. Most of xb work in securing the funds and enlisting the interest of the people undone by Mr. R. M. Ringo. It seems as though he knew of only on- Revolutionary soldier buried in the county when he began the work, hence.pnly one monument was erected at first, that over Lay's gra\> In fact, the popular notion then was that Lay was the only Revolutionary soldier buried in the county. When, however, he learned of the secmni one, Fletcher, he took up the task of securing a monument for his grave and got the matter under way by calling a number of citizens together on July 28, 1891. At this meeting an executive committee, of which bwas chairman, was appointed, and the work was carried through mi«- cessfully and without delay.

The unveiling of these monuments was marked by a good deal of ceremony. The monument over Lay's grave was unveiled on October 10, 1890. A large crowd of people gathered from Kirksville and other parts of the county, though the rain kept many more from coming. The oration of the day was pronounced by President J. P. Blanton. Addresses were also made by Mr. G. M. McGuire and Capt. Jas. Berry. The inscription on the monument was: "In Memory <>: Thomas Lay, a Revolutionary Soldier, Died about 1845, Aged about 90 yrs. Erected by the Citizens of Adair Co., Mo., in 1890."

The unveiling of the Fletcher monument occurred on August 30. 1891. A large crowd was in attendance. Addresses were made l>\ Prof. C. H. Laughlin, Prof. B. P. Gentry, I. B. Dodson, Win. Fletchtr and Rev. Lagle. The inscription on the monument was: "Jam*- Fletcher, a Revolutionary Soldier, Born Apr. 29, 1758, Died Sept. 27 1845. Rest Soldier, Rest. Thy warfare's o'er."

In 1873 the Grange movement struck the county. "The Patron> of Husbandry," the official name of what was commonly called tin Grange, was a secret society which had been founded in Washington in 1807. The objects of the society were to remove the restraints an i burdens imposed on agriculture by the commercial cla^s, railroads ami anal companies, and to eliminate the expense caused by middle men i the distribution of finished products from the manufacturer to the jnsumer. The dissatisfaction with the conditions just after the war rhich were marked by low wages and high prices of machinery and th<r things a farmer would have to buy, led to efforts to change them. V Orange came into being as one of these agents that were to right oiiio of the wrongs in the conditions of the times. It proposed to purha*e machinery and other things on the co-operative plan and thus fcpenso with the middlemen's profits. But it was not intended to be

In March, 1873, two Adair County men were appointed as special leputies to prosecute the work of organizing granges in this and sur- Tounding counties. They were Dr. Win. Gates and John M. Oldham. By that time two granges had been organized in the county. These vere at Kirksville and Sublette. Within a year later there were nineer-n granges in all in the county. They were Kirksville, Enterprise, ~>ak Grove, Victory, Millard, Rural Dell, Paulville, Blanket Grove, Walnut, Prairie Bend, Liberty, Wellington, Illinois Bend, Spring Valley. Cireen Morris, Fabius, Hazel Green, Williams, and Nineveh.

The constitution of the County Grange set forth as the object of the organization the facilitation of the transaction of business in buying, selling, and shipping for members of the subordinate granges represented hy delegates in the county grange. Its main provisions were:

1. The members shall consist of delegates from the subordinate granges, so that each grange shall have at least two delegates, one of whom shall be a matron. If any subordinate grange shall have over sixty members it shall have an additional delegate for every thirty members above the original sixty.

2. The officers of the Grange shall be Master, Overseer, Lecturer, Steward, Assistant Steward, Chaplain, Treasurer, Secretary, Gate Keeper, Ceres, Pomona, Flora, and Lady Assistant Steward. They shall be elected annually in August.

for the advancement of the interests of the whole order, procure favorable tonus and proposals for buying and selling for the Patrons, an 1 submit the same to the County Grange. They shall exercise a genrr^ supervision over such proposals as may be accepted by the grange

The County Grange held several picnics and other social gathrrings. Among the latter was the famous New Year's dinner at JmV Erwin's on January 1, 1874.

The County (J range adopted resolutions at different times on such subjects as transportation, encouragement of industry, relief of tb people, national banks, tariff, and the like, the general tenor of whirl one might easily guess. Sometimes it took up local matters and resolved against this, that and the other. For example, it condemned the Boar»l of Regents of the Normal School for appropriating $500 from a left-ovvr fund to President Baldwin, and it condemned the appointment Hooper, Oldham and De France as regents and called on them to resign

A storehouse was built in Kirksville in 1876. This was a 30xfi' foot building, two stories high, and stood near the junction of the 0. K and Wabash railroads. The meetings of the county grange were heid thereafter in this warehouse.

A co-operative store was established in 1878. The warehouse aiul store were to facilitate the scheme for getting better prices for farm products and cheapening the prices of things that must be purchased. Bur as most such schemes go, they did not work, and in the course of a short time they were abandoned.

Prominent among those who were leaders in the grange movement in the county were Judge Erwin, Chas. Patterson, Dr. A. H. John. Job M. Oldham, Dr. Win. Gates, and J. D. Stephens.

About 1889 there began what was known as the Farmers' and laborers' Union. This was in one respect a revival of the Grange. Th- Grange has kept up its organization to the present, but it has Ix-on :. these latter years more of an insurance company than anything el*. The Grange as an organization to level prices and secure financial favorfor its members passed away by the early eighties. The Farmer- Union or Alliance may be taken as a revived form of the Grange, b should be noted here that the association of the Grange and the Greenback Party, and of the Farmers' Union and the Populist Party is not by any means accidental. While the Grange and the Farmers' Unio were not allowed by their constitutions to have anything to do uitl polities, they had great indirect, if not direct, influence upon the political development of their times.

As far as the* available records go, the first labor organization was the Mechanics' Union, which was organized on January 4, 1870, at Kirksville. with T. M. Potter, President and J. J. Griggsby, Secretary. Fifteen members signed the constitution.

On March 12. 1874 an order called the Industrial Brotherhood was organized in Kirksville by Dr. A. H. John and J. M. Oldham. Another was organized at Sloan's Point on March 13.

This order was open to any man or woman of good morals who Monged to the laboring class. It was organized at the time when the farmers were getting the Grange well under way, and the prediction was made that Industrial Brotherhoods would soon be as thick as Granges. It is not known how long the order lasted in the county.

The Knights of Labor were in Kirksville as early as 1883 at least. But it was not until the coal mines were developed on a large scale that labor unions were organized in large numbers. As far as is known, the first coal miners' union was organized at Danforth in 1879, but the first important ones were organized at Novinger early in the past decade. Since the coal miners began to organize unions throughout the county, carpenters, masons, painters, and other mechanics have also organized unions for themselves.