The National Grange of the Order of Patrons of Husbandry 1

The National Grange of the Order of Patrons ofHusbandry

Grange Hall in Maine, circa 1910

The Grange, officially referred to as TheNational Grange of the Order of Patronsof Husbandry, is a fraternal organization inthe United States that encourages families toband together to promote the economic andpolitical well-being of the community andagriculture. The Grange, founded after theCivil War in 1867, is the oldest Americanagricultural advocacy group with a nationalscope. Major accomplishments credited toGrange advocacy include passage of theGranger Laws and the establishment of ruralfree mail delivery.

In 2005, the Grange had a membership of160,000, with organizations in 2,100 communities in 36 states. It is headquartered in Washington, D.C., in a buildingbuilt by the organization in 1960. Many rural communities in the United States still have a Grange Hall and localGranges still serve as a center of rural life for many farming communities.

History

Promotional poster offering a "gift for thegrangers", ca. 1873.

President Andrew Johnson commissioned Oliver Kelley to go to theSouthern States and to collect data to improve Southern agriculturalconditions. In the South, poor farmers bore the brunt of the civil warand were suspicious of northerners like Kelley. Kelley found he wasable to overcome these sectional differences as a Mason. With southernMasons as guides, he toured the war-torn countryside in the South andwas appalled by the outdated farming practices. He saw the need for anorganization that would bring people from the North and Southtogether in a spirit of mutual cooperation and, after many letters andconsultations with the other founders, the Grange was born.[1] The firstGrange was Grange #1 in Fredonia, NY.[2] Seven men and one womanco-founded the Grange: Oliver Hudson Kelley, William Saunders,Francis M. McDowell, John Trimble, Aaron B. Grosh, John R.Thompson, William M. Ireland, and Caroline Hall.

Paid agents organized local Granges and membership in the Grangeincreased dramatically from 1873 (200,000) to 1875 (858,050). Manyof the state and local granges adopted non-partisan political resolutions, especially regarding the regulation ofrailroad transportation costs. The organization was unusual at this time because women and any teen old enough todraw a plow were encouraged to participate. The importance of women was reinforced by requiring that four of theelected positions could be held only by women.

The National Grange of the Order of Patrons of Husbandry 2

1967 U.S. postage stamp honoring theNational Grange

Rapid growth infused the national organization with money from dues, andmany local granges established consumer cooperatives, initially supplied bythe wholesaler Aaron Montgomery Ward. Poor fiscal management, combinedwith organizational difficulties resulting from rapid growth, led to a massivedecline in membership. By the turn of the 20th century, the Grange reboundedand membership stabilized.

The Granger movement succeeded in regulating the railroads and grainwarehouses. The births of the Cooperative Extension Service, Rural FreeDelivery, and the Farm Credit System were due largely to Grange lobbying.The peak of their political power was marked by their success in Munn v.Illinois (1877), which held that the grain warehouses were a "private utility inthe public interest", and therefore could be regulated by public law. Howeverthis achievement was overturned later by the Supreme Court in Wabash v.Illinois (1886).

Other significant Grange causes included temperance, the direct election ofSenators and women's suffrage. (Susan B. Anthony's last public appearancewas at the National Grange Convention in 1903.) [3] During the Progressive

Era of the 1890s to the 1920s political parties took up Grange causes. As a consequence, local Granges focused moreon community service, although the State and National Granges remain a political force.

In the 20th and 21st centuries, the position of the Grange as a respected organization in the United States wasindicated by a membership that included Presidents Franklin D. Roosevelt and Harry S. Truman, artist NormanRockwell, businessman Frederick Hinde Zimmerman, and Nirvana bassist Krist Novoselic. The monument to thefounding of the Grange is the only private monument on the National Mall in Washington, D.C.[4]

Grange membership has declined considerably as the percentage of American farmers has fallen from a third of thepopulation in the early 20th century to less than two percent today. In the last 15 years, the number of Grangemembers has dropped by 40%. The State of Washington has the largest membership of any state, at approximately13,000.[citation needed]

The Grange today

Union Grange Hall in Slatersville, Rhode Island,now a community center

As of 2013[5] the Grange continues to press for the causes of farmers,including issues of free trade and farm policy. In its 2006 Journal ofProceedings, the organization's report on its annual convention, theorganization lays out its mission and how it works towards achieving itthrough fellowship, service, and legislation:

"The Grange provides opportunities for individuals andfamilies to develop to their highest potential in order tobuild stronger communities and states, as well as astronger nation."

