The Ancient and Honorable Order of E Clampus Vitus (ECV) is a fraternal organization dedicated to the study and preservation of Western Heritage, in particular the history of the Mother Lode and gold mining regions of the area. There are chapters in California, Nevada and other Western states. Members call themselves "Clampers." The organization's name is in Dog Latin, and has no known meaning; even the spelling is disputed, sometimes appearing as "Clampusus"^{[citation needed]}, "Clampsus", or "Clampsis". The motto of the Order, Credo Quia Absurdum, is generally understood as meaning "I believe it because it is absurd."; the proper Latin quotation Credo quia absurdum est, is from the Christian apologist Tertullian (140-230), who rejected rationalism and accepted a Gospel which addressed itself to the "non-rational levels of perception." Mother Lode is a term associated with the mining of gold. ... Gold mining consists of the processes and techniques employed in the removal of gold from the ground. ... there is a jungle in nevada by the park This article is about the U. S. state of Nevada. ... The phrase Dog Latin refers to the creation of a phrase or jargon in imitation of Latin, often by directly translating English words (or those of other European languages) into Latin without conjugation or declension. ... A motto (from Italian) is a phrase or a short list of words meant formally to describe the general motivation or intention of an entity, social group, or organization. ... Credo quia absurdum is a Latin phrase of uncertain origin. ... Quintus Septimius Florens Tertullianus, anglicized as Tertullian, (ca. ...

History

The history of the organization is steeped in mythology. It is said that the organization was created in 1845 in Lewisport Virginia, now West Union, Virginia, when tavern and stable owner Ephraim Bee was given a commission from the Emperor of China to "extend the work and influence of the Ancient and Honorable Order of E Clampus Vitus." 1845 was a common year starting on Wednesday (see link for calendar). ... Ephraim Bee (December 26, 1802–October 23, 1888) was an American pioneer, blacksmith, and inn-keeper from Doddridge County, West Virginia. ... For the volcano in Indonesia, see Emperor of China (volcano). ...

Bee claimed to have received his commission from Caleb Cushing, the American minister to China. West Union has a monument to Ephraim Bee on the site of the old "Beehive" Tavern, where the RailTrail comes through. The original tavern, the 'Bee Hive', was destroyed in the late 1800s during a flood.

Ephraim Bee played his greatest joke on his local West Virginian neighbors. Occasionally, the entire town was invited to a great party. After the Civil War, it was discovered that a nearby cave was a holding area for the Underground Railroad. When the cave was full, E. Bee gave a party to keep all busy while that group of people were moved further north to the next stop.

Bee felt that an organization was needed which was less exclusive than the other organizations of the day, such as the Masons, Elks and Odd Fellows. In addition, nativism was rising in the United States, as evidenced by such political organizations as the Know-Nothing Party. Bee opened membership in ECV to any "upstanding" man who had come of age. It is known that there were E Clampus Vitus chapters in Bedford, Pennsylvania; Metropolis, Illinois; Bowling Green, Missouri; and Dahlonega, Georgia. (It has been rumored that ECV brethren within the U.S. Army even attempted to bring the order as far south as Mexico City following the Mexican-American War as a gesture of brotherhood and reconciliation, but all record has vanished of the well-intentioned Chapultepec chapter.) The Masonic Square and Compasses. ... Benevolent and Protective Order of Elks The Benevolent and Protective Order of Elks had modest beginnings in 1868 as a drinking club (then called the Jolly Corks) established as a private club to elude New York City laws governing the opening hours of public taverns. ... The I.O.O.F. Hall at the corner of Yonge and College in Toronto, Ontario The Independent Order of Odd Fellows (I.O.O.F.) is a fraternal organization derived from English Oddfellows orders of the mid-1700s. ... The factual accuracy of this article is disputed. ... The Know-Nothing movement was a nativist American political movement of the 1850s. ... Bedford is a borough located in Bedford County, Pennsylvania. ... Statue of Superman in the town square The sign outside the Superman Museum Metropolis is a city located in Massac County, Illinois, along the Ohio River. ... Bowling Green is a city located in Pike County, Missouri. ... Historic Lumpkin County Courthouse, which now houses the Dahlonega Gold Museum Historic Site Dahlonega is a town in Lumpkin County, Georgia, USA, and is its county seatGR6. ... Nickname: Location of Mexico City in central Mexico Coordinates: Country Mexico Federal entity Federal District Boroughs The 16 delegaciones Founded (as Tenochtitlan) c. ... Combatants United States Mexico Commanders Zachary Taylor Winfield Scott Stephen W. Kearney Antonio López de Santa Anna Mariano Arista Pedro de Ampudia José Mariá Flores Strength 78,790 soldiers 18,000–40,000 soldiers Casualties KIA: 1733 Total dead: 13,271 Wounded: 4,152 25,000 killed or wounded... Chapultepec Park with Polanco at the right, as seen from Torre Mayor observation deck. ...

