History of the Grange
History of the Rockford Grange
The Rockford Grange #501 was established in 1913. Built in 1921 our Grange building was the largest Grange Hall in the state of Oregon. This Grange, #501, has had various names during its 100 years, including Park Grange and West Hood River Grange. At one time there were over 200 active Grange members.
Since WWII, rural life, and subsequently Granges, across the country, have been on the decline as people left the country living for urban areas. Modern media became more focal than community gatherings. Many Granges during this period were lost and the Granges that remain sometimes question where they fit into modern culture. We of the Rockford Grange believe that bringing families and neighbors together is of enduring value to people, and the spaces where we can gather are to be enjoyed and protected.
Our current Rockford members seek information about Grange history in the Hood River Valley. The decades between the ‘40’s, and the ‘90s are mostly unknown to us. We know that the WyEast Whirlers, a Square dance group kept the Hall functioning as a Grange beginning in the ‘70s. The Mid Columbia Folklore Society has held 2nd Saturday Country Dances at Rockford since 1990. The Unitarian Universalist congregation has met at Rockford since 2007. Our current Grangers began to revitalize the Grange in 2010 when the Hood River Valley community was in danger of losing Rockford Hall as the older generation of folks aged on.
If sleuthing historical records and interviewing elders of the larger community are of interest to you, we would welcome your help!
Here' are some resources to check out:
Spirit of the Grange; The Wisdom of Demeter, by Ann Brigit Waters (2016)
A contemporary exploration of Grange lore and history, from a woman deeply committed to making tradition and experience of Grange rituals interactive.
Exploring Traditions— Celebrating the Grange Way of Life, by Walter Boomsma (2018) A collected series of his columns from the Maine State Grange website. He reads a bit like Garrison Keillor
What is the Grange Movement?
The Grange is a family-oriented community organization with its roots in agriculture. The original Grange was founded in 1867, formed as a national organization with a local focus. Granges, including Rockford, were instrumental in bringing needed services to rural areas, such as postal service, utilities, farm supplies (Montgomery Ward & Grange Supply became Hood River Supply), rural fire protection, state agriculture schools such as OSU and their Extension services, 4H and FFA- and the list goes on. Today the National Grange is part of the advocacy for Broadband services to rural areas.
The Grange has four levels, Community, County or District, State, and National. Our local membership sets the direction and activities for the Community Grange in true grassroots fashion, and those decisions seep up to the national level.
