Volume 043-2 - April 1989 (8 pages)

. History of Oustomah Lodge No. 16 International Order of Odd Fellows On November 4, 1989, the Oustomah Lodge No. 16, Independent Order of Odd Fellows, celebrated its 135th anniversary. At the celebration of this event, Roman Rozynski delivered a speech, in which he reviewed the history of this Lodge. We present his story here, in addition to an earlier story of the [OOF in California, which was written by Lyle White. Editor. THE INDEPENDENT ORDER OF ODD FELLOWS IN CALIFORNIA by Lyle White As benevolent Odd Fellows, the members of early lodges point with pride to the part the Order has had in the growth of America and California. The Odd Fellows have become one of the most numerous benevolent American Fraternal Orders. At the present time there are several thousand Lodges in all civilized countries of the world with millions of members. As early as 1806, groups of Odd Fellows, who had come to America from England, were meeting informally in New York and Massachusetts. Washington Lodge #1 of Baltimore was officially established in 1819 with Thomas Wildey as Noble Grand and is now recognized as the parent Lodge of the American Order. From this small beginning IOOF Lodges spread not only across this continent but world-wide. The first Lodge permanently organized in California was California Lodge #1 of San Francisco in 1849. During the exciting years of 1849, 1850, and 1851, this Lodge spent $100,000 in relief of penniless pioneers and in burial of the dead. The needs of the miners in Sacramento were, if possible, greater than those in San Francisco and in 1851 Sacramento #2 was organized to assist the needy in that city. Thousands of dollars were raised and spent on that humanitarian effort. By the time the California Grand Lodge was organized in 1853, two Lodges existed in San Francisco, three in Sacramento, and one each in Auburn, Marysville and Stockton. These pioneer Lodges, 3,000 miles from the eastern lodges and the headquarters of the Order, were organized chiefly for the relief of the early emigrants to California. As Odd Fellows from other parts of the country spread into the mining communities, local lodges were organized for fraternal and relief purposes. Odd Fellowship has thus played an important part in the growth of California from the very beginning, by its services to the needy and its activities in community affairs. 10 The Odd Fellows Home was established in 1894 to care for the aged and indigent Odd Fellows, their wives and orphans. Originally located at Thermalito, near Oroville, it was later moved to its present location at Saratoga, one of the beauty spots of California. Today over 200 aged and infirm are cared for in a spacious modern Home. It is the purpose of this institution to be in every way a Home, where residents live together as a family; every effort is made to make all contented and happy. Residents are provided with a variety of leisure activities, trips, and social gatherings. A new infirmary wing has just been completed and additional modernization and expansion is planned. Each year in August the Grand Lodge holds a picnic at the Home when members and friends gather at Saratoga to tour the Home and meet the residents. An Endowment Fund supported by the Lodges of the state now totals approximately $4 million and insures the future success and operation of the Home, one of the Order’s greatest assets. The Children’s Home at Gilroy was instituted in 1896 and is supported by the Rebekah Lodges of the state. The goal of this Home is a home full of happy children with opportunities for an education that will prepare them for the responsibilities of adulthood. They are fed, clothed, and educated up to two years in the local Junior College. They participate in community activities such as Scouting, 4-H, and athletic events. The older children work at jobs within the community, allowing them to save for further education or other goals. All children receive an allowance based on age and many take on special duties at the Home to earn extra money. Each year in April Odd Fellows and Rebekahs from around the state hold a two day Festival at the Home. This project offers an opportunity to visit the Home and also raises a substantial sum for the operation of the Home as well as a chance to get to know the children. The Rebekah Lodges of California are justly proud of the Children’s Home, California being the only. state where the care of needy IOOF children is entirely entrusted to the Rebekah Branch of Odd Fellowship. The Odd Fellows and Rebekahs also maintain a Youth Camp (the Three Links Camp), in the Sierra north of Sonora. Begun as a summer activity only, the camp program has expanded to include winter use as well. A full-time director and a maintenance supervisor are in residence the year round. Last year 852 guests representing family and community groups used the facility in the winter and spring months. All receipts over and above expenses go to support the summer youth camping