Eagle Grange No. 1
Encyclopedia
Eagle Grange No. 1 was organized on March 4, 1871 by a group of rural farmer
s who had become concerned about the rising costs of farming in the post Civil War
economy
. It is in Clinton Township
, Lycoming County
, Pennsylvania
in the United States
. Eagle Grange No. 1 was the first grange to be organized in Pennsylvania, two years before the formation of the Pennsylvania State Grange and four years after The National Grange of the Order of Patrons of Husbandry, better known as the National Grange was founded in Fredonia, New York
by Oliver Hudson Kelley
. The chief objectives of the Eagle Grange No. 1 were the establishment of a co-operative purchasing program for farmers, the lowering of railroad rates, and the establishment of rural free delivery by the United States Postal Service
. The Grange was one of the first national organizations to give equal status to female members.
Luke Eger, a farmer from Lycoming County, was the driving force behind the formation of Eagle Grange No. 1. He had read about the success of similar farmer's co-operative groups in states like Ohio
, Iowa
, and Minnesota
. Eger contacted Oliver Hudson Kelley who was working for farmer's rights in Washington, D.C.
at the time. Kelley encouraged Eger to establish a Grange in Lycoming County. Eger received little support from his friends and neighbors when he first attempted to establish a co-operative. In fact his brother-in-law, Frank Porter, is quoted in saying that Eagle Grange No. 1 was finally established, "just to keep peace in the family." Luke Eger wrote to the National Grange in 1871, "I have at last succeeded in organizing and raising a club here and think there will be little trouble in establishing clubs in the county."
Luke Eger and 39 other farmers began Eagle Grange No. 1 on March 4, 1871 at the base of Bald Eagle Mountain
in southern Lycoming County. They quickly set about reaching their goals. One of their most important goals was to set up a plan of co-operative purchasing farming supplies to drive down the prices. Merchants that refused to do business with the co-op were summarily boycott
ed by the members of the Grange. The farmers from Lycoming County also sought to have the rates charged to them by the railroads lowered and they pushed for rural free delivery from the Post Office. Eger and the other members of Eagle Grange No. 1 were quickly successful in establishing themselves as a force with which to be reckoned.
The Pennsylvania State Grange was established on September 18, 1873 in Reading
. Representatives from 22 local granges met on Blenizer's Hall and elected the man who said that the first Pennsylvania Grange was established to "keep the peace in the family", Frank Porter, as the first Overseer of the Pennsylvania State Grange. The grange hall was built in 1887.
Farmer
A farmer is a person engaged in agriculture, who raises living organisms for food or raw materials, generally including livestock husbandry and growing crops, such as produce and grain...
s who had become concerned about the rising costs of farming in the post Civil War
American Civil War
The American Civil War was a civil war fought in the United States of America. In response to the election of Abraham Lincoln as President of the United States, 11 southern slave states declared their secession from the United States and formed the Confederate States of America ; the other 25...
economy
Economy
An economy consists of the economic system of a country or other area; the labor, capital and land resources; and the manufacturing, trade, distribution, and consumption of goods and services of that area...
. It is in Clinton Township
Clinton Township, Lycoming County, Pennsylvania
Clinton Township is a township in Lycoming County, Pennsylvania, in the United States. The population was 3,947 at the 2000 census. It is part of the Williamsport, Pennsylvania Metropolitan Statistical Area.-History:...
, Lycoming County
Lycoming County, Pennsylvania
-Appalachian Mountains and Allegheny Plateau:Lycoming County is divided between the Appalachian Mountains in the south, the dissected Allegheny Plateau in the north and east, and the valley of the West Branch Susquehanna River between these.-West Branch Susquehanna River:The West Branch of the...
, Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania
The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania is a U.S. state that is located in the Northeastern and Mid-Atlantic regions of the United States. The state borders Delaware and Maryland to the south, West Virginia to the southwest, Ohio to the west, New York and Ontario, Canada, to the north, and New Jersey to...
in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. Eagle Grange No. 1 was the first grange to be organized in Pennsylvania, two years before the formation of the Pennsylvania State Grange and four years after The National Grange of the Order of Patrons of Husbandry, better known as the National Grange was founded in Fredonia, New York
Fredonia, New York
Fredonia is a village in Chautauqua County, New York, United States. The population was 11,068 as of 2009.The Village of Fredonia is in the Town of Pomfret south of Lake Erie...
by Oliver Hudson Kelley
Oliver Hudson Kelley
Oliver Hudson Kelley is considered the "Father" of the Order of Patrons of Husbandry.-Biography:In Boston, he moved to the Minnesota frontier in 1849, where he became a farmer...
