Appalachia and the Golden Age of Fraternity: a Case Study of Meigs County, Ohio, 1880-1930

The period of 1880 to 1930 has been called the “Golden Age of Fraternity.” Large numbers of Americans joined fraternal organizations. In which to become members, persons passed through a series of one or more ritualistic “degrees” when they received lessons illustrating the importance of honor, character development, and universal brotherhood. These organizations played an important social function in building a sense of community. The best known of these numerous organizations are the Masons, Odd Fellows, and Knights of Pythias, and by 1900, all had affiliated women’s groups as well. The relative decline of such associations in recent decades has contributed to a loss of “community” as pointed out by Robert D. Putnam in his book Bowling Alone: The Collapse and Revival of American Community (2001). Surprisingly little attention has been given to the role of such organizations in Appalachia although they flourished here as elsewhere. This paper will examine the rise and decline of these fraternal groups in Meigs County, a unit that borders on the Ohio River dominated by small farms, railroads, and some salt and coal mines. The last Pythian lodge surrendered its charter in 1965 and the last Odd Fellows lodge in 2000. Four Masonic lodges and three Eastern Star chapters continue in various levels of prosperity in this Ohio Appalachian community