Shiawassee County Lodge Associations

Before Television, computers, cottages, racing, sports and the like, social time was spent by joining associations or societies. It seems these societies were at their peak in the early 1900's. One can only speculate that some of these clubs were made of like imigrants. Several reasons to form an association include: fellowship, to help area newcomers to assimilate and for a better insurance rate group plan.

Most of these old societies have faded into history once their children and grandchildren were educated in U.S. schools and became "Americans".

The following list includes most that have gone by the wayside other than the Masonic lodges, Knights of Columbus, the Eagles and the Elks.

From the 1905 Owosso City Directory

ODD FELLOWS

Colfax Lodge No. 436 International Order of Odd Fellows
Organized Jan. 23, 1865
Met in Odd fellows Hall at 115 N. Washington St. in 1907. The above photo is of the Lodge Hall which was the old Owosso Armory at the southwest corner of Mason and Park Streets. Later the IOOF Owosso Lodge No. 88 met on the 2nd floor of about 123 East Main St. But the Gittleman Fire consumed all records and artifacts of the Lodge Association.

Other IOOF Lodges include:

Oriental Encampment No. 59.

Canton "Semper Fidelis" No. 9

Colfax Rebekah DeGree Lodge No. 273

Star of Hope Rebekah DeGree Lodge No. 76

Masonic
Owosso Chapter No. 89 R.A.M. (Instituted April 22, 1873)

Owosso Lodge No. 81 F & AM (May 2, 1855)
Abigail Chapter No. 206 (March 24, 1897)

At the northwest corner of Washington and Mason Streets

Knights of Columbus
Owosso Council #1139 meets at 204 Michigan Ave.

Knights of Modern Maccabees
Meets at Maccabee Hall
Wilson Tent, KOTMN

Knights of Maccabees of the World
Owosso Hive #21 LOTM

Knights of Pythias
Organized May 2, 1887
Owosso Lodge #81 Meets at K of P Hall

Young Men's Christian Association
Organized Nov. 11, 1887
2nd and 3rd. floors of 110 N. Washington St.

GAR

Grand Army of the Republic
Lodges of Shiawassee County

Roberts Post #11.......Bancroft
D.G. Royce Post #117.......Byron
T.C. Crane Post #128.......Henderson
H.F. Post #160.......Wallace Corunna
Harlan P. Niles Post #172.......New Lothrup
Henry Demming Post #192.......Lainsburg
Crawford Post #310.......Perry
H.P. Niles Post #438.......New Lothrup
Charles F. Beard Post #440.......Morrice

Quackenbush Post #205.......Owosso
Organized Dec. 21, 1883. Total enrollment from date of organization until 1906 was 285.

GAR Women's Relief Corps Post #26.......Owosso
Organized Dec. 5, 1884
Meets at GAR Hall

Modern Brotherhood of America
Myrtle Lodge # 1222

Modern Woodmen of America
Owosso Camp #1008

Royal Neighbors of America
Forest Camp, RNA # 73
Meets in Wesener's Hall

Arbeiter Unterstuetzungs Verein
Meets Arbeiter Hall

Landwehr Verein
Meets at 206 S. Washington St.

Order of Herman's Sons
Meets at Arbeiter Hall

Owosso Maennerchor
Meets at Arbeiter Hall

Carpenter's Union
Meets at Carpenters' Union Hall 110 N. Washington St.

Young Women's Christian Association
123 W. Main St.

Ancient Order Hibernians
Division No. 1.
Meetings in the Hibernian Parlors on E. Main St. Owosso

B.P.O.E.
Organized Dec.30, 1901

Owosso Elks Lodge No. 753
Minerva Lodge No. 11 - Degree of Honor

Originally the lodge was located at the northwest corner of Main and Washington St. and later at 216 W. Main St. In 1980, the lodge moved to the old Grand Trunk Depot where it remains today.

Lodge Abbreviations

Ever wondered what all those initials were on signs, rings, pins or headstones?

Other Lodge Histories to follow...please e-mail any old photos, histories, etc. Thanks,.....

Shiawassee County History