As a non-partisan organization, the Grange supports only policies,never political parties or candidates. Although the Grange wasoriginally founded to serve the interests of farmers, because of theshrinking farm population the Grange has begun to broaden its range toinclude a wide variety of issues, and anyone is welcome to join theGrange.

The National Grange of the Order of Patrons of Husbandry 3

The Junior grange is open to children 5-14. Regular Grange membership is open to anyone age 14 or older. TheGrange Youth, a group within the Grange, consists of members 14-35.In 2013, the Grange signed on to a letter to Congress calling for the doubling of legal immigration and legalizationfor illegal immigrants currently in the United States.[6]

Rituals and ceremonies

Grange in session, 1873

When the Grange first began in 1867, it borrowedsome of its rituals and symbols from Freemasonry,including secret meetings, oaths and specialpasswords. It also copied ideas from Greek andRoman mythology and the Bible. Small, ceremonialfarm tools are often displayed at Grange meetings.Elected officers are in charge of opening and closingeach meeting. There are seven degrees of Grangemembership; the ceremony of each degree relates tothe seasons and various symbols and principles.

During the last few decades, the Grange has movedtoward public meetings and no longer meets insecret. Though the secret meetings do not occur, theGrange still acknowledges its rich history andpractices some traditions.[citation needed]

Organization

The Grange is a hierarchical organization rangingfrom local communities to the National Grangeorganization. At the local level are community Granges, otherwise known as "subordinate Granges". All membersare affiliated with at least one subordinate. In most states, multiple subordinate Granges are grouped together to form"Pomona Granges". Typically, Pomona Granges are made up of all the subordinates in a county. Next in the ordercome State Granges, which is where the Grange begins to be especially active in the political process. State Masters(Presidents) are responsible for supervising the administration of Subordinate and Pomona Granges. Together,thirty-five State Granges, as well as Potomac Grange #1 in Washington, D.C., form the National Grange. TheNational Grange represents the interests of most Grangers in lobbying activities similar to the state, but on a muchlarger scale. In addition, the National Grange oversees the Grange ritual. The Grange is a grassroots organization;virtually all policy originates at the subordinate level.

The motto of the Grange is: "In essentials, unity; in non-essentials, liberty; in all things, charity." Indeed, the word"grange" itself comes from a Latin word for grain, and is related to a "granary" or, generically, a farm.

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References[1] William D. Barnes, "Oliver Hudson Kelley and the Genesis of the Grange: A Reappraisal," Agricultural History (1967) 41:229242[2] D. Sven. Nordin, Rich Harvest: A History of the Grange, 18671900 (1974) ch 1[3] Washington State Grange (official site) (http:/ / www. wa-grange. org/ )[4] The National Grange of the Order of Patrons of Husbandry (http:/ / www. nationalgrange. org/ about/ history. html)[5] http:/ / en. wikipedia. org/ w/ index. php?title=The_National_Grange_of_the_Order_of_Patrons_of_Husbandry& action=edit[6] Letter to Congress, "Welcome Back Congress: More than 450 Business Groups Stand United: Enact Immigration Reform NOW," available

at: http:/ / images. cesweb. org/ edm/ 2013/ im/ cea_immigration. pdf See also, Julia Preston, "Business Leaders Tell Lawmakers Not toForget About Immigration," New York Times, Sept. 10, 2013. Available at: http:/ / thecaucus. blogs. nytimes. com/ 2013/ 09/ 10/business-leaders-tell-lawmakers-not-to-forget-about-immigration/

Further reading Atkeson, Thomas Clark. Semi-centennial history of the Patrons of husbandry (1916) 364pp full text online (http:/

