Mt. Hamilton Grange #469 - History and Purpose

History and Purpose of the National & Mount Hamilton Grange

by Domingo Lomboy, Master, Mt. Hamilton Grange

The Grange was organized in 1867 to assist farmers whose livelihoods were devastated following the Civil War. It is the oldest Farm Family Fraternity in our nation and has gained a reputation for conservative, constructive, and cooperative endeavors which have benefited and improved rural communities all across the United States of America.

In 1866, Oliver Hudson Kelly, a Minnesota farmer, was deeply affected by the poverty and isolation of the farmers he saw while inspecting the farm areas in the South for the U.S. Department of Agriculture. He felt and was very much convinced that they had to unite and promote their interests collectively.

On December 4, 1867 in Washington D.C., a group of seven earnest men, headed by Oliver Hudson Kelly, planned what was destined to become a vital force in preserving and expanding American democracy. The Order of Patrons of Husbandry, more commonly known as the Grange was born.

The Seven Founders of the Order of Patrons of Husbandry were: Oliver H. Kelly, William Saunders, Aaron Grosh, John Trimble, John Thompson, Francis McDowell, and William Ireland. They were assisted by Caroline Hall.

The California State Grange was established in 1873. Mt. Hamilton Grange #469 was established as a Subordinate Grange in December 17, 1931.

The name “Grange” was chosen because old English farm-estates, each a complete community were called Granges. The Grange was originally an organization of farming families, and while now it embraces both rural and urban members, it still retains a strong rural and agricultural interest.

The National Grange is comprised of four district divisions built one upon the other in logical sequence: (1) The Subordinate Grange, (2) The Pomona Grange, (3) The State Grange, (4) The National Grange; plus a separate division for the Junior Grange.

There are Granges in 37 states and in Washington D.C., and there are over 300,000 Grange members all over the country.

The Grange’s roots are in agriculture, and it is our belief that from agriculture springs most of the bounty that all families enjoy. If you have an interest in family farms and agriculture or in empowering and preserving your community’s way of life, you need to know more about the Grange and delve more deeply into the undertakings that are being advanced by the Grangers in the United States of America.

If you think that you can make a difference, I personally invite you to join the Grange because the Grange welcomes anyone who believes he/she can make our communities, states, and country a buxom, vibrant, and halcyon place in which to live, love, learn, work, dream, and play.

The world in which we live is arcane and enigmatic. There is an urgent need for everyone to be receptive to new ideas and the people who bring the ideas to you. And we need to have strengths to meet the challenges that are upon us. The Grange has the strength because we do have and we believe in personal values, family values, old fashioned farm values, religious values, patriotic values, and community values.

And the time to meet and confront the challenges that are upon us is now. There is no room for procrastination. We need to comprehend and heed the course of conduct that we ought to do just as exactly as what Thomas Carlyle once said and I quote, “our main business is not to see what lies dimly at a distance, but to do what lies clearly at hand”.