Odd
Fellows
(Back row) Major Wilson, Jesse Adams, Frank Smith, Sam Walker, William A. Neu, Downey Van Pelt, J. F. Thompson, Ed. E. Neu, Thomas Tadlock
(Middle, standing) William Shadley, A. L. Levinson, Thomas G. Green, Charles Sindlinger, James Phillipi, H. C. Van Way, H. A. Hageman, Almet Wilson, J. C. Cheney
(Front row, plus seated) J. R. Messick, Morton Bland, Herbert Neal, Ed. K. Montgomery, William A. Neu, Lewis Webb, Captain, Harry C. Ray, Isaac Keith, James Hilligoss
Picture from Boetcker's Picturesque Shelbyville, page 62, c 1902
The beginning of the history of the Independent
Order of Odd Fellowship in Shelby county dates back to when the fraternity was yet in its infancy and was written
up by the editor of the organ of the society, Rev. T. G. Beharrell and appeared in
the April issue, 1877, of that magazine, and was the correct history up to, and including 1875, of the instituting
and workings of Shelby Lodge No. 39.
A charter was granted by virtue of dispensation from
the Grand Master of the Grand Lodge of Idependent Order of Odd Fellows of Indiana, Joel B. McFarland,
bearing date October 20, 1846, and upon the petition of the following named brothers: P.G. Joseph
L. Silcox, John L. Robinson, William Hacker, John
Cartmill, John M. Wollen, and Hiram Comstock. "Shelby
Lodge, No. 39" was instituted November 13, 1846, by D.D.G.M. Jacob Chapman officiating.
The first officers elected for the term of one year
were: John L. Robinson, noble grand; William Hacker, vice grand; John Cartmill, recording secretary;
John M. Wollen, treasurer. The lodge met Monday evenings and consisted of twelve members, some of whom
were really "borrowed" from neighboring lodges to help in the founding of the Shelbyville lodge. Notwithstanding
the fact that this lodge was founded by some of the best men of Shelby county, it had a slow growth for about five
years. The men connected therewith were not advanced in secret society matters, indeed the order at that
time was but young in its history. Just what struggles were endured by this lodge in Shelby county will never
be fully made a record, from the fact that on the night of October 26, 1849, the lodge room was destroyed, together
with the charter, books of records, and valuable papers connected with the pioneer workings of the fraternity in
this locality. Fire was the cause of this great irreparable loss to the young lodge. With the charter
under which the lodge had worked gone, their authority was also gone. During the three years the lodge had
been in existence it had grown to the number of twenty-five good, true and honorable Odd Fellows. Steps were
at once taken to secure a new charter. The call was responded to by the grand officers of the state lodge,
who immediately furnished a new charter, the same being issued by Right Worthy Grand Master Joel B. Eldridge, of
Logansport. The new charter contained the names of the following brothers: Joseph L. Silcox, William
Hacker, John Cartmill, Joseph S. Campbell, Samuel R. Day, Samuel B. Robertson, Milton
A. Malone, and Dwight R. Hovey, whom the grand officers empowered (without any ceremony)
to proceed to work in the good cause of Odd Fellowship. Hence Shelby Lodge No. 39 was once more allowed to
occupy her rank, to which she was formerly entitled. Having met with this calamity, the lodge was obliged
to call upon her sister lodges, and by permission of the Grand Lodge, circulars were sent forth throughout the
state of Indiana, stating the loss and soliciting aid. In response to this call many handsome contributions were
received and these quite materially aided the struggling lodge to get squarely upon its feet again.
In 1851-52, after the loss just spoken of caused by
the fire in Shelbyville, in the autumn of 1849, Shelby Lodge No. 39, with Lafayette Lodge No. 28, Free and Accepted
Masons, formed a "Joint Hall Stock Association", the object being to provide a suitable hall wherein
both fraternities might have a suitable lodge home of their own. The proposition was well canvassed by members
of the two orders after which it was decided to build such a building. The plan was this: Each lodge
agreed to take stock to the amount of $500; the members of each of the orders obligating themselves to take such
amounts as they felt able, which they did to the amount of $2,500. The balance needed was provided by means
of a loan secured by a mortgage on the property, when it should be completed, to the amount of $2,000. The
structure was to be built by Brother William Hacker, who acted as a commissioner for both lodges, and who by good
management succeeded in buying in the individual stock, and in equal amounts, it was held and controlled by each
of the lodges; and by so managing, the building was soon paid for in full.
