I.O.O.F records from Chariton, Lucas, Norwood ...

I mentioned kind of in passing the other day that a substantial number (35 volumes all together) of Lucas County I.O.O.F. records arrived at the Lucas County Historical Society Museum during early December --- and that much of January most likely would be devoted to cataloging and processing them (not to mention finding a location for the archive).

The records of Chariton Rebekahs, the I.O.O.F. auxiliary, arrived at the museum during 2000, so all together there are more than 40 record books --- some slim and easy to manage; some massive leather-bound beasts like Minute Book No. 2, below. The oldest is the small volume above containing minutes from 1855-1858. The latest carries the lodge forward into the 1990s, when it ceased to be.

I'm not exactly sure when the Odd Fellows called it quits, but the building on the north side of the square that housed a business at street level and lodge rooms upstairs was sold during 1997.

Chariton I.O.O.F. Lodge No. 64 was organized during December of 1854 and chartered on Oct. 11, 1855, making it --- if charter date is the base --- Chariton's second-oldest lodge.

The Masons --- Chariton Lodge No. 63 A.F.&A.M. --- were chartered on June 6, 1855, and fortunately are with us still. They curate their own records and collection of memorabilia in the library of the Masonic Temple on South Grand Street.

The Knights of Pythias, organized during the 1870s, was the last of the "big three" lodges to be organized and the first to disband. I'm guessing that a majority of its records and memorabilia went up in flames during the 1930 fire that destroyed the Pythian Temple building on the south side of the square.

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The Odd Fellows probably were Iowa's most prolific lodge. The oldest in Lucas County probably was the LaGrange lodge, but in addition to Chariton other lodges were organized as the years passed in Russell, Derby, Lucas and Norwood.

Lucas Lodge No. 424 was organized during 1881 and continued until 1907, when it merged with the Chariton lodge; Norwood Loge No. 490 was organized in 1901 and merged with the Chariton lodge during 1933. So the collection of records now at the museum also includes complete series of minute books from both Lucas and Norwood.

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There won't be time to examine the records too carefully, but I did check the minute book for the 1860s, hoping to find some mention of Capt. Daniel Iseminger, an Odd Fellow killed in combat at the Battle of Shiloh during April of 1862. Daniel was the namesake for Chariton's Grand Army of the Republic post. What I discovered --- the lodge ceased operations shortly after the war broke out and did not resume meetings until two years later.

And there are traces of other historical footnotes --- the inter-lodge trial of a "brother" who had been convicted of forgery in Mills County; a resolution rescinding permission for an organization to use the lodge hall because, it was suspected, alcoholic beverages might be served.

I'll keep my eyes open to see what else of interest may turn up in these dusty old records.