The organization is said to have been taken to California by an ECV member named Joe Zumwalt, who first heard of it in Missouri. Zumwalt opened an ECV lodge in Mokelumne Hill in 1851, when Mokelumne Hill Lodge No. 1001 was established. There are arguments that previous lodges had been founded in Hangtown, Downieville and Sierra City, but none of those became permanent. Official language(s) English Capital Jefferson City Largest city Kansas City Largest metro area St Louis Metro[1] Area  Ranked 21st  - Total 69,709 sq mi (180,693 km²)  - Width 240 miles (385 km)  - Length 300 miles (480 km)  - % water 1. ... Mokelumne Hill is a census-designated place located in Calaveras County, California. ... 1851 (MDCCCLI) was a common year starting on Wednesday (see link for calendar) of the Gregorian calendar (or a common year starting on Friday of the 12-day-slower Julian calendar). ... Placerville is the county seat of El Dorado County, California. ... Downieville is the county seat of Sierra County, California. ...

As more of the "established" organizations such as the Masons came to the mining country, they looked down upon the more rowdy nature of E Clampus Vitus. ECV, in making fun of the sashes and ceremonial attire of the "upscale" fraternities, began dressing in red long johns and pinning on badges made of cut-out tin can lids. This practice, called "wearing your tin," continues to this day, although the badges are more professionally-made, and members usually dress in a red miner’s shirt, black hat and Levi’s jeans. ECV titles reflected the tongue-in-cheek nature of the organization. Officials were called "Noble Grand Humbug," "Roisterous Iscutis," "Grand Imperturbable Hangman," "Clamps Vitrix," and "Royal Gyascutis." All members are officers and all officers, the organization professes, are of equal indignity. Long underwear usually refers to a style of two-piece underwear with long arms and long legs that is worn during cold weather. ... Alternative meaning: Claude L vi-Strauss, the French anthropologist. ... Blue Jeans Jeans are pants traditionally made from denim, but may also be made from a variety of fabrics including corduroy. ...

Clamper meetings were held in the Hall of Comparative Ovations, generally the back room of a saloon. Some chapters even built their own Halls of Comparative Ovations. One still stands in Murphys. The Clamper flag was a hoop skirt, with the words "This is the flag we fight under." Meetings were held "at any time before or after a full moon." New members were called "Poor Blind Candidates." They were required to present a poke of gold dust, although the value of the poke was left to the discretion of the brotherhood, and was frequently waived entirely if the prospective member could not afford it. Murphys is a census-designated place located in Calaveras County, California. ... General Name, Symbol, Number gold, Au, 79 Chemical series transition metals Group, Period, Block 11, 6, d Appearance metallic yellow Atomic mass 196. ...

Despite the humor and rowdiness of E Clampus Vitus, the members do take their brotherhood seriously. When a member became sick or injured, the group would collect food or money to help him out. They frequently trekked through the vastness of the Sierra Nevada to reach lonely miners who otherwise would have had no Christmas celebration. The society was also careful to help out the widows and orphans of fallen members. Especially the Widders. This article is about the mountain range in the Western United States. ...

