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48 °F Forecast | Road Cams Thursday, January 27, 2005 Today's News | Classifieds | Autos | Homes | Jobs | Tempo | Health | Community | Home Delivery SECTIONS Home Page Local News Sports Business Obituaries Life Opinion - Politics Tempo AP News Weather Classified Archives Site Map SPECIAL SECTIONS Since We Asked Outdoor Journal Menu Guide How To Guide Wellness Connection Readers' Choice Real Estate Showcase Real Estate Guide Joy Magazine Homelife Magazine Wedding Guide Passport to the Rogue Valley EXTRA Newspaper in Education Personals Movie Times TV Times E The People Volunteer Opportunities Moving to Southern Oregon? MARKETPLACE Find a Car Find a Home Find a Job Classifieds Place an ad eSouthernOregon Automotive Communities Entertainment Publications Recreation Calendar CUSTOMER SERVICE Frequent Questions Advertising Information Home Delivery Employment Contact Us Media Kit Network Affiliate Oregon Road Conditions & Cams Email Story to a Friend January 3, 2005 Since You Asked Grange helps keep residents connected There was a story in the paper last week about a pancake breakfast at the Williams Grange. It made me want to know more about what the Grange does and how it got started. — Will B., Central Point The Grange traces its origins back more than 130 years to the upper Midwest, Will. The organization was founded in 1867 by a Minnesota farmer, Oliver Hudson Kelley. He had a notion that farmers, a traditionally independent lot, needed an organization that could unite them as a political force to counter the power of the railroads, the big corporations of the time. Hudson and some friends organized the Patrons of Husbandry (a highfalutin’ word for farming), which was commonly known as "the Grange" (an old synonym for "farm"). Advertisement They patterned the Grange along the lines of the fraternal organizations such as the Masons that were popular in the mid-1800s. Before long there were local Grange halls spread across the country. The Grange provided rural people with a national political organization, and the local Grange halls became an important community gathering place. The Grange is still active in politics, but, like the League of Women Voters, it does not endorse candidates. The local granges still depend on volunteers for their energy. Many provide support for 4-H, Future Farmers of America and other organizations. For a complete history of the national organization, see "People, Pride and Progress: 125 Years of the Grange in America," by David H. Howard. Send questions to "Since You Asked," Mail Tribune Newsroom, P.O. Box 1108, Medford, OR 97501; by fax to 541-776-4376; or by e-mail to [email protected] . Mail Tribune Home Local News | Sports | Business | Obituaries | Life Opinion - Politics | AP News | Archives | Site Map E Southern Oregon | Classified Copyright © 1997-2005 Mail Tribune. All rights reserved. Privacy Policy | Terms & Conditions Website Feedback ADVERTISERS A D V E R T I S E R S SPECIAL SECTIONS Auto Finder Job Finder Home Finder Joy Magazine Homelife Magazine Tempo Readers' Choice Real Estate Showcase Since We Asked Outdoor Journal Moving to Southern Oregon? Volunteer Opportunities Student Loan Consolidation Conference Calls - $50/Month Home Security Systems Trunks, Footlocker, Trunk, Footlockers