When finally finished, the hall was dedicated in the
presence of many Odd Fellows from far and near. The dedication address was delivered by Brother Joseph
L. Silcox. This building was used by the two orders until about 1868, when the Masons became the sole
occupants of the building. A year later---1869---the Masonic fraternity having grown rapidly, found the need
of a more spacious hall. They then proposed to sell their interest in the property to the Odd Fellows. The
deal was made and the price fixed was $3,500. The investment was of course a good one, as the original cost
of the combined interests was $5,500; one-half of which was paid by the Shelby Odd Fellows order, or $2,775; amount
paid the Masons for their interest, $5,500; total amount paid for building and grounds, $6,275.
Politics get into the lodge---great damage is done
the fraternity. In the eventful years of 1854 to 1857, inclusive, when Know-Nothingism was running raging
throughout the entire country, politics found its way into the sacred fall of Odd Fellowship, as well as other
civic societies. It so invaded itself into the Shelby lodge that one time it verily seemed as if it would
be wiped out of existence. Harmony and brotherly friendship, the elements on which the great fraternity had
ever been based, did not prevail to any great extent in Shelbyville. It was brought about by the introduction of
political measures brought to the lodge-room by discreet members. An Odd Fellow who stood high in the order,
as well as in the community, was a candidate for public office and here trouble began. The transgressor was
finally brought before the lodges and the wrong brother was acquitted. The matter did not end there,
but was appealed to the Grand Lodge and by it sent back for a rehearing in the subordinate lodge. This time
the right man was expelled from the order.
From 1849 to 1860 the membership of this lodge was
greatly reduced and in 1863 had but twenty-eight members, in good standing. After the close of the Civil
war, and when things had adjusted themselves once more, the peaceable movements in the country, as well as harmonious
action within the lodge itself, partisan feeling was wiped out and in its stead the true principles of Odd Fellowship
once more were duly enthroned. In 1886 this lodge had a membership of 125 and was in a flourishing condition.
In 1874, in the month of August, this order instituted a Rebekah degree.
The order has been the means of accomplishing much
good in the community. As early as 1875 one of the reports shows that there had been paid out for funeral
benefits, $795; thirty widows, with their families, had been assisted at different times to the total sum of $456;
total number of initiations, 385; withdrawn, 110; suspended, 56; deceased, twenty-four and eleven expelled. July,
1877, the total membership was 75. The total receipts from 1846 to 1875 were $15,308; total resources of
lodge, $9,092; liabilities $2,133; total orphan fund at that date amounted to $3,660. Since that date to
the present time Odd Fellowship has made a wonderful growth within Shelby County.
Chadwick's History of Shelby County, Indiana, by Edward H. Chadwick, B.A., assisted by well
known local talent, B.F. Bowen & Co, Publishers: Indianapolis, IN, 1909, pp 167-170.
~~~~~~~~~~
One could buy plain
penny postcard starting in 1870 supplied by the postoffice. The
post office first allowed privately printed penny postcards in 1894.
This created an avalanche of interest in collecting postcards. By the
end of the 19
th century, 1/3 of the mail sent was postcards.
Nearly 860 million postcards were sent in 1908! The post office had found
a good revenue source in these post cards.
Contributed by
George Young
~~~~~~~~~~
Odd Fellowship.-----The following
extracts are taken from a history of Odd Fellowship in Shelbyville, Ind., written by Rev. T.G. Beharrell, P.G.,
Rep., associate editor of the Odd Fellows' Talisman and Literary Journal. It was published in the
April number, 1877, Vol. X, No. 4, of that well known monthly magazine, and brings the history up to 1875.
