A reminder of Chariton's black Odd Fellows lodge

Anyone who knows Dave Edwards knows also that he collects --- Chariton-related memorabilia among many other things. So when he volunteers at the Lucas County Historical Society Museum, which he did Thursday afternoon, he sometimes brings along items from his collection and we play an adult version of show-and-tell.

This was Thursday's treasure --- and I do mean treasure because of its rarity and general condition. Although we have many very similar ribbons in the collection, all produced by the same late 19th century manufacturer (The Whitehead and Hoag Co. of Newark, N.J.), this one belonged to a member of Lucas County's black Odd Fellows lodge --- the only artifact of that long-vanished organization I've ever seen and impossibly rare.

The ribbons, worn on the chest, were reversible (just flip the clip) --- one side (showing the most use) for use during lodge meetings and such public appearances as parades and social gatherings; the other, for use during funerals of lodge members, thankfully rarer occasions. It probably dates from about 1890.

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To put the ribbon into context, it's necessary to go back to the early 1880s. The first black coal miners arrived in Lucas County from Virginia by special railroad passenger car during the fall of 1881, recruited by owners of the Whitebreast Mining Co. to work in the coal mines at Cleveland. By the time of the 1885 special Iowa census, the combined mining towns of Cleveland, East Cleveland and Lucas had a black population totaling 414, about 200 miners and their families.

Of this number, 364 lived in East Cleveland --- an unincorporated area to the east of the platted town of Cleveland. I'm guessing that East Cleveland's residents called their new home Virginia City, in honor of their place of origin --- but can't prove that. But that would explain the name of the lodge, Virginia City Lodge No. 2568, Grand United Order of Odd Fellows.

At that time, and well into the 20th century, American Independent Order of Odd Fellows (I.O.O.F.) lodges --- and many if not most other social and fraternal organizations in the United States --- practiced apartheid. National bylaws forbade white lodges to admit black members. That was the case in Lucas County, too, where the I.O.O.F. was one of the largest fraternal expressions in Chariton, Russell and other communities --- but for whites only.

The Grand United Order of Odd Fellows, organized during 1843 in England without racial barriers of any sort, was the expression of Odd Fellowship that provided an umbrella organization to unite lodges organized in the United States, Canada, Jamaica and elsewhere for people of color.  The Household of Ruth was, and remains, the auxiliary of the organization.

When the mines at Cleveland closed, a majority of Lucas County's black residents moved into Chariton during the 1890s and brought the lodge with them. It remained active in Chariton well into the pre-World War I years of the 20th century.

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We know that the Virginia City lodge was organized on July 29, 1884, because of this brief article published in The Chariton Patriot of Sept. 18, 1884:

"Virginia City Lodge No. 2568 met September 12, 1884, at Cleveland, Iowa. S.E. Baker, N.G., made appropriate remarks to the Lodge, after which D.G. Master of the State of Iowa, Jno. H. Mathews, of Muchakanock Lodge No. 2207, was introduced and made us an interesting talk. After the business was concluded, sixteen new candidates were fully installed as members of the order. Our lodge was  organized July 29, 1884, and has now fifty-five active members. Our motto is, let Odd Fellowship spread until the whole land is filled with the goodness thereof. We regret to part with Brother Mathews, who has returned to his home. We expect to meet the next time in our new hall in Cleveland."

By 1895, although some members still lived at Cleveland and Lucas, the balance of Lucas County's black population had shifted to Chariton and Virginia City Lodge No. 2568 had moved, too, renting space for a lodge hall some of the time, sharing quarters with the I.O.O.F. lodge at others. There never seems to have been animosity between the racially divided Odd Fellows in Lucas County although the I.O.O.F. prohibition barring black members remained in place.

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During July of 1895, Chariton hosted the 14th annual convention of Iowa District Grand Lodge, Grand United Order of Odd Fellows, as reported upon as follows by The Chariton Herald of July 19:

"The fourteenth annual session of the District Grand Lodge, No. 30, G.U.O. of O.F., will convene in this city on Tuesday and Wednesday of next week in Chariton Lodge Hall, No. 2568, G.U.O. of O.F. On the first day the District Grand Lodge will go into session and the general business of the district, relative to the order in Iowa, will be transacted. A large number of delegates from various parts of the state are expected.

"Wednesday will be a day of grand displays and amusements. There will be a grand street parade of all the district grand officers and vising lodges and Households of Ruth. In the afternoon there will be a grand balloon ascension. Prof. Kirkendall of Albia will make one of his famous leaps from 5,000 feet in midair to mother earth in a parachute. Everybody should see this wonderful feat.

"The District Grand Lodge and all the visiting lodges, and Households of Ruth, P.G.M. Councils, will dedicate a fine large lot in the Chariton cemetery to Chariton Lodge No. 2568. Everybody should witness this beautiful ceremony.

"An interesting game of baseball will be played between the Chariton nine (white) and Muchakinock nine (colored). Rev. J.W. Washington of Monmouth, Illinois, will deliver the oration. Hon. W.B. Barger, Chariton mayor, will deliver the welcome address, which will be responded to by H.S. Clay of Des Moines, district grand director. Rev. A. Jacobs of this city will speak on "The Progress of Race." An oration will be delivered by E.H. Knowles, county attorney, on the subject, "The Negro as a Citizen." Other short addresses will be made by the brethren and friends.

"On Wednesday evening, there will be a public installation of grand officers at Mallory's Opera Hall, at which all the officers for the ensuing year will be installed by W.A.S. Mills, district grand master. Immediately after the installation of officers a grand banquet will take place. Admission to the grand public installation and banquet, 50 cents. The committee has also made arrangements to give a grand ball for the enjoyment of those who love to dance. Every effort is being made, regardless of time and money, to make this one of the grandest and most successful gatherings of colored people ever held in the state of Iowa."

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I don't know when the Virginia City Lodge ceased to function as its membership declined. There was no future in Chariton for black young people, so no new families arrived and most Chariton young people moved elsewhere in search of opportunity. Still active during the early years of the 20th century, there's no sign of the lodge as an active organization after World War I.

When Theopolis Gibson died on Feb. 9, 1990, he was the last member of Lucas County's original black population to call Chariton home.

Dave doesn't remember exactly where he purchased this ribbon, but believes it to have been somewhere in Iowa other than Chariton. We don't know who it belonged to. The letters "P.N.F." on the ribbon indicate the rank within the lodge of the wearer, but I've been unable to discover exactly what those initials stood for.

But I sure was happy to see it.