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The National Grange of the Order of Patrons of Husbandry
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The National Grange of the Order of Patrons of
Husbandry
Grange Hall redirects here. For other
uses including individual Grange Hall
buildings,
see
The
Grange
(disambiguation)
The Grange, officially referred to as The
National Grange of the Order of Patrons
of Husbandry, is a fraternal organization in
the United States which encourages families
to band together to promote the economic
and political well-being of the community
and agriculture. The Grange, founded after
the Civil War in 1867, is the United State's
Grange Hall in Maine, circa 1910
oldest agricultural advocacy group of
national scope. Major accomplishments
credited to Grange advocacy include passage of the Granger Laws and the establishment of rural free mail delivery.
In 2005, the Grange had a membership of 300,000, with organizations in 3,600 communities in 37 states. It is
headquartered in Washington, D.C., in a building built by the organization in 1960. Many rural communities in the
United States still have a Grange Hall and local Granges still serve as a center of rural life for many farming
communities.
History
President Andrew Johnson commissioned Oliver Kelley to go to the
Southern States and to collect data to improve Southern agricultural
conditions. In the South, poor farmers bore the brunt of the civil war
and were suspicious of northerners like Kelley. Kelley found he was
able to overcome these sectional differences as a Mason. With southern
Masons as guides, he toured the war-torn countryside in the south and
was appalled by the outdated farming practices. He saw the need for an
organization that would bring people from the north and south together
in a spirit of mutual cooperation and after many letters and
consultations with the other founders, the Grange was born. The first
Grange was Potomac Grange #1 in Washington, D.C., still extant as of
2011.
Originally, seven men were credited with co-founding the Grange:
Oliver Hudson Kelley, William Saunders, Francis M. McDowell, John
Trimble, Aaron B. Grosh, John R. Thompson, and William M. Ireland.
Caroline Hall was later credited as the eighth founder of the Grange .
Promotional poster offering a "gift for the
grangers", ca. 1873.
Deputies were sent into communities to organize local Granges and membership in the Grange increased
dramatically from 1873 (200,000) to 1875 (858,050) as many of the state and local granges adopted non-partisan
political resolutions, especially regarding the regulation of railroad transportation costs. The organization was
The National Grange of the Order of Patrons of Husbandry
unusual at this time because women and any teen old enough to draw a plow were encouraged to participate. The
importance of women was reinforced by requiring that four of the elected positions could only be held by women.
Rapid growth infused the national organization with money from dues, and
many local granges established consumer cooperatives, initially supplied by
the wholesaler Aaron Montgomery Ward. Poor fiscal management, combined
with organizational difficulties resulting from rapid growth, led to a massive
decline in membership. By the turn of the 20th century, the Grange rebounded
and membership stabilized.
The Granger movement succeeded in regulating the railroads and grain
warehouses. The birth of the Cooperative Extension Service, Rural Free
Delivery, and the Farm Credit System were largely due to Grange lobbying.
The peak of their political power was marked by their success in Munn v.
Illinois, which held that the grain warehouses were a "private utility in the
public interest", and therefore could be regulated by public law. However this
achievement was overturned later by the Supreme Court in Wabash v. Illinois.
Other significant Grange causes included temperance, the direct election of
Senators and women's suffrage (Susan B. Anthony's last public appearance
was at the National Grange Convention in 1903 [1]). During the Progressive
Era of the 1890s to the 1920s political parties took up Grange causes.
Consequently, local Granges focused more on community service, although the State and National Granges remain a
political force.
1967 U.S. postage stamp honoring the
National Grange
In the 20th and 21st centuries, the position of the Grange as a respected organization in the United States was
indicated by a membership that included Presidents Franklin D. Roosevelt and Harry S. Truman, as well as artist
Norman Rockwell and Nirvana bassist Krist Novoselic.[1] The monument to the founding of the Grange is the only
private monument on the National Mall in Washington, D.C.[2]
Grange membership has declined considerably as the percentage of American farmers has fallen from a third of the
population in the early 20th century to less than two percent today. In the last 15 years, the number of Grange
members has dropped by 40%.[3] Washington has the largest membership of any state, at approximately 40,000.
The Grange today
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The National Grange of the Order of Patrons of Husbandry
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The Grange continues to press for the causes of farmers, including
issues of free trade and farm policy. In its 2006 Journal of Proceedings,
the organization's report of its annual convention, the organization lays
out its mission and how it works towards achieving it through
fellowship, service, and legislation:
"The Grange provides opportunities for individuals and families to
develop to their highest potential in order to build stronger
communities and states, as well as a stronger nation."
The Grange is nonpartisan, and only supports policies, never political
parties or candidates. Although the Grange was originally founded to
serve the interests of farmers, because of the shrinking farm population
the Grange has begun to broaden its range to include a wide variety of
issues, and anyone is welcome to join the Grange.
The Junior grange is open to children 5-14. Regular Grange
membership is open to anyone age 14 or older. The Grange Youth is a
group created within the Grange and consists of members 14-35.
Union Grange Hall in Slatersville, Rhode Island,
now a community center
Rituals and ceremonies
When the Grange first began in 1867, it borrowed
some of its rituals and symbols from Freemasonry,
including secret meetings, oaths and special
passwords. Small, ceremonial farm tools are often
displayed at Grange meetings. Elected officers are in
charge of opening and closing each meeting. There
are seven degrees of Grange membership; the
ceremony of each degree relates to the seasons and
various symbols and principles.