At the ECV's peak, around 1870, so many miners were members, that many mining camps shut down during ECV celebrations (some mining towns even had two chapters). At one point, Lord Sholto Douglas, a Great Britain peer, leading a troupe of actors in Marysville, was so downheartened by the lack of ticket sales that he had determined to leave town. When a local Clamper found out that the troupe was having trouble, Lord Sholto was immediately initiated into ECV, and the brothers bought enough tickets to fill the local theater. A 20th century chapter of the ECV was named for Lord Sholto Douglas LSD in honor of this event. Mark Twain was a member, and it was while attending an ECV meeting that he heard the story which he wrote as The Celebrated Jumping Frog of Calaveras County. 1870 (MDCCCLXX) was a common year starting on Saturday (link will display the full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar (or a common year starting on Monday of the 12-day slower Julian calendar). ... Air Marshal William Sholto Douglas (1893 - 1969) was educated at Tonbridge and Oxford. ... Marysville is the home of many great people namely Courtney Weaver county seat of Yuba County, California, USA. The population was 12,268 at the 2000 census. ... A clamper is an electric circuit that prevents a signal from exceeding a certain defined magnitude. ... Lysergic acid diethylamide, commonly called LSD, LSD-25, or acid. ... Samuel Langhorne Clemens (November 30, 1835 — April 21, 1910),[1] better known by the pen name Mark Twain, was an American humorist, satirist, writer, and lecturer. ... The Front page of booklet for The Celebrated Jumping Frog of Calaveras County... Can A CON CON a CON? The Celebrated Jumping Frog of Calaveras County is an 1867 short story by Mark Twain. ...

Members of note included Adam the first "Clampatriarch", Philip D. Armour, the meat packer; John Mohler Studebaker, the automobile manufacturer, and John Hume, a California state assemblyman. ECV also claims Ulysses S. Grant, J. Pierpont Morgan, Horace Greeley and Horatio Alger as members, but claims have also been made to Solomon, Julius Caesar and Augustus Caesar, Henry VIII of England, Sir Francis Drake, George Washington, Andrew Jackson, Hugh Jardon, and, of course, His Imperial Majesty Joshua A. Norton, "Emperor of these United States and Protector of Mexico". Hail Norton! These fanciful claims show ECV's propensity for not taking much of anything particularly seriously — least of all itself. Michelangelos The Creation of Adam, a fresco on the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel, shows God creating Adam, with Eve in His arm. ... Philip Danforth Armour (1832-1901) was born in Stockbridge, New York, of Scottish descent. ... John Mohler Studebaker (1833-1917) was the American co-founder and later executive of what would become the Studebaker Corporation automobile company. ... Joshua Abraham Norton ( 1819[2] – January 8, 1880), also known as His Imperial Majesty Emperor Norton I, was a celebrated citizen of San Francisco, California who, in 1859, proclaimed himself Emperor of these United States[3] and later Protector of Mexico.[4] Born of Jewish origin in London, England, Norton... ECV may refer to: E Clampus Vitus, an organization dedicated to the history of California Ecuato Guineana, an airline with the ICAO Code ECV ECV (computer virus), a computer virus, Effective circulating volume, a medical term End cystolic volume, a medical term Lancia ECV, a rally car Unidad de Valor...

There is evidence to support the ECV claim to Ulysses S. Grant. One of the early capitols of California was Francesca/Benicia. At the close of the War with Mexico, Lt. William Tecumseh Sherman was Adjutant to Col. Richard Barnes Mason at the time of the gold discovery at Sutter's Mill. Upon Sherman's retirement in 1853, his replacement at the Benicia Arsenal was Lt. Ulysses S, Grant who spent 30 days in the Arsenal Guardhouse for being drunk on duty and firing his cannons at the Martinez shoreline. Considering Benicia's position as the major inland Army post and transport hub to the valley, both Grant's & the Brotherhood's affinity for strong drink and the early spread of the Brotherhood through Northern California, it is entirely possible that Grant was inducted into the Organization.