/ books. google. com/ books?id=ocJHAAAAIAAJ) Barnes, William D. "Oliver Hudson Kelley and the Genesis of the Grange: A Reappraisal," Agricultural History,

Vol. 41, No. 3 (Jul., 1967), pp.229242 in JSTOR (http:/ / www. jstor. org/ stable/ 3740337) Buck, Solon Justus. The Granger movement: A Study of Agricultural Organization and its Political, Economic,

and Social Manifestations, 1870-1880 (1913) 384pp; full text online (http:/ / books. google. com/books?id=HRJgAAAAIAAJ& dq=intitle:granger+ inauthor:buck& lr=& as_drrb_is=q& as_minm_is=0&as_miny_is=& as_maxm_is=0& as_maxy_is=& num=30& as_brr=0); excellent older history (newer is Nordin(1974)

Ferguson, James S. "The Grange and Farmer Education in Mississippi," Journal of Southern History, Vol. 8, No.4 (Nov., 1942), pp.497512 in JSTOR (http:/ / www. jstor. org/ stable/ 2192091)

Gardner, Charles M. The Grange: Friend of the Farmer (1949) 531pp. Hirsch, Arthur H. "Efforts of the Grange in the Middle West to Control the Price of Farm Machinery,

1870-1880," Mississippi Valley Historical Review, Vol. 15, No. 4 (Mar., 1929), pp.473496 in JSTOR (http:/ /www. jstor. org/ stable/ 1897882)

Howard, David H. People, Pride, and Progress: 125 Years of the Grange in America (1992) 335pp. Lownsbrough, John. The Privileged Few. The Grange and its People in Nineteenth Century Ontario (1980) Marti, Donald B. Women of the Grange: Mutuality and Sisterhood in Rural America, 1866-1920 (1991) Nordin, D. Sven. Rich Harvest: A History of the Grange, 18671900 (1974), 273pp excerpt and text search (http:/

/ www. amazon. com/ dp/ 193411006X/ ) Saloutos, Theodore. "The Grange in the South, 1870-1877," Journal of Southern History, Vol. 19, No. 4 (Nov.,

1953), pp.473487 in JSTOR (http:/ / www. jstor. org/ stable/ 2955088) Schneiberg, Marc et al. "Social Movements and Organizational Form: Cooperative Alternatives to Corporations

in the American Insurance, Dairy, and Grain Industries," American Sociological Review 2008 73(4): 635-667,theoretical essay

Schell, Herbert S. "The Grange and the Credit Problem in Dakota Territory," Agricultural History, Vol. 10, No. 2(Apr., 1936), pp.5983 in JSTOR (http:/ / www. jstor. org/ stable/ 3739476)

Tontz, Robert L. "Memberships of General Farmers' Organizations, United States, 1874-1960," AgriculturalHistory, Vol. 38, No. 3 (Jul., 1964), pp.143156 in JSTOR (http:/ / www. jstor. org/ stable/ 3740434) statisticaltables showing membership in the Grange and other farm organizations by date and state and region

Woods, Thomas A. ''Knights of the Plow: Oliver H. Kelley and the Origins of the Grange in Republican Ideology(2002)

The National Grange of the Order of Patrons of Husbandry 5

Primary sources Goss, Albert S. "Legislative Program of the National Grange," Journal of Farm Economics, Vol. 29, No. 1,

Proceedings Number (Feb., 1947), pp.5263 by Grange leader (http:/ / www. jstor. org/ stable/ 1232934) Kelley, Oliver Hudson. Origin and progress of the order of the Patrons of Husbandry in the United States (1875)

441pp full text online (http:/ / books. google. com/ books?id=gd9nAAAAMAAJ) full texts of primary sources on Grange (http:/ / books. google. com/ books?as_q=& num=30& lr=& as_brr=0&

btnG=Google+ Search& as_epq=& as_oq=& as_eq=& as_brr=3& as_pt=ALLTYPES& lr=& as_vt=Patrons+ of+Husbandry& as_auth=& as_pub=& as_sub=& as_drrb_is=q& as_minm_is=0& as_miny_is=& as_maxm_is=0&as_maxy_is=& as_isbn=& as_issn=)

External links Official Website of the National Grange of the Order of Patrons of Husbandry (http:/ / www. nationalgrange. org) "A Short History of the Order of Patrons of Husbandry, also known as the National Grange," by Charles P.

