Oklahoma Genealogical Society
Pond
Creek Odd Fellows
From Oklahoma Genealogical Society
Quarterly Vol. 24, No. 1 1979
Transcribed to Electronic form by Jo White
Mrs. Leland C. (Audrey) White, Chickasha, OK submits the following note and report written by Charles A. Dow. The note was to her father, mother and three children, who had moved from Pond Creek July 11. 1924, to Oklahoma City and later to Clinton, Custer County, Oklahoma.
Pond
Creek, Okla.
Nov.
10th, 1926
E.J. Million & Family,
Clinton, Okla.
Dear Friends:-
I am sending a sketch history of the Lodge as I
thought you would like to have it. We
sure had a good time. We missed you
folks.
I did not go to Grand Lodge this year. No one went. It was too far and took too long. How are the girls and Bud getting along at school.
Howard has had lots of electrical work. Last month he made more on the side than Bob
paid him.
I will be glad to hear from you at any time.
Yours
very truly,
Chas.
A. Dow
INDEPENDENT ORDER OF ODD FELLOWS
Pond Creek Lodge #60 I.O.O.F. was organized May 9th,
1900 by Grand Master Grant Yeakey of Enid, Okla. assisted by the Enid Degree
team.
Those admitted by card were as follows: H.I. Wassen, C.F. Kelley, Pearl Parker, J.B.
Franks, J.B. Cory, J.H. Decker, J.F. Darrough, Coburn Goodwine, J.B. Izor,
Henry Waltz, A. Diamond, Ira James, E.C. VanPatten, William Shackelford and
Chas. A. Dow.
Those initiated and also became (sic ) Charter
Members were as follows: J.W. Berry,
Edgar Brain, F.E. Farr, Elmer R. Darrough, J.B. Worrell, J.H. Ledgerwood, J.D.
Butts, J.F. Shaffer, and J.F. Whedbee.
The first officers were Chas. A. Dow, N.G,; J.H .
Izor, V.G.; H.I. Wasson, Secretary; A, Diamond, Treasurer.
The lodge first met in the K. of P. Hall which
was over the Walton Bank, on the corner East of Perren’s Garage. Later they moved with the K. of P.’s to the Hall over Gentry’s haw
owned by the Masons.
The first move to build a hall was on June 25,
1903 when the Lodge adopted a resolution authorizing the Trustees to issue
Bonds of the Lodge not to exceed $5000.
drawing 8% interest and running ten
years. Each bond is to be for
$10.
Oct. 3d 1903, S.K. Booth, Chas. A. Dow and H.I.
Wassen were appointed a building Committee. . . .The lumber was bought from the
Walton Lumber Co., and the hardware and roof from Conrad Strecker, and they
bought half of the East wall from A. Diamond for $400. . . .Feb. 22, 1905, the
Building Committee reported the building completed and were discharged. This report was not made a part of the
records and is lost. There is no record
of the cost of the building but D.B. Ross who made the plans and specifications
says that his estimate for the building was $3408 but that owing to t he delays
and having work done by the day the cost was about $250 more which with the
$400 for Diamonds wall made the total cost $4060.
April 12th, 1905, was set for the
laying of the corner stone. The other
Lodges in the County were invited and
there was a good attendance. . . .About $80 was realized from the sale of buttons
which was applied on the debt.
Some of the Brothers began to doubt whether we
would ever pay out. They began to turn
in their bonds on their bonds (sic) on their dues. This of course cut down the income and in 1908 the Lodge made an
assessment of $1 payable quarterly. A
few refused to pay and were dropped for nonpayment of dues but most of the
Brothers were loyal. The Last bond was
paid June 6, 1917. . . .The future of the Lodge is indeed bright.
It will be better able to care for the sick, the widow and the orphan.
Of the charter members only two, J.W. Berry and
Chas. A. Dow still retain their membership.
Of those that were members when the hall were (sic) dedicated only ten
remain: J.W. Berry, Chas. A. Dow, H.L.
Dewitt, S.D. Million, D.B. Ross, J.H. Reynolds, H.E. Wilkins, J.P. Erwin, J.E.
Livingston, and W.S. McKaig.
The total number initiated since the organization
is 220 and 36 have been admitted by card and transfer. The total amount paid for sick benefits is
$1250. 13 Brothers and 5 brothers wives
have been buried for which the Lodge paid $670.
On Sept. 14, 1910, all of the Lodges in Oklahoma
and Indian Territories were called upon to vote on the question of
consolidation of the two Grand Lodges into one body. This Lodge cast 3 for and 9 against the proposition but it
carried by a large majority in both parts of the State.
At the 1910 session of the Grand Lodge the two
Jurisdictions united and this Lodge was given a new Charter. The numbers were arranged according to the
date of institution and #60 became #125.
The new Charter contained 61 names 18 of
which still retain their membership.
They are J.W. Berry, J.W. Bird, Chas. A. Dow, H.L. Dewitt, O.N. Depue,
J.P. Erwin, E.P. Field, J.G. Hergert, J.F. Kemph, N.W. Kemph, J.E. Livingston,
H. L. Livingston, S.D. Million, J.H. Reynolds, H.N. Reed, J.H. Smith, H.F.
Wilkins, Herman Wilkins, W.T. Vest.
P.S. H.L.
Dewitt was the first candidate initiated after the Lodge was organized.
(Note: He then included a listing of officers from 1900 to 1926. Men, not already mentioned, were: J.H. Finley, 1904; U.G. Freeman, 1914; E.E. Wheeler, 1918-1926; J.F. Shepard, 1905-1912; N.L. Harris, 1911; Ed Rumford, 1920-1926.)
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