Reestablishment

As the mining industry faded towards the end of the 19th century, ECV started to fade as well. It was revitalized in 1931 by San Francisco historian Carl Wheat and his friends G. Ezra Dane and Leon O. Whitsell. They were contacted by one of the last surviving members of the original ECV, who passed on all that he could remember of the organization's rites and legends. The three founded a new chapter, Yerba Buena Number 1, or the "Capitulus Redivivus." Wheat described E Clampus Vitus as "the comic strip on the page of California history." Alternative meaning: Nineteenth Century (periodical) (18th century — 19th century — 20th century — more centuries) As a means of recording the passage of time, the 19th century was that century which lasted from 1801-1900 in the sense of the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1931 (MCMXXXI) was a common year starting on Thursday (link will display full 1931 calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... This page is a candidate for speedy deletion. ... An historian is someone who writes history, a written accounting of the past. ... This article is about the comic strip, the sequential art form as published in newspapers and on the Internet. ...

New chapters sprung up in Los Angeles (Platrix Chapter #2) and other major cities in California, and were numbered sequentially. However, once Lodge 10 was established in 1936, members pointed out that it was illogical for such a rowdy organization to be so neat in its numbering scheme, and so some creativity was developed in the numbering. The "Pair-o-Dice" chapter in Paradise, for example, is Lodge No. 7-11. The de la Guerra y Pacheco chapter, halfway between Lodge Number 1 in San Francisco and Lodge Number 2 in Los Angeles, is Lodge Number 1.5. There were chapters in British Columbia and Hawaii, but they no longer exist. Flag Seal Nickname: City of Angels Location Location within Los Angeles County in the state of California Coordinates , Government State County California Los Angeles County Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa (D) Geographical characteristics Area     City 1,290. ... 1936 (MCMXXXVI) was a leap year starting on Wednesday (link will take you to calendar). ... Paradise is a city located in Butte County, in the north of Californias Central Valley, some 15 miles (24 km) northeast of Chico and 100 miles (160 km) north of Sacramento. ... Motto: Splendor Sine Occasu (Latin: Splendour without diminishment) Capital Victoria Largest city Vancouver Official languages English Government - Lieutenant-Governor Iona Campagnolo - Premier Gordon Campbell (BC Liberal) Federal representation in Canadian Parliament - House seats 36 - Senate seats 6 Confederation July 20, 1871 (6th province) Area Ranked 4th - Total 944,735 km... Official language(s) English, Hawaiian Capital Honolulu Largest city Honolulu Area  Ranked 43rd  - Total 10,931 sq mi (29,311 km²)  - Width n/a miles (n/a km)  - Length 1,522 miles (2,450 km)  - % water 41. ...

In 1937, a plaque appeared in Northern California purporting to have been made by Sir Francis Drake during his voyage of discovery in which it was stated that he had claimed all of California for England, and that he had the authority of the claim by having been ceded the land by the local Miwok Indians. The man who was chief of the Miwoks in 1937, William Fuller, was a member of E Clampus Vitus. During an ECV meeting, he revoked the cession of land to England, and ceded it all to the United States government. The so-called Drake's Plate of Brass was accepted as authentic for forty years, yet was in actuality a hoax initiated by Dane that got out of control. It is now thought that the Fuller ceremony was part of an effort for the perpetrators to tip off the plate's finders as to its true origins. 1937 (MCMXXXVII) was a common year starting on Friday (link will take you to calendar). ... Northern California, sometimes referred to as NorCal, is the northern portion of the U.S. state of California. ... Sir Francis Drake, Vice Admiral, (c. ... Motto (French) God and my right Anthem God Save the Queen (King) England() – on the European continent() – in the United Kingdom() Capital (and largest city) London (de facto) Official languages English (de facto) Unified  -  by Athelstan 967 AD  Area  -  Total 130,395 km²  50,346 sq mi  Population  -  2007 estimate... Miwok—also spelled Miwuk or Me-Wuk—refers to native Californians who lived in what is now Northern California. ... The so-called Drakes Plate of Brass. ... A hoax is an attempt to trick an audience into believing that something false is real. ...

