OHIO STATEWIDE FILES - Odd Fellows--Some early Ohio history
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Odd Fellowship: Its History And Manual
by Theo. A. Ross, Grand Secretary of the Sovereign Grand Lodge.
Printed New York--1890--The M.W. Hazen Co.

694 pages, it does not contain names of general membership.  The index
is generally to subject, it does not contain the majority of names that
follow.

Contains a photograph of IOOF "Hall Of The Sovereign Grand Lodge,
Columbus, O.", and a store front appearing to have the name, "E.E. Shedd
& Sons".

Chapter III
The Grand Jurisdictions Of Odd Fellowship And Their Beginnings.

OHIO
   Brothers Nathaniel Estling, C. Harkin, James W. Brice, Jacob W. Holt,
Thomas L. Bedford, and John Gill petitioned, September 26, 1830, for a
Charter for a Lodge at Cincinnati, which was granted October 31, 1830,
and the Lodge named Ohio, No. 1.  Brother James Paul, Representative of
Pennsylvania to the G.L.U.S., was appointed to institute the Lodge,
which he did December 23d, 1830.  The following Officers were then
installed: Jacob W. Holt, N.G.; James Brice, V.G.: Samuel Cobb, Sec.;
Nathaniel Estling, T.

   September 5th, 1831, a petition for a Grand Lodge was received from
sundry Past Grands of Cincinnati, viz.: Nathaniel Estling, J. Joseph,
Richard G. Cheavens, Jacob Holt, and James W. Brice, and referred to a
Special Committee of three, who reported:
   "That having no evidence that the petitioners had regularly passed
the chair of the N.G., and thus rendered themselves legally competent,
would therefore earnestly recommend that the Grand Secretary transmit a
copy of this report to the applicants, and upon satisfactory information
being obtained on that point, the Grand Lodge grant the Charter."  A
foot-note on page 116 of the Journal of the Grand Lodge of the United
States reads as follows: "It subsequently appearing that there were a
sufficient number of Past Grands in membership in Ohio, the Grand
Charter was accordingly issued, and the Grand Lodge was instituted
January 28, 1832.  The following Officers were installed: David Stuart,
G.M.; Samuel Pell, D.G.M.; Hiram Marks, G.W.; Samuel Cobb, G.Sec.;
William W. West, G.T."

   There is a dispute as to the time of the institution of the Grand
Lodge of Ohio.  The old Seal of the Body bore the date of January 28th,
1832, but that Grand Lodge now claims that the Lodge should date from
January 2d, 1832, as they have printed proceedings of the Grand Lodge of
Ohio dated Monday evening, January 2d, 1832.  Neither this account, nor
the foot-note above mentioned, agrees with that furnished report of
Grand Sire Wildey, which will be found on pages 122-125 of the Journal
of the Grand Lodge of the United States.  On page 124 we read:
   "After having remained with the brothers of Louisville some six days,
I resumed my journey, and landed among the brothers of Cincinnati on the
4th of February (1833), where again I was most cordially received and
welcomed by them.  All preparations having been made for the
organization of the Grand Lodge, in accordance with public notice, the
members assembled on Thursday morning, February 7th, at their hall,"
etc.  The Grand Sire on this tour instituted the Grand Lodge of
Louisiana before he returned to Cincinnati.  On page 132 of the Journal
of the Grand Lodge of the United States, there will be found an account
of the Grand Sire, adjusted to March 4th, 1833, (he reached home on the
21st of February,) wherein he acknowledges the receipt of $50 for the
Louisiana Charter and $50 for the Ohio Charter.

   On pages 1960, 1961, Journal of the Grand Lodge of Ohio for 1878,
there appears the following:
   "The Secretary (of the Grand Lodge of Ohio) was ordered January 25th
1832, to write to the Grand Lodge of the United States to give them the
necessary information relative to the Grand Lodge of Ohio, as well as to
inform them that we received a letter from them directing us to commence
the said Grand Lodge; but as yet have not received any other authority;
and to request them to send us any books, papers, or any other matters
that may be useful to us in their opinion.  Although the regular
'formation' of the Grand Lodge did not take place until 1833, the one
organized under dispensation on January 2d, 1832, was to all intents and
purposes a Grand Lodge, and exercised all the powers of such a Body."

   The following is the list of the first Officers of the Grand Lodge of
Ohio, as taken from its Journal of 1878, page 1962: Richard G. Cheavens,
G.M.; Samuel Peel, D.G.M.; J.G. Joseph, G.W.; Jacob W. Holt, G.C.;
William West, G.T.; Samuel Cobb, G.Sec.

   After a review of the case the conclusion arrived at is, that the
Grand Lodge was not "regularly" instituted until February 7th, 1833,
when it was done by the Grand Sire.

   The removal of the Grand Lodge to Columbus was approved September
20th, 1851.

   Wildey Encampment, No. 1, was instituted at Cincinnati, December 7th,
1832, by Grand Sire Wildey.

   The Grand Encampment was instituted at Cincinnati, September 24th,
1839.  The following Officers were installed:  R.R. Andrews, G.P.;
William S. Kelley, G.H.P.; Samuel B. Neill, G.S.W.; Jacob Keller, G.
Scr.; William Runnells, G.T.; James Read, G.J.W.; Jacob Ernst, G. Sent.

   December 31st, 1886, there were 676 Subordinate Lodges and 49,267
members; 187 Encampments and 10,926 members; 120 Rebekah Degree Lodges
and 7,219 members.  (End)

Additionally, a few Ohio names are found in Chapter II--The Sovereign
Grand Lodge.  "The following is a list of all the officers of the Grand
Lodge of Maryland and of the United States, I.O.O.F.; the Grand Lodge of
the United States, I.O.O.F.; the Grand Lodge of the Independent Order of
Odd Fellows, and the Sovereign Grand Lodge of the I.O.O.F., the several
names of the Supreme Authority of the Order, from 1821 to the present
time:"

Grand Sire.
8.  Thomas Sherlock, 1845-1847; Cincinnati, Ohio
15. Samuel Craighead, 1858-1860, Dayton, Ohio

Grand Chaplain.
12. Rev. Isaac D. Williamson, of Ohio....Installed, September 18th,
1862.

Grand Marshal.
23. Belden Seymour, of Ohio.....Installed, September 27th, 1880.

Good luck in your searches!

Bill Swinarton,
Scarborough, Ontario.




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