Gilliam (http:/ / www. webcitation. org/ query?url=http:/ / www. geocities. com/ cannongrange/cannon_nationalhistory. html& date=2009-10-25+ 16:52:46)

Background, History, Ritual and Emblems of the Grange (http:/ / mill-valley. freemasonry. biz/marin-fraternities-02. htm#Patrons of Husbandry)

Encyclopedia of Arkansas History & Culture (http:/ / encyclopediaofarkansas. net/ encyclopedia/ entry-detail.aspx?entryID=4716)

Texts on Wikisource: "Husbandry, Patrons of". Collier's New Encyclopedia. 1921. "Grangers". Encyclopedia Americana. 1920.

"Grange". New International Encyclopedia. 1905.

Article Sources and Contributors 6

Article Sources and ContributorsThe National Grange of the Order of Patrons of Husbandry Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?oldid=599287929 Contributors: Athaenara, Badagnani, Beland, Bellerophon5685,Billy Hathorn, Blanchardb, BluntFOG, Bnoliver, Bob Burkhardt, Boccobrock, Brian8710, Can't sleep, clown will eat me, Candlemb, Carrite, Clariosophic, Colonies Chris, Communicationsgrange, Compuandy, Daemonic Kangaroo, DandyDan2007, DavidLevinson, Doncram, Dude1818, ESkog, Eeksypeeksy, Elakhna, Electric Wombat, Felix Folio Secundus, Flcelloguy, GaiusCornelius, GearedBull, Ginsuloft, Gomm, Goodoldpolonius2, Grand51paul, Greudin, Griffles, Ground Zero, HJMG, HKT, Henrygb, Hermitage1986, Historymike, Hmains, Howcheng, Husond,Hydrargyrum, Hyperzonk, IP.303, JMfor2001, JPMcGrath, Jacqui rose, Jengod, Jma2120, Jmabel, Johnteslade, KAM, Kate, Kevinazite, Kumioko (renamed), LanceBarber, LaurentianShield,Lawman4312, LeeUSA, Legalboxerbriefs, LilHelpa, LorenzoB, Macworld man, Mandarax, MelbourneStar, Mhockey, N5iln, Napsterxx3xa, Nationalgrange, Neepneep8280, Neutrality,NewEnglandDr, Ninly, Nyttend, PAR, PBS-AWB, Paul A, PeterEastern, Philip Trueman, Pm356, Polyparadigm, Proofreader77, Reconsideration, Rjensen, Rmhermen, Robert K S, Robertgreer,Scythia, Sdornan, Sfan00 IMG, Solnedgangman, Surv1v4l1st, Swampyank, TedMiles, The Anome, Tomer T, Trialsanderrors, Trivialist, Uncle Milty, Updatehelper, Valfontis, Wetman, World,125 anonymous edits

Image Sources, Licenses and ContributorsFile:grange.jpg Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=File:Grange.jpg License: Public Domain Contributors: Original uploader was Jengod at en.wikipediaFile:Gift for the grangers ppmsca02956u.jpg Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=File:Gift_for_the_grangers_ppmsca02956u.jpg License: Public Domain Contributors:Churchh, Closeapple, Julia W, Trialsanderrors, Wolfmann, WstFile:Stamp-national grange.jpg Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=File:Stamp-national_grange.jpg License: Public Domain Contributors: United States Post Office DepartmentImage:Slatersville Grange.jpg Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=File:Slatersville_Grange.jpg License: Public Domain Contributors: SwampyankFile:Grange1873.jpg Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=File:Grange1873.jpg License: Public Domain Contributors: J. Hale Powers 1873file:Wikisource-logo.svg Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=File:Wikisource-logo.svg License: logo Contributors: Guillom, INeverCry, Jarekt, Leyo, MichaelMaggs, NielsF,Rei-artur, Rocket000

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