Odd Fellows minute book of Hopewell Lodge, No. 504, 1854-1880

Item

Identifier: A2013-025-001

Scope and Contents

This minute book includes awarding of degrees, initiations, committee reports, election of officers, expulsions, purchase of lodge supplies, hall rentals, and effects of Civil War on membership.

Dates

Creation: 1854-1880

Creator

Independent Order of Odd Fellows. Hopewell Lodge, No. 504 (Pa.) (Organization)

Conditions Governing Access

This collection is open for research.

Conditions Governing Use

Materials in this collection may be governed by copyright. It is the responsibility of the researcher to identify and satisfy the holders of all copyrights. Please contact the Archivist regarding permission to publish material.

Biographical / Historical

Many Odd Fellows lodges went dark, or became inactive, during the American Civil War (1861-1865) and the Reconstruction Era (1863-1877). Hopewell Lodge No. 504, meeting in West Middletown and Claysville, and located in Washington county in western Pennsylvania, is a good example of this. During 1854-1858, the Hopewell Lodge No. 504 accepted applications for many members each meeting and held initiations. Then there is are large gap in the minutes for this lodge from May 17, 1862 to April 22,1872.

On April 22, 1872, the minutes resumed and record that there was a joint meeting between the Grand Lodge of IOOF and Hopewell Lodge No. 504 during which the petition to restore the charter was accepted and the lodge reopened. The lodge elected new officers including Thomas A. Bartilson (1816-1906) as Noble Grand. Other officers included: P. A. McReath (Vice Grand), Thomas Irvin (Secretary), Allison DeFrance (Financial Secretary), and David McCune (Treasurer).