program. Each year the Odd Fellows and Rebekah Lodges enjoy a week-end Youth Camp Festival, the proceeds of which assist in the further development of the camp facilities. From the needs of pioneer miners to the needs of present-day youth, aged and infirm, the history of Odd Fellowship is the story of benevolent concern, for those in need. HISTORY OF OUSTOMAH LODGE NO. 16, IOOF, IN NEVADA COUNTY by Roman Rozynski From the very beginning of the Gold Rush in 1849, a fair percentage of arrivals were members of the great and well-known benevolent fraternities of the Odd Fellows and Masons, both Orders having been founded basically on the principles of aiding each other in sickness and financial distress. Since the first miners in any area found the richest ‘‘strikes”, these lucky ones often stayed and went into business as offering a better, and often more profitable way of living than wielding a pick and shovel, thereby becoming some of the more influential as well as prosperous leaders in the community. Among these was a large percentage of Odd Fellows, most of whom also belonged to the Masonic Order. By 1850, these men of both orders, calling together all members who were financially or physically able to help, formed two informal working organizations for relief purposes which were also fraternal. They established the first hospitals—crude but effective, paid doctors’ fees, medicines and food and other necessities, such as hiring other men as “nurses” to tend the sick, sometimes around the clock. Then, either paid burial expenses for the dead, of whom there were many (most of them unrecorded) or, when the patients recovered, loaned money to help them get started. In those earliest desperate, frantic years of the Gold Rush these two great benevolent Orders seldom demanded or even asked whether a man in need was a member or not, but raised and dispensed many thousands of dollars in relief. There were four or five members of Odd Fellows belonging to lodges in the Eastern states who casually met in downtown Nevada City from 1851 to 1853 at which time they finally decided to accomplish something. A petition from Aaron A. Sargent and four others praying for the establishment of a lodge in the City of Nevada, name to be Oustomah Lodge, was received by the Grand Lodge of California on October 22, 1853. What motivated these 5 men to request a lodge is unknown, nor can we find out just why they named the Lodge aftre the local tribe of Maidu Indians, The Oustomah. All the early records were destroyed by fire.

. History of Oustomah Lodge No. 16 International Order of Odd Fellows On November 4, 1989, the Oustomah Lodge No. 16, Independent Order of Odd Fellows, celebrated its 135th anniversary. At the celebration of this event, Roman Rozynski delivered a speech, in which he reviewed the history of this Lodge. We present his story here, in addition to an earlier story of the [OOF in California, which was written by Lyle White. Editor. THE INDEPENDENT ORDER OF ODD FELLOWS IN CALIFORNIA by Lyle White As benevolent Odd Fellows, the members of early lodges point with pride to the part the Order has had in the growth of America and California. The Odd Fellows have become one of the most numerous benevolent American Fraternal Orders. At the present time there are several thousand Lodges in all civilized countries of the world with millions of members. As early as 1806, groups of Odd Fellows, who had come to America from England, were meeting informally in New York and Massachusetts. Washington Lodge #1 of Baltimore was officially established in 1819 with Thomas Wildey as Noble Grand and is now recognized as the parent Lodge of the American Order. From this small beginning IOOF Lodges spread not only across this continent but world-wide. The first Lodge permanently organized in California was California Lodge #1 of San Francisco in 1849. During the exciting years of 1849, 1850, and 1851, this Lodge spent $100,000 in relief of penniless pioneers and in burial of the dead. The needs of the miners in Sacramento were, if possible, greater than those in San Francisco and in 1851 Sacramento #2 was organized to assist the needy in that city. Thousands of dollars were raised and spent on that humanitarian effort. By the time the California Grand Lodge was organized in 1853, two Lodges existed in San Francisco, three in Sacramento, and one each in Auburn, Marysville and Stockton. These pioneer Lodges, 3,000 miles from the eastern lodges and the headquarters of the Order, were organized chiefly for the relief of the early emigrants to California. As Odd Fellows from other parts of the country spread into the mining communities, local lodges were organized for fraternal and relief purposes. Odd Fellowship has thus played an important part in the growth of California from the very beginning, by its services to the needy and its activities in community affairs. 