Northern Illinois Granges Collection

The Black Hawk Grange organized in 1922. The Carroll County Pomona Grange began organizing on August 13, 1951.  Before the first meeting, Carroll County Deputy Harold Stoner visited subordinate granges to seek input on organizing a pomona grange in Carroll County.  Members came from the three subordinate granges in Carroll County, Black Hawk, Milledgeville and Rock Creek.  Grange members also transferred from the Whiteside County Pomona Grange.  The Carroll County Pomona Grange incorporated on July 12, 1952.  The first resolution written by the Grange asked the stores in Sterling to remain open on Saturday night due to the inconvenience early closures caused the farmers in the surrounding area.  One of the many projects done by the Grange was the traveling wagon.  The wagon went to all the granges in the Carroll County Pomona’s area.  Canned goods, toys, clothing, and money were put in the wagon and all donations were donated to the children’s home in Freeport.  Donations were given to many charities including the March of Dimes, the Deaf Fund, CARE, and the Flood Relief Fund during the flood in Fulton, Illinois in the mid 1960's.  The members helped the community by starting a literacy program, delivering food boxes to shut ins, and taking on the responsibilities of a farm for a man who was paralyzed when a tree fell on him. The Galt Grange organized in March 1931. The Jordan Grange organized on May 14, 1935.  There may have been an earlier Jordan Grange because we have meeting minutes and a membership list from the 1870's.  The purpose of the Grange was to benefit the community, educate and elevate the interests of the American farmer, bring neighbors and friends closer together in working for the betterment of rural life and the advancement of agriculture, be a loyal defender of school and church principals, and be an inspiration to the youth organization in building community life for the future.  To raise money the members held bake sales, sold Jello, sponsored dances, served at public sales and banquets, held old clothes auctions, and sold magazine subscriptions.  The money raised was give to the sick and unfortunate, the Red Cross, the flood sufferers, orphanages, Taber Pine Forest, and Lowden and Black Hawk Parks.  They also bought bonds.  The Jordan Grange held their last meeting on March 20, 1986.  The remaining funds were given to the Illinois State Grange.    The Palmyra Grange organized on July 26, 1940.  They incorporated on April 28, 1955.  The Grange raised money by selling greeting cards, having bake sales, serving dinners, ice cream social and cake walks.  The members helped farmers put in crops and donated money to charities such as the Red Cross, Salvation Army, Heart Fund, Mental Illness, School for the Retarded Children, and the Polio Foundation.  All members contributed clothing to the State School, gave food and clothing to families that were burned out, the Dixon Goodfellows, and the Lee County Nursing Home.  The Grange held their final meeting on December 19, 2003 with the money left in their checking account donated to many different charities. The Rock Creek Grange held an annual fish fry and the Livestock Feeder’s Banquet. The Rock River Grange organized in 1951. The Whiteside County Pomona Grange organized on September 5, 1931 with 54 members.  The Grange had picnics, canning demonstrations, published a cook book and were involved in many other activities.  They served the annual Chamber of Commerce banquets and had lunch stands at sales for money making projects.  They donated to the Polio Fund, Sterling Parks, Red Cross, Cancer Fund, March of Dimes, Salvation Army, Winning Wheels, National Grange Building Fund, National Grange Youth Leadership Fund, CARE, the blind and the deaf, and many others.  The Grange disbanded on December 5, 1992 with a final donation to Amcore Bank to help buy caps and mittens for needy children.

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