Shelby Lodge No. 39, I.O.O.F.-----Odd
Fellowship took its initiatory step in this section of Indiana, in the fall of 1846, a time when our Order was
yet in its infancy in this State, as is indicated by the number of this lodge. A charter was granted by virtue
of a dispensation from the Grand Master of the Grand Lodge, I.O.O.F., of Indiana, Joel B. McFarland,
bearing date October 29, 1846; and upon the petition of the following named brothers, viz.: P.G. Joseph
L. Silcox, John L. Robinson, Willam [sic] Hacker, John
Cartmill, John M. Wollen, and Hiram Comstock. Shelby
Lodge No. 39, was instituted on the 13th day of November, 1846, by D.D.G.M. Jacob P. Chapman
officiating, in the city of Shelbyville, County of Shelby, and State of Indiana. The lodge met at the
hour previously agreed upon, and proceeded with the work, by conferring the several degrees of the Order upon those
that had not already been made. Odd Fellows, after which the election and installation of officers took place,
and the following brothers declared duly elected officers for the first ensuing term, to-wit: John
L. Robinson, N.G.., William Hacker, V.G., John Cartmill,
Recording Secretary, John M. Wollen, Treasurer. The lodge then met in
regular metings on Monday night of each week, with a membership of twelve, several of whom belonged to neighboring
lodges, but took temporary leave from them, for the "only purpose" of starting Shelby Lodge, which was
a very commendable act indeed. The Lodge though having been started with as good material as the county afforded,
increased in membership very slowly for the first four or five years, for the reason that the community in which
the lodge was started, had but a very limited experience in secret organizations, and the Order itself was yet
in its infancy, so to speak. But to give anything like a correct account of the workings of Shelby Lodge
from its beginning until October 26, 1849, would be a useless undertaking, as will be seen from the following statement:
On the night of October 26, 1849, Shelby Lodge was destroyed by fire, losing her charter, books, and papers,
together with all the working fixtures of the lodge, which of course deprived the ledge of all power and authority.
This being the third year of her existence, the lodge attained to a membership of twenty-five, with a fair
prospect in the future. Steps were immediately taken to apprise the Grand Officers of the loss this lodge
had sustained, and at the same time petition for a new charter. This call was promptly complied with, and
a new charter immediately granted, by the then officiating Right Worthy Grand Master Joel B. Eldridge, of Logansport.
This new charter contains the names of the following brothers, to-wit: Joseph L. Silcox,
William Hacker, John Cartmill, John S. Campbell, Samuel
D. Day, Samuel B. Robertson, Milton A. Malone and
Dwight R. Hovey, whom the Grand Officers empowered, without any ceremony on the
part of the Grand Lodge, to proceed to work in the good cause of Odd Fellowship, which was accordingly done and
Shelby Lodge once more allowed to occupy her rank, to which she was entitled. Shelby Lodge, being thus unfortunate,
was compelled to apply for aid to her sister lodges, and by permission of the Grand Lodge, circulars were sent
to the lodges in the State, stating loss and soliciting aid. In return quite a number of these lodges sent
handsome contributions, which assisted the members of Shelby Lodge quite materially in starting their new lodge,
which is evidence that a "friend in need is a friend indeed." The only celebration of any consequence,
took place July 4, 1874. Shelby Lodge made very extensive preparations on that occasion. We were visited
by quite a number of neighboring lodges, and it was siad to be the finest gathering of the kind that had taken
place in this part of our State for years. The orators on the occasion were: Brothers T. G.
Beharrell, Thomas Underwood, the Rev. Naylor, and Brother
Thomas Morrison, who read the Declaration of Independence. The festivities were celebrated
in the Fairground Grounds of our county. The speeches delivered on this occasion were said to be master-pieces
of their authors, and were well received by all present. The impression created thereby on "outsiders,"
had the effect to allay that bitter feeling that existed among non-initiates toward secret organizations, to a
considerable extent, and had, also, a good moral effect on those already members.
History of Shelby County, Indiana, Chicago: Brant & Fuller, 1887, pp 416-418.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
The Shelby National Volunteer Weekly
February 2, 1871
Page 3
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The Odd Fellows' fraternity of this city propose[s] giving a Grand Festival on the evening of the 22d of February
next. A Lecture will be delivered in Blessing's Hall by Rev. B. F. Foster, after which the audience will
adjourn to the hall of the fraternity, where refreshments will be served. &c.
Odd Fellows Lease from
Royal Mayhew, 1848
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Ancient Order of United Workmen
The Shelby Democrat
Thursday, February 28, 1901
-------o-------
Contributed by Phyllis Miller Fleming
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Tribe of Ben-Hur
A picture from Boetcker's Picturesque
Shelbyville includes these surnames:
Walker, Webb, Oltman, Vanarsdall, Hack,
Burkher, Kock, Milleson, Degelow, Higgins,
Vansyoc.
The Indianapolis Star
May 20, 1915
Page 4 Column 4
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SHELBYVILLE -- A team
composed of twenty-four young men and women from Indianapolis will exemplify the
degree work here Thursday night at a meeting of Orontes Court, Tribe of Ben-Hur,
and will give exhibition drills on the Public Square preceding the
meeting. Supreme Chief R. H. Girard and Supreme
Manager B. O. Bowers of Crawfordsville will attend the meeting.
Contributed by Virginia Latta Curulla
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