jan 14, 1867 - The Grange founded (1867)

Description:

National Grange of the Patrons of Husbandry - aka the Grange (1867); Lead by Oliver H. Kelley, Minnesota farmer, Wanted to enhance lives of isolated farmers thru social, educational, fraternal activities; Farm men and women = lonely in separate farmhouses, found Grange’s picnics/ concerts/lectures to be great, Spread quickly, had 800k members in 1875 mostly in Mid-W and S, Met in schoolhouses and in homes;

Grangers raised goals from individual self-improvement to improvement of farmers’ collective probs; Wanted to escape trusts → est cooperatively owned stores for consumers & grain elevators and warehouses for producers; Wanted to manufacture harvesting machinery, but mismanagement → disaster;

Grangers also went into politics, lots of success in upper Miss Valley; Esp success in Illinois, Wisconsin, Iowa, Minnesota, Thru state legis, regulate RR rates and storage fees charged ; Granger Laws fought thru high courts, after Wabash decision → Grangers’ influence fades

Organization stayed strong as champion of farm interests, improved rural life w/ social activities

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