The current ECV

There are currently forty-two ECV chapters in California, Nevada, Utah, Arizona, New Mexico, Colorado, and Washington, as well as an offshore chapter (the Floating Whang chapter), an online chapter (the Cyber Whang chapter), and proposed chapters in Oregon and Idaho. Official language(s) English Capital Salt Lake City Largest city Salt Lake City Area  Ranked 13th  - Total 84,876 sq mi (219,887 km²)  - Width 270 miles (435 km)  - Length 350 miles (565 km)  - % water 3. ... Official language(s) English Capital Phoenix Largest city Phoenix Area  Ranked 6th  - Total 113,998 sq mi (295,254 km²)  - Width 310 miles (500 km)  - Length 400 miles (645 km)  - % water 0. ... Official language(s) (none)[1] Capital Salem Largest city Portland Area  Ranked 9th  - Total 98,466 sq mi (255,026 km²)  - Width 260 miles (420 km)  - Length 360 miles (580 km)  - % water 2. ... This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ...

Al Packer Chapter 100 in Colorado was chartered in 2000 — the year 6005 on ECV's idiosyncratic calendar. This chapter has four encampments statewide for members to get together and socialize.

Doc Maynard Chapter 54-40 in Washington State is the most recently chartered, changing its status from "Outpost" to "Chapter" in 2006, the year 6011 in Clamper years.

The organization has raised historical plaques in many places throughout the West (often those sites such as bordellos and saloons overlooked by more traditional historical societies), with a traditional "doin's," or party, after each plaque dedication. These are now common in historical areas around California and the West — when in the Gold Country, a Clamper-placed plaque is never far away. The fraternity is not sure if it is a "historical drinking society" or a "drinking historical society." A commemorative plaque, or simply plaque, is a plate of metal attached to a wall or other vertical surface and bearing text in memory of an important figure or event. ...

Initiation

By tradition, a man can only become a Clamper by invitation. However, one can express his desire to join. Initiation rites are sometimes spur-of-the-moment, such as forcing a blindfolded candidate to be lifted into the air by a block and tackle. Other times, the blindfolded initiate is seated upon a wet sponge in a wheelbarrow, and taken upon the "Rocky Road to Dublin" (a ladder lying on the ground). The initiations vary greatly in execution and severity. Once he has been asked to answer several questions, the Scales of Darkness (the blindfold) are removed, the new member "sees the light", is handed the Staff of Relief, is presented the Stone of Enigma, and appointed Chairman of the Most Important Committee. Afterward everyone toasts the new member with drink. Once enlightened,a brother is a brother for life. This block and tackle on a davit of the Mercator is used to help lower a boat. ... A common wheelbarrow Older wheelbarrow Wheelbarrows on the Belomorkanal A wheelbarrow is a small one-wheeled, hand-propelled vehicle, designed to be pushed and guided by a single person using two handles to the rear. ...

External links

• Clamper.net
• E Clampus Vitus Chapter Map and Locator
• E Clampus Vitus — background, history, ritual, and emblems.
• Ephraim's Clamping Vipers
• Cyber Whang Chapter
• The ECV Gazette
• Trinitarianus Chapter #62 Weaverville, California

• E Clampus Vitus Mountain Charlie Chapter 1850
• Al Packer Chapter 100, Colorado
• Matuca Chapter 1849
• Estanislao Chapter 58
• E Clampus Vitus - Lord Sholto Douglas Chapter #3
• ECV — James D. Savage Chapter 1852
• Squibob Chapter
• Billy Holcomb Chapter
• Yerba Buena #1, Capitulus Redivivus
• Registered Retailer for E Clampus Vitus http://www.wreckn-ball.com
• Grub Gulch Chapter #41-49

Further reading

• Rather, Lois. Men Will Be Boys: The Story of E Clampus Vitus. Rather Press, Oakland, California, 1980. (CALIFORNIANA OVERSIZE 366 R18)
• Gentry, Curt. Last Days of the Late, Great State of California. Comstock Book Distributors (June 1977).
• [[YB1 when you could be LSD3[[