Box 2

The Prairie View Grange No. 1786 Collection documents the establishment and history of a farming organization in Pecatonica, Illinois from 1915 to its dissolution in 1970. The main series of the collection consists of a partial set of minute books (1931-1970) containing information about the members’ concern with agricultural problems. These books also relate how social events relieved the loneliness and isolation typical of the farming life. A major weakness in the collection is the lack of comprehensive records for the years 1915-1930. This gap is partially covered by membership demits and a dues account and roll book providing membership data from 1915 to 1964.