10 The Odd Fellows Home was established in 1894 to care for the aged and indigent Odd Fellows, their wives and orphans. Originally located at Thermalito, near Oroville, it was later moved to its present location at Saratoga, one of the beauty spots of California. Today over 200 aged and infirm are cared for in a spacious modern Home. It is the purpose of this institution to be in every way a Home, where residents live together as a family; every effort is made to make all contented and happy. Residents are provided with a variety of leisure activities, trips, and social gatherings. A new infirmary wing has just been completed and additional modernization and expansion is planned. Each year in August the Grand Lodge holds a picnic at the Home when members and friends gather at Saratoga to tour the Home and meet the residents. An Endowment Fund supported by the Lodges of the state now totals approximately $4 million and insures the future success and operation of the Home, one of the Order’s greatest assets. The Children’s Home at Gilroy was instituted in 1896 and is supported by the Rebekah Lodges of the state. The goal of this Home is a home full of happy children with opportunities for an education that will prepare them for the responsibilities of adulthood. They are fed, clothed, and educated up to two years in the local Junior

College. They participate in community activities such as Scouting, 4-H, and athletic events. The older children work at jobs within the community, allowing them to save for further education or other goals. All children receive an allowance based on age and many take on special duties at the Home to earn extra money. Each year in April Odd Fellows and Rebekahs from around the state hold a two day Festival at the Home. This project offers an opportunity to visit the Home and also raises a substantial sum for the operation of the Home as well as a chance to get to know the children. The Rebekah Lodges of California are justly proud of the Children’s Home, California being the only. state where the care of needy IOOF children is entirely entrusted to the Rebekah Branch of Odd Fellowship. The Odd Fellows and Rebekahs also maintain a Youth Camp (the Three Links Camp), in the Sierra north of Sonora. Begun as a summer activity only, the camp program has expanded to include winter use as well. A full-time director and a maintenance supervisor are in residence the year round. Last year 852 guests representing family and community groups used the facility in the winter and spring months. All receipts over and above expenses go to support the summer youth camping program. Each year the Odd Fellows and Rebekah Lodges enjoy a week-end Youth Camp Festival, the proceeds of which assist in the further development of the camp facilities. From the needs of pioneer miners to the needs of present-day youth, aged and infirm, the history of Odd Fellowship is the story of benevolent concern, for those in need. HISTORY OF OUSTOMAH LODGE NO. 16, IOOF, IN NEVADA COUNTY by Roman Rozynski From the very beginning of the Gold Rush in 1849, a fair percentage of arrivals were members of the great and well-known benevolent fraternities of the Odd Fellows and Masons, both Orders having been founded basically on the principles of aiding each other in sickness and financial distress. Since the first miners in any area found the richest ‘‘strikes”, these lucky ones often stayed and went into business as offering a better, and often more profitable way of living than wielding a pick and shovel, thereby becoming some of the more influential as well as prosperous leaders in the community. Among these was a large percentage of Odd Fellows, most of whom also belonged to the Masonic Order. By 1850, these men of both orders, calling together all members who were financially or physically able to help, formed two informal working organizations for relief purposes which were also fraternal. They established the first hospitals—crude but effective, paid doctors’ fees, medicines and food and other necessities, such as hiring other men as “nurses” to tend the sick, sometimes around the clock. Then, either paid burial expenses for the dead, of whom there were many (most of them unrecorded) or, when the patients recovered, loaned money to help them get started. In those earliest desperate, frantic years of the Gold Rush these two great benevolent Orders seldom demanded or even asked whether a man in need was a member or not, but raised and dispensed many thousands of dollars in relief. There were four or five members of Odd Fellows belonging to lodges in the Eastern states who casually met in downtown Nevada City from 1851 to 1853 at which time they finally decided to accomplish something. A petition from Aaron A. Sargent and four others praying for the establishment of a lodge in the City of Nevada, name to be Oustomah Lodge, was received by the Grand Lodge of California on October 22, 1853. What motivated these 5 men to request a lodge is unknown, nor can we find out just why they named the Lodge aftre the local tribe of Maidu Indians, The Oustomah. All the early records were destroyed by fire.