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The Elba Grange |
Elba Grange Hall - Roof |
An announcement was placed
in the Progressive Batavian newspaper on April 21, 1893 as
follows: "There will be a gathering at the residence of A.E.
Blood, about one mile east of the village, on Friday afternoon at
two o'clock to organize a Grange. Twenty-seven names have already
been secured for the organization."
Topics were often discussed
at the meetings, such things as: How to deal with killing of
tuberculosis in cattle; maintaining soil fertility; tile
drainage; how to keep the boys and girls down on the farm; crops
for clay soils, light soils and loam; and potato wart, among many
others. Agents were always selected to provide members with the
best price for binding twine, coal, fertilizer and seed.
The next few years saw the
Grange growing rapidly. In June of 1898, Elba hosted the
quarterly session of the Genesee County Grange at the
Presbyterian Church when membership in the county was 1,211. By
November of 1899, Elba membership had grown to 140. Grangers
began looking into purchasing a site and erecting a hall for
their own use. This idea would recirculate now and again for the
next 15 years.
By 1903 the membership was
up to 255, but tragedy struck in September. The Staples building
that housed William E. Ganshaw's general store, the Post Office,
as well as the Grangers, Maccabees and the Gentlemen's Club,
burned to the ground. The Grange lost its charter and trunk. It
was decided to conduct the meetings in the Odd Fellows Hall for
$1.50 per night, until the new hall could be constructed. Four
sites were chosen but again no action was taken.
There was a membership of
308 in 1908, with 105 gained in one year. That year at the
Genesee County Fair, Elba received first prize for its booth
displayed in the new exhibition hall. They scored 96.95 points
out of a possible 100. A quote from the Batavia Daily News reads
as follows: "A visitor from out of the county at the grange
booths said to one of the attendants - If I were contemplating a
change of residence, this exhibition of your various towns would
be a great help to me in selecting my future home. Any town
(Elba) that can produce the variety and quality of products such
as you show here is good enough for me to live in." This was
the first time Elba had ever entered a display in competition.
The exhibit for the 1909
County Fair was a repeat performance, with Elba scoring 88.19
points taking the $100 first prize away from the Stafford Grange
who came in second scoring 72.58 points.
The Elba Grange was
incorporated on April 3, 1915 by a motion that received 84
affirmative votes. On April 17, 1915, it was reported that a site
for the new Hall had been purchased from E.W. Hundredmark, the
former J. Stapes' store site which had burned. R. Norton Reed of
Batavia was awarded the contract for the construction of the
cement block building, including plumbing and heating, for a cost
of $8,500. Construction began and the Hall was formally dedicated
on Saturday, February 19, 1916 with a price of 35 cents a plate
for the banquet dinner.
It was an eventful day in
the history of Elba when the doors were opened and the new
building dedicated. The exercises marked the culmination of many
years of aspiration by the Grangers for a home. The dinner was
served in three courses to 550 people, under the supervision of
Mrs. Seward Post, with a large corps of assistants, both men and
women. Six hundred people were crowded into the large assembly
hall on the second floor when the curtain of the stage arose.
State Master Sherman J. Lowell of Fredonia performed the
dedication exercises.
With the new hall, Elba
took an upswing in the arts. Plays, comedies, movies, etc.,
became a way for the Grangers to pay for their new edifice and at
the same time, provide never before seen entertainment to the
community. Less than 6 weeks after the opening, on March 30th,
the Barre Grangers came to perform on the stage. The Grange
master was in the middle of his performances with his son, when
he collapsed on the floor. The astounded audience saw the curtain
quickly fall, and learned later that the man had died instantly,
from an apparent heart attack.
Through the years, the Elba
Grange members entered into many discussions and debates that
effected their lives and the community. Some such examples are
the draining of the "Big Swamp"; the need for a
creamery; to demand that better telephone service be provided by
the Bell Company; a great debate on the result of the wholesale
destruction of the timber in this section; discuss the advantages
of centralized schools over the one-room school house system; and
for women, the canning and preservation of fruits and vegetables;
and women's suffrage. The Grange strongly backed the newly
organized Free rural delivery of mail. In 1920, the Elba Grange
unanimously protested the so called daylight savings law
and forwarded their feelings on to the legislature. They were in
complete opposition of the ridiculous act.
The Grange held a fair on
October 19th & 20th, 1916, complete with booths, ice cream
and candy, vegetable displays, novelties and domestic goods, a
fish pond and a chicken pie supper one night for 35 cents and an
oyster supper the next night for 25 cents, with an orchestra
providing music during and after the meal. The Fair was to become
an annual event, but in 1918 it was called off due to the threat
of Spanish influenza.
Another big event occurred
in Grange history when on May 24, 1938, 300 Grangers celebrated
the burning of the mortgage on Grange Hall. During the second
World War, meetings were held, even though it was difficult at
times, and it was decided that if the need arose, the hall would
be open to receive refugees. Such were the feelings of the time.
During the 50th anniversary celebration of the Elba Grange on May
3, 1943, a blackout occurred, a reminder of the terrible war
being raged in Europe - the time was spent singing songs. The
State Master gave a most timely and interesting address on
"Duties of Grange of a Nation at War."
The annual report of 1963
showed a membership of 150. By 1965 it was down to 107 and in
1969, only 99 members remained. Suppers were put on for the Elba
Rotary as a supplement to the rising cost of maintenance on the
Hall. But soon that wasn't enough and in 1974 the Elba Grange
Hall was sold to the Elba Fire Department to be used as their
recreation hall.
The present membership is
21, including 8 golden sheathers (over 50 year members). The
meetings are held monthly from April to November at the First
Presbyterian Church. Anson Speed is the member in longest
standing, joining 74 years ago in 1924.
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