Introduction | Agency History | Scope and Content | Series Description | Inventory

Introduction

The records of the Union Grange, #1475, were donated to the Center for Archival Collections in 1972 through the cooperation of Floyd Legalley, Grange Master, and Paul D. Yon, Associate Director of the Center for Archival Collections. The collection consists of one and one-quarter linear feet of minutes, financial and membership records which cover the years 1898 to 1962, with the majority of the material documenting the period from 1920 to 1950. The minutes, roll books and dues accounts are the most complete records within the collection.

All property, literary and duplication rights of the Union Grange records have been conveyed to the Center for Archival Collections and the public for historical research. The register was compiled by Elizabeth Charles in March 1980.

This collection and finding aid were revised when additional documents were donated in February 1985. Monica Manny, masters student in American Studies, interviewed several Wood County families and individuals for her thesis research on the Union Grange. The tape recordings and transcripts were added to the collection and the finding aid appropriately revised.

Agency History

The Union Grange was chartered, with eighteen members, November 19, 1897, by J. B. Smith. Its first Master was J. S. Brigham and first secretary, James Duncan. This grange is active and open to anyone interested in the farming community. The Union Grange currently includes a little over one hundred members.

The Grange, organized on a national, state, county, and local level, combines fraternity, ritual, and business with cultural and educational programs. Women have been admitted from the beginning as equal members, and a juvenile grange promotes total family participation in this organization.

Scope and Content

The Union Grange records document the membership and activities of the organization for a sixty-four year period. The secretary's minutes (1902-1909, 1929-1962) include names of officers and members present, business and literary programs conducted, and financial reports. Membership records (1898-1940) and dues records (1899-1951) provide member's name, age, occupation, status, and dues paid. Quarterly reports (1936-1938, 1944-1945) and inspection reports (1939, 1942, 1944-1945) provide additional information on membership statistics, projects, and community services. Union Juvenile Grange minutes (1932-1940) and dues account book (1930-1937) include information on membership, activities, and business conducted during meetings.

Financial records include a ledger (1932-1947) and a receipt book (1934-1940). Correspondence (1938, 1940, 1943-1946), a Grange lecture book (1954-1956), and a scrapbook (1956) complete this collection.

Added to the collection in February 1985 are seven tape recordings with transcripts of interviews conducted by Monica Manny for her masters thesis, of Wood County farming families and individuals concerning their relationship with the Union Grange. The people interviewed include Earl and Thelma Avery, Richard and Ethel Avery, Floyd and Anna Legalley, Alva Bachman and George Wilson.

Series Description

PROCEEDINGS

SECRETARY'S MINUTES
1902-1909, 1929-1962
Arranged chronologically
Includes officer's names and members present, proceedings, financial reports, literary programs, and list of annually elected officers.

JUVENILE GRANGE MINUTES
1932-1940
Arranged chronologically
Includes officers present, proceedings, financial reports, and literary programs. Includes list of officers and attendance record in back.

ROLL BOOK
1898-1910, 1920-1921
Arranged chronologically
Includes name, age, and occupation of member along with dates of receiving degrees.

MEMBERSHIP RECORD
1920-1940
Arranged alphabetically by name
Includes name, age, occupation, dues paid, dates admitted, discharged, etc.

MEMBERSHIP APPLICATIONS
1934, 1936, 1939, 1944, 1949-1950
Arranged chronologically
Contains name, age, occupation, address of applicant, and name of sponsor.

LECTURE BOOK
1954-1956
No discernible arrangement
Includes songs, poems, and ritual of Grange and letters from Ohio State Grange.

CORRESPONDENCE

CORRESPONDENCE
1938, 1940, 1943-1946
Arranged chronologically
Includes letters from the Ohio State Grange concerning membership dues.

REPORTS

QUARTERLY REPORTS
1936-1938, 1944-1945
Arranged chronologically
Includes membership statistics and financial reports.

INSPECTION REPORTS
1939, 1942, 1944-1945
Arranged chronologically
Contains membership statistics, information on projects, meetings and community services in a questionnaire format. The 1939 report is of the Juvenile Grange.

FINANCIAL DOCUMENTS

DUES ACCOUNT BOOK
1899-1951
Arranged chronologically
Includes name, amount of dues paid at end of each month, quarter, and year.

JUVENILE GRANGE DUES ACCOUNT BOOK
1930-1937
Arranged chronologically
Includes name and amount of dues paid for each quarter.

FINANCIAL LEDGER
1932-1947
Arranged chronologically
Includes listing of monthly receipts and expenditures.

RECEIPT BOOK
1934-1940
Arranged chronologically
Includes the receipt stub, amount, received by, purpose, signature of treasurer.

SCRAPBOOKS

SCRAPBOOK
1956
Includes newspaper articles of the organization's activities.

AUDIO RECORDINGS

TAPES/TRANSCRIPTS
June 1982, April, June 1984
Arranged chronologically
Includes seven tapes and accompanying transcripts of interviews with the following people regarding farming in Wood County and their involvement with the Union Grange #1475: Earl and Thelma Avery, Richard and Ethel Avery, Floyd and Anna Legalley, Alva Bachman, and George Wilson.

Inventory

Box 1

1. Secretary's Minute Book, September 20, 1902-June 2, 1906
2. Secretary's Minute Book, August 4, 1906-October 2, 1909
3. Secretary's Minute Book, December 28, 1929-May 21, 1932
4. Secretary's Minute Book, June 4, 1932-January 16, 1936
5. Secretary's Minute Book, January 4, 1936-February 8, 1944
6. Secretary's Minute Book, February 8, 1944-May 8, 1951
7. Secretary's Minute Book, May 22, 1951-September 24, 1957

Box 2

1. Secretary's Minute Book, October 8, 1957-October 23, 1962
2. Juvenile Grange Minute Book, January 16, 1932-April 20, 1940
3. Roll Book, 1898-1910
4. Roll Book, 1920-1921
5. Membership Record (A-H), 1920-1940
6. Membership Record (I-Z), 1920-1940
7. Membership Applications, 1934, 1936, 1939, 1944, 1949-1950
8. Grange Lecture Book, 1954-1956

Box 3

1. Correspondence, 1938, 1940, 1943-1946
2. Quarterly reports, 1936-1938, 1944-1945
3. Inspector reports, 1939, 1942, 1944-1945
4. Dues account book, 1899-1913
5. Dues account book, 1913-1951
6. Dues account book, 1917-1920
7. Juvenile Grange--dues account book, 1930-1937
8. Financial ledger, 1932-1947
9. Receipt book, 1934-1940
10. Scrapbook, 1956

Box 4

1. Transcript. Earl and Thelma Avery, June 3, 1982
2. Transcript. Earl and Thelma Avery with Richard and Ethel Avery, June 3, 1982
3. Transcript. Floyd and Anna Legalley, April 23, 1984
4. Transcript. Alva Bachman, April 27, 1984
5. Transcript. George Wilson, June 25, 1984
6. Tape Recordings--7 tapes.

Manuscripts by Subject | Agriculture Bibliography