During the last few decades, the Grange has moved
towards public meetings and no longer meets in
secret. Though the secret meetings do not occur, the
Grange still acknowledges its rich history and
practices some traditions.
Organization
The Grange is a hierarchical organization ranging
from local communities to the National Grange
Grange in session, 1873
organization. At the local level are community
Granges, otherwise known as "subordinate Granges". All members are 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 order come 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-six State Granges, as well as
Potomac Grange #1 in Washington, D.C., form the National Grange. The National Grange represents the interests of
The National Grange of the Order of Patrons of Husbandry
all Grangers in lobbying activities similar to the state, but on a much larger 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.
References
[1] Washington State Grange (official site) (http:/ / www. wa-grange. org/ )
[2] The National Grange of the Order of Patrons of Husbandry (http:/ / www. nationalgrange. org/ about/ history. html)
[3] Krishnan, Sonia (2007-07-29). "Beyond Potlucks" (http:/ / seattletimes. nwsource. com/ cgi-bin/ PrintStory. pl?document_id=2003802221&
slug=pacificpgrange29& date=20070729). The Seattle Times. . "In the past 15 years, Grange membership has fallen nearly 40 percent to
240,000 people. These days, fewer than 2 percent of Americans farm."
• Kelley, Oliver (1875). Origin and progress of the Order of the Patrons of Husbandry in the United States : a
history from 1866 to 1873 (http://archive.org/details/cu31924073975645). Philadelphia, Pa. : J.A. Wagenseller.
Retrieved 6 July 2005.
• "The Granger Movement" (http://www.infoplease.com/ce6/history/A0821549.html). InfoPlease
Encyclopedia. Retrieved 2005-02-28.
• "Munn v. Illinois" (http://www.infoplease.com/ce6/history/A0834444.html). InfoPlease Encyclopedia.
Retrieved 2005-02-28.
• "Munn v. State of Illinois, 94 U.S. 113 (1876)" (http://caselaw.lp.findlaw.com/cgi-bin/getcase.pl?court=us&
vol=94&invol=113). U.S. Supreme Court Case Law at FindLaw.com. Retrieved 2005-02-28.
Bibliography
• Atkeson, Thomas Clark. Semi-centennial history of the Patrons of husbandry (1916) 364pp full text online (http:/
/books.google.com/books?id=ocJHAAAAIAAJ&dq=intitle:Patrons+intitle:of+intitle:Husbandry&lr=&
as_drrb_is=q&as_minm_is=0&as_miny_is=&as_maxm_is=0&as_maxy_is=&num=30&as_brr=3)
• Goss, Albert S. "Legislative Program of the National Grange," Journal of Farm Economics, Vol. 29, No. 1,
Proceedings Number (Feb., 1947), pp. 52–63 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&dq=intitle:Patrons+intitle:of+
intitle:Husbandry&lr=&as_drrb_is=q&as_minm_is=0&as_miny_is=&as_maxm_is=0&as_maxy_is=&
num=30&as_brr=3)
• 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=)
Further reading
• Barnes, William D. "Oliver Hudson Kelley and the Genesis of the Grange: A Reappraisal," Agricultural History,
Vol. 41, No. 3 (Jul., 1967), pp. 229–242 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. 497–512 in JSTOR (http://www.jstor.org/stable/2192091)
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The National Grange of the Order of Patrons of Husbandry
• 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. 473–496 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, 1867–1900 (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. 473–487 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. 59–83 in JSTOR (http://www.jstor.org/stable/3739476)
• Tontz, Robert L. "Memberships of General Farmers' Organizations, United States, 1874-1960," Agricultural
History, Vol. 38, No. 3 (Jul., 1964), pp. 143–156 in JSTOR (http://www.jstor.org/stable/3740434) statistical
tables 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)
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)
• Seattle Times article on the shrinking of the Grange (http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/cgi-bin/PrintStory.
pl?document_id=2003802221&slug=pacificpgrange29&date=20070729)
• Encyclopedia of Arkansas History & Culture (http://encyclopediaofarkansas.net/encyclopedia/entry-detail.
aspx?entryID=4716)
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The National Grange of the Order of Patrons of Husbandry Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?oldid=520461343 Contributors: Badagnani, Beland, Billy Hathorn, Blanchardb,
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(renamed), LanceBarber, LeeUSA, Legalboxerbriefs, LilHelpa, LorenzoB, Macworld man, Mandarax, Mhockey, N5iln, Nationalgrange, Neutrality, Ninly, Nyttend, PAR, Paul A, PeterEastern,
Philip Trueman, Pm356, Polyparadigm, Proofreader77, Reconsideration, Rjensen, Rmhermen, Robert K S, Robertgreer, Scythia, Sdornan, Sfan00 IMG, Solnedgangman, Surv1v4l1st,
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Image Sources, Licenses and Contributors
File:grange.jpg Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=File:Grange.jpg License: Public Domain Contributors: Original uploader was Jengod at en.wikipedia
File: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:
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File:Stamp-national grange.jpg Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=File:Stamp-national_grange.jpg License: Public Domain Contributors: User:Greudin
Image:Slatersville Grange.jpg Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=File:Slatersville_Grange.jpg License: Public Domain Contributors: Swampyank
File:Grange1873.jpg Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=File:Grange1873.jpg License: Public Domain Contributors: J. Hale Powers 1873
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