Sammamish Valley Grange History

Preface

Our Grange, Sammamish Valley Grange (of Woodinville), has been active in several facets of our community. From running community fairs, to creating and managing the Heritage Garden, our Grange has stepped in to fill a need in the community. For the last 100 years, several civilly minded individuals have joined to help out with work in mostly the Bothell and Woodinville communities.
Yet, there have been some rocky times too. There were possible instances of impropriety in running the cooperative store. Some unsavory characters have joined, some of whom attempted to change the character of the organization to suit their own needs. Much of the membership gain was due to some outside factor, like the cooperative store or Grange Insurance, and many of those members never attended one meeting.
This history is to demonstrate the history of one organization. My purpose is to serve as a story of our Grange, but other clubs, not only including Granges, can use it’s lessons as guidelines for policies.
Before I start into the history, I want to give a word about the sources. I have five types of sources. The first is the minutes from the meetings. This is supposed to be sufficient, but it is not, and I needed the help from other sources. I have collected as much of the other documents, such as financial records, member records, correspondence, and the like, to get a better picture of the history. The third is oral history, history given by other people. The fourth is the archives of the Washington State Grange. Finally, I used outside histories, both of the Grange and of the area, to help paint as complete a picture as possible.
There are some missing sources. I was told that there was a flood in the old Grange Hall, The Hollywood School House, and a lot of documents were stored in the basement. As a result, several documents were lost, including secretary’s books.
In 2002, the members decided to do a housecleaning, and while I attempted to salvage as much as possible, some information went into the trash. Who knows how many more “housecleaings” occurred over the years? There is also mention throughout the secretary’s records of documents that have been stored away “in the file,” but the earliest documents I have been able to locate are from the 1920’s.
Institutions have also purged their records. I have been advised by Don Whiting of the Washington State Grange that the early court cases pertaining to the Blanket Primary were not to be located. Also, in my review of our Secretary’s correspondence, there has been mention of two lawsuits that this Grange was involved in. Not only were they destroyed in “housecleanings,” but GIA does not have record of these claims, either. These lawsuits may shed light into some aspect of our Grange.
The secretary’s records may indicate some inaccuracies that could be eliminated by other sources. For example, a deed on land in 1929 was purchased by $40, but the records indicate $140. That is a significant number, enough to give two different pictures.
Some of the records of other early Granges may have disappeared from the face of history. In the northern portion of today’s Eastside, the approximate territory of Sammamish Valley Grange, there were at least six Granges – four of which folded by the late 1920’s. While we have the records of Woodinville Grange, and those of Cherry Valley are easily obtainable, some may have seceded in 1921 into Washington State Grange, Inc. I have yet to locate the source of those records.
Finally, oral history sometimes tells “what really went on.” A lot of members have passed on, so their oral histories of our Grange, and our community, have been lost forever.
Chapter 1, has been active in several facets of our community. From running community fairs, to creating and managing the Heritage Garden, our Grange has stepped in to fill a need in the community. For the last 100 years, several civilly minded individuals have joined to help out with work in mostly the Bothell and Woodinville communities.
Yet, there have been some rocky times too. There were possible instances of impropriety in running the cooperative store. Some unsavory characters have joined, some of whom attempted to change the character of the organization to suit their own needs. Much of the membership gain was due to some outside factor, like the cooperative store or Grange Insurance, and many of those members never attended one meeting.
This history is to demonstrate the history of one organization. My purpose is to serve as a story of our Grange, but other clubs, not only including Granges, can use it’s lessons as guidelines for policies.
Before I start into the history, I want to give a word about the sources. I have five types of sources. The first is the minutes from the meetings. This is supposed to be sufficient, but it is not, and I needed the help from other sources. I have collected as much of the other documents, such as financial records, member records, correspondence, and the like, to get a better picture of the history. The third is oral history, history given by other people. The fourth is the archives of the Washington State Grange. Finally, I used outside histories, both of the Grange and of the area, to help paint as complete a picture as possible.
There are some missing sources. I was told that there was a flood in the old Grange Hall, The Hollywood School House, and a lot of documents were stored in the basement. As a result, several documents were lost, including secretary’s books.
In 2002, the members decided to do a housecleaning, and while I attempted to salvage as much as possible, some information went into the trash. Who knows how many more “housecleaings” occurred over the years? There is also mention throughout the secretary’s records of documents that have been stored away “in the file,” but the earliest documents I have been able to locate are from the 1920’s.
Institutions have also purged their records. I have been advised by Don Whiting of the Washington State Grange that the early court cases pertaining to the Blanket Primary were not to be located. Also, in my review of our Secretary’s correspondence, there has been mention of two lawsuits that this Grange was involved in. Not only were they destroyed in “housecleanings,” but GIA does not have record of these claims, either. These lawsuits may shed light into some aspect of our Grange.
The secretary’s records may indicate some inaccuracies that could be eliminated by other sources. For example, a deed on land in 1929 was purchased by $40, but the records indicate $140. That is a significant number, enough to give two different pictures.
Some of the records of other early Granges may have disappeared from the face of history. In the northern portion of today’s Eastside, the approximate territory of Sammamish Valley Grange, there were at least six Granges – four of which folded by the late 1920’s. While we have the records of Woodinville Grange, and those of Cherry Valley are easily obtainable, some may have seceded in 1921 into Washington State Grange, Inc. I have yet to locate the source of those records.
Finally, oral history sometimes tells “what really went on.” A lot of members have passed on, so their oral histories of our Grange, and our community, have been lost forever.
Introduction
[i] This is one of the names we go by. However, the By-Laws state we are merely Sammamish Valley Grange. A clear reading of the history will show why.

posted by EricMatthew @ 10:20 PM