Grange Hall in Maine, circa 1910

The Grange movement in the United States was a farmers' movement involving the affiliation of local farmers into area "granges" to work for their political and economic advantages. The official name of the National Grange is the Order of Patrons of Husbandry. Some consider the organization a special interest group. Founded after the Civil War, it flourished until the end of the 19th century. Many small rural communities in the United States still have an old "Grange Hall" standing on Main Street. The word "grange" comes from a Latin word for grain, and is related to a "granary" or, more generically, a farm. Grange Hall This image is in the public domain in the United States and possibly other jurisdictions. ... Grange Hall This image is in the public domain in the United States and possibly other jurisdictions. ... The Farmers Movement was, in American political history, the general name for a movement between 1867 and 1896 remarkable for a radical socio-economic propaganda that came from what was considered the most conservative class of American society. ... This article belongs in one or more categories. ... Combatants United States of America (Union) Confederate States of America (Confederacy) Commanders Abraham Lincoln, Ulysses S. Grant Jefferson Davis, Robert E. Lee Strength 2,200,000 1,064,000 Casualties 110,000 killed in action, 360,000 total dead, 275,200 wounded 93,000 killed in action, 258,000 total...

In 2005, the Grange claims a membership of 300,000 with organizations in 3,600 communities in 37 states. They occupy a building in downtown Washington, D.C., an 11-story building they had built in 1960. Nickname: DC, The District Motto: Justitia Omnibus (Justice for All) Location of Washington, D.C., in relation to the states Maryland and Virginia Coordinates: Country United States Federal District District of Columbia Government  - Mayor Adrian M. Fenty (D)  - City Council Chairperson: Vincent C. Gray (D) Ward 1: Jim Graham (D...

History

There were eight co-founders of the Grange: Oliver Hudson Kelley, William Saunders, Francis M. McDowell, John Trimble, Aaron B. Grosh, John R. Thompson, William M. Ireland and Caroline A. Hall. Oliver Hudson Kelley Oliver Hudson Kelley (1826 – 1913) is considered the Father of the Order of Patrons of Husbandry (or Grangers). Born in Boston, Massachusetts he then moved to the Minnesota a frontier in 1849, where he became a farmer. ... William Saunders Serving as the first Master (President) of the National Grange, William Saunders (1822 – 1900) also became the first Secretary of Agriculture, a seat on the Presidents Cabinet fought for by the Order of Patrons of Husbandry. ... Francis M. McDowell Francis M. McDowell (1831 – 1894) was born of British Ancestry in New York City. ... John Trimble John Trimble (1831 – 1902) was one of the seven founders of the Grange. ... Aaron B. Grosh Reverend Aaron B. Grosh (d. ... John R. Thompson John R. Thompson (1834 – 1894), known as one of the seven founders of the Grange, was born in New Hampshire. ... William M. Ireland William M. Ireland (d. ... Caroline A. Hall Caroline A. Hall, an early associate of the seven founders of the Order of the Patrons of Husbandry, played a key role in assuring that women would be on an equal footing with men from the first inception of the Grange movement. ...

Originally founded in Fredonia, NY^[1] in 1867 as a social and educational organization borrowing ritualistic overtones from Freemasonry, 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. Rapid growth infused the national organization with money from dues, and many local granges established consumer co-operatives, initially supplied by the wholesaler Aaron Montgomery Ward. Poor fiscal management at both the national and local levels of the Grange led to a quick demise of the organization's new prosperity. The Masonic Square and Compasses. ... Aaron Montgomery Ward (February 17, 1844 - December 7, 1913) was an American businessman notable for the invention of mail order. ...

Postage stamp

In the middle of the 1870s, the Granger movement was successful 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 (see references below, "The Granger Movement"). When other political parties took up the political causes of the Grange movement, it began to revert to being a largely social group. This is a likely source of its diminishing membership in later years — by 1880 membership had dropped to 124,420. Image File history File links Download high resolution version (618x952, 288 KB) Stamp-national grange. ... Image File history File links Download high resolution version (618x952, 288 KB) Stamp-national grange. ... The cooperative extension service, also known as the Extension Service of the USDA, is a non-formal educational program implemented in the United States that is designed to help people use research-based knowledge to improve their lives. ... Rural Free Delivery was and still is the means by which the United States Postal Service delivers mail directly to residents in areas defined as rural at no cost to them (The money is supplied by the USPS). ... The Farm Credit System (Farm Credit) is a cooperative network of financial institutions owned by its borrowers in the United States. ... Munn v. ... Public interest is a term used to denote political movements and organizations that are in the public interest—supporting general public and civic causes, in opposition of private and corporate ones (particularistic goals). ...

The monument to the founding of the Grange is claimed to be the only private monument on the National Mall in Washington, D.C. ^[2] Facing east across the Mall with ones back towards the Lincoln Memorial. ...

External links

• "A Short History of the Order of Patrons of Husbandry, also known as the National Grange," by Charles P. Gilliam
• Official Website of the National Grange of the Order of Patrons of Husbandry
• Background, History, Ritual and Emblems of the Grange

Notes

1. ^ http://www.meta-religion.com/Secret_societies/Groups/secret_organizations.htm
2. ^ The National Grange of the Order of Patrons of Husbandry

References

• The Granger Movement. InfoPlease Encyclopedia. Retrieved on February 28, 2005.
• Munn v. Illinois. InfoPlease Encyclopedia. Retrieved on February 28, 2005.
• MUNN v. STATE OF ILLINOIS, 94 U.S. 113 (1876). U.S. Supreme Court Case Law at FindLaw.com. Retrieved on February 28, 2005.