. The chief objectives of the Eagle Grange No. 1 were the establishment of a co-operative purchasing program for farmers, the lowering of railroad rates, and the establishment of rural free delivery by the United States Postal Service
United States Postal Service
The United States Postal Service is an independent agency of the United States government responsible for providing postal service in the United States...
. The Grange was one of the first national organizations to give equal status to female members.
Luke Eger, a farmer from Lycoming County, was the driving force behind the formation of Eagle Grange No. 1. He had read about the success of similar farmer's co-operative groups in states like Ohio
Ohio
Ohio is a Midwestern state in the United States. The 34th largest state by area in the U.S.,it is the 7th‑most populous with over 11.5 million residents, containing several major American cities and seven metropolitan areas with populations of 500,000 or more.The state's capital is Columbus...
, Iowa
Iowa
Iowa is a state located in the Midwestern United States, an area often referred to as the "American Heartland". It derives its name from the Ioway people, one of the many American Indian tribes that occupied the state at the time of European exploration. Iowa was a part of the French colony of New...
, and Minnesota
Minnesota
Minnesota is a U.S. state located in the Midwestern United States. The twelfth largest state of the U.S., it is the twenty-first most populous, with 5.3 million residents. Minnesota was carved out of the eastern half of the Minnesota Territory and admitted to the Union as the thirty-second state...
. Eger contacted Oliver Hudson Kelley who was working for farmer's rights in Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly referred to as Washington, "the District", or simply D.C., is the capital of the United States. On July 16, 1790, the United States Congress approved the creation of a permanent national capital as permitted by the U.S. Constitution....
at the time. Kelley encouraged Eger to establish a Grange in Lycoming County. Eger received little support from his friends and neighbors when he first attempted to establish a co-operative. In fact his brother-in-law, Frank Porter, is quoted in saying that Eagle Grange No. 1 was finally established, "just to keep peace in the family." Luke Eger wrote to the National Grange in 1871, "I have at last succeeded in organizing and raising a club here and think there will be little trouble in establishing clubs in the county."
Luke Eger and 39 other farmers began Eagle Grange No. 1 on March 4, 1871 at the base of Bald Eagle Mountain
Bald Eagle Mountain
Bald Eagle Mountain, once known locally as Muncy Mountain, is a stratigraphic ridge in central Pennsylvania, United States, running east of the Allegheny Front and northwest of Mount Nittany. It lies along the southeast side of Bald Eagle Creek, and south of the West Branch Susquehanna River, and...
in southern Lycoming County. They quickly set about reaching their goals. One of their most important goals was to set up a plan of co-operative purchasing farming supplies to drive down the prices. Merchants that refused to do business with the co-op were summarily boycott
Boycott
A boycott is an act of voluntarily abstaining from using, buying, or dealing with a person, organization, or country as an expression of protest, usually for political reasons...
ed by the members of the Grange. The farmers from Lycoming County also sought to have the rates charged to them by the railroads lowered and they pushed for rural free delivery from the Post Office. Eger and the other members of Eagle Grange No. 1 were quickly successful in establishing themselves as a force with which to be reckoned.
The Pennsylvania State Grange was established on September 18, 1873 in Reading
Reading, Pennsylvania
Reading is a city in southeastern Pennsylvania, USA, and seat of Berks County. Reading is the principal city of the Greater Reading Area and had a population of 88,082 as of the 2010 census, making it the fifth most populated city in the state after Philadelphia, Pittsburgh, Allentown and Erie,...
. Representatives from 22 local granges met on Blenizer's Hall and elected the man who said that the first Pennsylvania Grange was established to "keep the peace in the family", Frank Porter, as the first Overseer of the Pennsylvania State Grange. The grange hall was built in 1887.