The Jackson Corners Grange c.1905

Among the many family photos Alice Colburn shared with me were two group shots that took my breath away! Labeled “Jackson Corners Grange” on the back, though I didn’t need the label to tell, these are photos of the officers and perhaps the full membership of the Jackson Corners Grange #905 taken circa 1905. I haven’t been able to pin an exact date down, but I know it’s somewhere between 1901 and 1910 because of who the Worthy Master is and the style of dress.

Per an article in the Pine Plains Register-Herald of April 26th, 1951 about the Jackson Corners Grange’s 50th anniversary celebration, the first slate of officers elected at their first meeting at the home of George Edelman on April 17th, 1901 were as follows:

1901

• Henry C Near, Master
• Harvey Near, Overseer 
• Wesley Bathrick, Lecturer 
• Fred Teator, Steward 
• Grant Burger, Asst. Steward 
• Urijah Kilmer, Chaplain 
• George Edelman, Treasurer 
• John P. Fulton, Secretary 
• William Allendorf, Gatekeeper 
• Minnie (Guernsey) Near, Ceres (Mrs. Henry)
• Jenny (Edelman) Wright, Pomona (Mrs. William) 
• Mrs. Henry Younghanse, Flora 
• Georgia (Allendorf) Tompkins, Lady Assistant Steward (widowed)

I was also able to find the 1903 slate printed in the Register of January 2nd, 1903 and the 1904 slate printed December 18th, 1903

1903

• Henry C. Near, Master
• Walter Holsapple, Overseer
• Wesley Bathrick, Lecturer
• Carl Tripp, Steward
• John Detel, Assistant Steward
• Urijah Kilmer, Chaplain
• George Edelman, Treasurer
• William G. Wright, Secretary
• Willis Bathrick, Gatekeeper
• Hattie (Smith) Tripp, Ceres (Mrs. Carl)
• Jenny (Edelman) Wright, Pomona (Mrs. William)
• Maggie Kilmer, Flora (not married yet)
• Mary Pitcher, Lady Assistant Steward
• Florence Bathrick, Organist

1904

• Henry C. Near, Master
• Walter Holsapple, Overseer
• Wesley Bathrick, Lecturer
• Willis Bathrick, Steward
• William Augustus “Gus” Hoag, Assistant Steward
• Ward Bathrick, Chaplain
• George Edelman, Treasurer
• William G. Wright, Secretary
• Bathadra Pells, Gatekeeper
• Hattie (Smith) Tripp, Ceres (Mrs. Carl)
• Jennie (Edelman) Wright, Pomona (Mrs. William)
• Maggie (Kilmer) Bathrick, Flora (Mrs. Willis)
• Minnie (Guernsey) Near, Lady Assist. Steward (Mrs. Henry)

I contacted Ryan Orton of Stanford Grange #808 for advice and he suggested that these images were possibly taken after a Degree Ceremony. He said “I can think of no other reason why the ladies, especially Ceres, Pomona, and Flora, would all dressed up – at least more than the normal dressing up from a century ago, which people did no matter where they were going – Church, Grange, the store, out for a ride, visiting a neighbor or family member, etc.”

Orton identified the positions of seven of the officers by the regalia they are wearing and staves they are holding. He said that the seated man is the Worthy Master or President of the grange which we know to be Henry C. Near, identified thanks to Harvey Oakley Wells’ family photo printed in the book. Per a story from the newspaper, Near was master for a decade from Grange #905’s incorporation in 1901.

Left to right, the four women in the photo above are the Worthy Pomona, Worthy Flora, Worthy Lady Assistant Steward, and Worthy Ceres (more about their significance later). There are two men holding staves, The one that looks like a Y shape is the Worthy Steward and the one with the hook is the Worthy Assistant Steward. Looking at the three officer lists above, you can see that some folks held onto the same position, but others changed it up year to year.

Orton told me that as the rest of the officers don’t have identifiable regalia he couldn’t tell what position they held. However, I believe that Urijah Kilmer (who was for many years the grange’s chaplain and a progenitor of the family this photo came from) is the short man on the far left.

Three of the female officers are identifiable by other contemporary marked photos of them. Pomona is Hattie Smith Tripp, Flora is Minnie Guernsey Near (Henry’s wife), and Lady Assistant Steward is Maggie Kilmer Bathrick (wife of Willis Bathrick).

As for the photo of the larger group, Willis Bathrick is the mustachioed young man standing behind and between the Pomona and Flora. Willis’ father, Ward Bathrick is standing behind and between the Lady Assistant Steward and Ceres. Arthur Bathrick is dead center, standing between two ladies, and his wife Mina Kilmer Bathrick is the handsome looking woman toward the right with an old lady in dark dress behind her.

As for the full membership photo, there are two couples for whom I have labeled photos who may be present, but I’m not sure. If you recognize someone, please let me know! There are 14 men, two boys, two girls, one baby, and 28 women visible in the photo.

Irving & Annie (Edelman) Smith, Susie (Smith) Wolcott, Minnie Smith, and Ruth Smith

Irving could possibly be on the right in the officer photo, and seated on the right in the member photo. Annie might be standing behind him in the darker colored dress and his sisters Minnie & Susie and Irving’s daughter Ruth who were also involved in the grange might be nearby.

George L. Wright, Mary (Guernsey) Wright, and William G. Wright

George died in 1906 so it’s possible that if he was a member at the time of the photo he was too infirm to be present. I can’t definitively place any of them. They would have been 10-20 years older in these c.1905 photos than they are here.

More details about the significance of the grange officer positions mentioned above per Ryan Orton of Stanford Grange #808:

Worthy Pomona – representing the Roman Goddess of Fruits – she seems to be carrying a plate of fruit and has fruit blossoms on her hat.

Worthy Flora – representing the Roman Goddess of Flowers – she had a basket of flowers and a floral headpiece.

Worthy Lady Assistant Steward – she would assist the Steward in caring for the regalia and the meeting room set up as well as conduct fellow Sisters in the Grange during the Degree (Joining) Ceremonies.  Her staff is a shepherd’s crook symbolizing gentleness and caring of her flock (her Sister initiates).

Worthy Ceres – representing the Roman Goddess of Grain – while I can’t tell what she’s holding in her hand, she has grain on her hat.

The Worthy Steward carries the spud on his staff (looks like a Y).  The spud was used by ancient farmers to eradicate weeds in the fields and oversee the work of the laborers.  The Steward is in charge of the Grange Meeting room – making sure it’s set up properly, everything that is needed for the meeting is in its place, and taking care of the regalia for meetings and ceremonies.

The Worthy Assistant Steward carries the pruning hook (thicker shepherd’s crook).  The pruning hook was a spear that was beaten into a pruning hook to symbolize peace.  He would perform the same duties as the Lady Assistant Steward except for his charge was the Brothers rather than the Sisters.