The University of Massachusetts Amherst
Robert S. Cox Special Collections & University Archives Research Center
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Ancient Order of United Workmen. Deerfield Valley Lodge No. 150

Ancient Order of United Workmen. Deerfield Valley Lodge No. 150 Records

1895-1920
1 box 0.25 linear feet
Call no.: MS 453

The Ancient Order of United Workmen, a fraternal benefit society, was originally founded in Pennsylvania in 1868. The Massachusetts lodge was founded in 1879 with the Deerfield Valley Lodge incorporated in 1880.

The collection consists of records dating from 1895–1920, including financial documents, membership information, and correspondence.

Biographical Note

The Ancient Order of United Workmen, a fraternal benefit society, was originally founded in Pennsylvania in 1868. The Massachusetts lodge was founded in 1879 with the Deerfield Valley Lodge incorporated in 1880. According to membership applications, by 1896 the Grand Lodge of Massachusetts had the largest jurisdiction in the Order. This fraternal benefit society served to provide affordable life insurance for its members, paying out a guaranteed death benefit of $2,000. This fund was maintained by assessing members a fee each time a brother died. Annual fees averaged $12 over the lodge’s first fourteen years.

Scope and contents of the collection

The collection consists of records from the Ancient Order of United Workmen, Deerfield Valley Lodge No. 150 located in Shelburne Falls, Massachusetts dating from 1895-1920. Financial documents include receipts, reports, and check stubs. Membership information includes applications, transfer cards, and the 1912 member list. Documents record the officer rolls for various years and the transfer of bonds. Undated lodge by-laws are also included. Correspondence relates to lodge business and is mainly exchanged between the Deerfield Valley Lodge and the Grand Lodge in Boston.


Information on Use
Terms of Access and Use
Restrictions on access:

The collection is open for research.

Preferred Citation

Please use the following format when citing materials from this collection:

Deerfield Valley Lodge No. 150 Records (MS 453). Special Collections and University Archives, W.E.B. Du Bois Library, University of Massachusetts Amherst.

History of the Collection

Acquired from Peter Masi, March 2005.

Processing Information

Processed by Richard Steinmetz, 2006.


Additional Information

Language
English


Contents List
By-Laws
undated
Correspondence
1898-1905
Ephemera
undated

Consists of a lodge ribbon and unaddressed envelopes.

Finance: Checks
1915-1918
Finance: Receipts
1898-1919
Finance: Reports
1897-1913
Members: Applications
1896-1920
Members: Clearance or Transfer Cards
1897-1907
Members: List
1912
Officers: Bonds
1897-1905
Officers: Roll Call
1895-1902

Subjects

Fraternal Aid AssociationFraternal organizations--MassachusettsShelburne Falls (Mass.)--History

Contributors

Ancient Order of United Workmen. Deerfield Valley Lodge No. 150

Types of material

Letters (Correspondence)Receipts (Financial records)