Taconic Valley Grange

Written by Tina Ordone The Grange was formed at Stephentown Depot in 1903 with the help of Henry J. Best, Master of the West Sand Lake Grange. Walter B. Goold was the first Master and Edith Brown was the first Secretary. The Grange disbanded in 1918 when Edward Quinlan was Master.

It had three different names during its existance: Mt. Whitney Grange, Fraternal Family Farm Organization, and finally the Taconic Valley Grange.

The Grange was reorgainized in 1934 with meetings held at William A. Lapp's old blacksmith shop on Grange Hall Road. The subordinate Grange #1538 of the Patrons of Husbandry was formed October 11, 1934 by Clifford Maul, Deputy Master of Rensselaer County. The following officers were elected:

Master, Frederick E. Jones; Overseer, S.H. Kipple; Overseer, Carlton Green; Steward, Janes Patterson; Assistant Steward, Henry Rose; Lecturer, Marie Fitzgerald; Chaplain, Mary Patterson; Secretary, Alice Fitzgerald; Treasurer, Martha Tyde; Gatekeeper, Henry Manns; Geres, Mabel Pease; Pomona, Elsie Atwater; Flora, Addie Snow; Lecturer's Assistant, Gladys Howe; Pianist, Flossie Jones; E.E. Committee, Jessie Snow.

By the December 17, 1934 meeting, all committees had been appointed and all four degrees given.

Wyatt Haley was Master in 1959 when the blacksmith shop burned. A concrete block building was built on the same site. When the Taconic Valley Grange was dissolved in 1974, the records and artifacts were returned to National Grange headquarters, to be held in excrow for any future reorganization in Stephentown. The building was sold to the Town of Stephentown for $1.00, with the proviso it would always be available to a future Grange of local membership. This building is now used as a Town Hall. (written in 1984)

What is the Grange?

The Grange (officially known as The Order of Patrons of Husbandry) is a fraternal organization with a rich history and a highly visible community presence in the United States.

The organization is a perfect example of a grass-roots, bottom-up group. The backbone of the Grange is the more than 3,000 local "subordinate" Granges which are located in more than 30 states. These Granges offer a wide range of locally-oriented programs and activities for children, youth and adults. Each holds regular meetings where issues of community concern are often discussed. There are social events, contests and community service projects sponsored by the Granges.

On the county or regional level these local Granges band together into units known as Pomona Granges, primarily for discussion of concerns which affect a larger territory. On the statewide level Granges cooperate by supporting a State Grange organization which oversees the activities of all subordinate Granges as well as conducts lobbying and other activities on behalf of all members in the state.

The National Grange is situated in its own office building just a couple of blocks from the White House. National programs are headquartered there and lobbying staff is active on Capitol Hill.

The Grange at each level is guided by 16 elected officers. The officer slate at each level is led by a master. This title, which refers to the position functioning as the organization's president or chairperson, is one of several officer names dating back to the feudal English estates. The vice president is called the overseer and there are people assuming the duties of secretary, treasurer, chaplain and an executive committee. A lecturer is responsible for the short programs at each meeting and, often, the Grange's community service program.

The Grange, like the Masons, Odd Fellows, Elks and Moose, is a fraternal organization. One distinctive feature of fraternal orders is their emphasis upon traditional procedures for conducting their meetings. These procedures, often called rituals, employ members who have specific parts to play in opening and closing ceremonies. The Grange, like other fraternities, has levels or "degrees" of membership and a member advances from one level to the next by participating in or observing the rituals for that level.

Joining a local Grange is a positive step which can bring many personal rewards. Prospective members are recommended by existing members but, in actuality, anyone interested in joining merely needs to approach a member and ask for an application.

The Grange has the historical distinction as being one of the first major national organizations besides the church which sought the membership and involvement of everyone in the family. Grange members have an equal voice and an equal vote at meetings regardless of their age, sex or position within the Grange. Children ages five through 16 are eligible to belong to a junior Grange, whether or not they come from a Grange family.

The Grange provides numerous benefits for its members. Among those are insurance programs provided exclusively for Grangers by Grange companies. Grange Advantage, a program of the National Grange, offers credit card, college selection services and other money- saving programs.

But perhaps more than anything else, the Grange's interest in legislative action sets it apart from all other fraternities, service and family organizations. Since its earliest years, the Grange has included legislative involvement -- from a strictly non-partisan position -- as one of its distinctive characteristics. All policies which the Grange fights for on the local, state and national levels is decided upon by the grass-roots membership. Much Grange policy reflects the predominantly rural and small-town composition of its membership and therefore deals with topics of concern to those people: rural quality of life issues, farm programs, rural economic development, environmental and consumer issues, taxation, transportation and similar topics.

Charlesetta Carpenter. Taken at Grange hall, Taconic Valley Grange.

This is my parents, Ed Martinson and Gladys Sweener, at one of the Taconic Valley Grange dances, in October, 1948. The guy in the plaid shirt in the background is my uncle, Nelson Sweener, my mother's brother. He introduced my parents at the grange. He and my mother, when they were unattached, often went to the dances together. I remember my mother telling me how much she liked to dance, but I rarely saw her dance while I was growing up. My dad liked to dance as well, and I remember how he would pour salt on my mother's kitchen floor and then dance. He told me that he liked to hear the "crunch, crunch" sound.

Mom passed away on November 20, 1999 and Dad on December 21, 2005. Uncle Pete is still kickin' though bad knees get him down once in awhile. I don't think he dances much anymore.