Fraternal Orders in Muncie

Throughout the United States in the late nineteenth and early twentieth century, many Americans began both forming and becoming part of civic organizations. With this, a unique sense of community and comradery was created in many American towns and cities. This sense of community was particularly prominent throughout the Midwest United States, and Muncie was no exception. When reading What Middletown Read: Print Culture in an American Small City by Frank Felsenstein and James J. Connolly, one comes across various clubs and organizations, such as the women’s clubs that were mentioned in the book many times. Some of these clubs led to a significant amount of social change and activism at the time.^[1] Reading about these clubs brought forth the idea of investigating organizations involving other portions of the Muncie population. Many modern historians tend to focus their studies on a specific group during the period. Typically, the marginalized such as African Americans or women. To shed light on the majority, which is overlooked at times, this project will focus on men’s organizations, predominantly white and middle-to-upper class. The investigation will be on major fraternal orders in Muncie between 1870 to 1915. 

Historical lenses that will be utilized in this investigation are the social, economic, and political lenses. The social lens will detail the causes for men joining the orders and the interactions they had within the order and the public overall. In my preliminary investigation I found that the peak of fraternal organization creation occurred between 1865 and 1899, when two hundred and thirty-nine new orders were formed across the United States. According to historian Clifford Putney, many of these orders were comprised of white, middle-class men, typically WASPs.^[2] Next, the economic lens will discover which classes of men were joining fraternal orders. Was it the affluent? Were they business owners? If so, it will be the goal to find their names and which businesses were owned. Moreover, what was the impact on the local community and business? For this, gauging the impact fraternal orders had in other cities across the Midwest and the nation will be beneficial. Finally, the political lens will describe the influence fraternal orders had on the government and politicians of Muncie. Were politicians or government officials prominent in the fraternal orders? If so, finding the names of these politicians or specific instances of the orders influencing the government or politics will be helpful. Just as the economic lens, one may need to look nationally for a general view on how the orders impacted government and politics. Overall, these three lenses are fundamental in discovering the role and appeal of the fraternal orders and their impact in Muncie.

While many modern historians do focus on more specific, outspoken, or marginalized groups, there is still a significant amount of information and previous studies done on fraternal orders. Notable historians and sociologists such as Mary Ann Clawson, Bayliss J. Camp, and Theda Skocpol have done tremendous work studying how these fraternal orders were organized, the power they possessed, and how class relations were formed in response. These previous studies will be crucial in providing the backbone for this investigation into Muncie’s fraternal orders. However, the studies do not adequately, if at all, answer the questions I have posed. This investigation will be looking into three key research questions. Foremost, which fraternal orders were located in Muncie between 1870 and 1915? By knowing the amount and type of fraternal orders in Muncie during this time, further in-depth analysis of the topic can be done. Discovering the location of the orders in Muncie may potentially provide some photographs. The member size of the orders will also show which were the most popular, which leads to the next question. That is, what was the appeal to men for wanting to join these orders? Each order had its own goals and ways of operating. Many of them offered benefits to their members. Discovering the goals and benefits of fraternal orders in Muncie will provide an answer to why men sought to join. Lastly, which notable individuals joined and how did the organizations effect Munsonians both inside and outside of the orders? Organizations of any type offer members comradery and group formation. The fraternal orders brought with them more connections between men of different class, race, or religion. 

By answering these three important questions, the existence and role fraternal orders played in Muncie during the period will be evident. For many, these groups seemingly shroud themselves in secrecy or exclusivity and the effects had on Muncie are unknown. The following investigation will detail the well-established fraternal orders in Muncie and their impacts on the community from 1870 to 1915. 

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^[1] Frank Felsenstein, James J. Connolly, What Middletown Read: Print Culture in an American Small City, (Amherst: University of Massachusetts Press, 2015).

^[2] Clifford Putney. “Service Over Secrecy: How Lodge‐Style Fraternalism Yielded Popularity to Men’s Service Clubs.” The Journal of Popular Culture 27, no. 1 (1993): 179.

Foremost, the question of which fraternal orders were in Muncie during the period had to be answered. Discovering this initial question allowed for further analysis and investigation of specific fraternal orders to answer the other questions posed. Searching through the Ball State University Digital Media Repository provided several primary sources that provided information on the names and locations of several fraternal orders in Muncie. Additionally, A Twentieth Century History of Delaware County, Indiana by General William H. Kemper also had significant amounts of information pertaining to the history and members in fraternal orders in Muncie. Together, these two sources showed that Muncie had an abundance of fraternal orders between 1870 and 1915. Only the most prominent fraternal orders in Muncie are detailed in this study. 

The oldest fraternal order in Muncie, and the most well-known today was the Free and Accepted Masons. When searching the Ball State University Digital Media Repository and visiting the archives at Bracken Library, a bylaws pamphlet from the Free and Accepted Masons was discovered. The bylaws pamphlet detailed the rules, regulations, and procedures of Free and Accepted Masons Delaware Lodge No. 46 in Muncie. This pamphlet was created shortly after 1906, though the specific year is uncertain. The preface of this pamphlet provided information on the arrival of the Freemasons into Muncie. Although not completely within the timeframe being studied, the background provides information of individuals and locations that lasted through the 1870 and beyond. The bylaws preface stated that in the fall of 1842, a number of masons submitted a charter application to the Grand Lodge of the State of Indiana. The request was granted, and a dispensation issued by Philip Mason, a Grand Master in Connersville, was dated October 7, 1842.^[1] The Freemasons transitioned through several different locations after this time. In May of 1863, the Masons purchased a lot at the northwest corner of Main street and High street. A three-story brick building was completed, and the cornerstone was laid on July 24, 1863.^[2]  The Masons met in the third floor of this building up until November of 1905. On November 9, 1905, a cornerstone for a new temple was laid. This one was located on West Main street.^[3] It was the last temple used within the scope of this study. 

Another such fraternal order in Muncie was the Independent Order of Odd Fellows. The Odd Fellows was the second oldest fraternal order in Muncie. It was established on November 9, 1849 as the Muncie Lodge No. 74 by only a handful of local men. According to the Delaware County Fraternal Orders Collection summary on the Ball State University Digital Media Repository, the Odd Fellows too had various locations throughout the years. However, in 1853 they occupied the third floor of the Brady Building on the north side of Main street.^[4] By 1871, a sum of four thousand dollars was paid for a lot on the northeast corner of Jackson and Walnut and a stock subscription for the construction of the hall was begun. On June 8, 1872, the cornerstone was laid, and the Odd Fellows Hall was finally dedicated on October 28, 1875.^[5] Among other organizations, Theda Skocpol and Jennifer Lynn Oser cited the Odd Fellows as having had a racist undertone and possessing explicit racial exclusion clauses in their constitution.^[6]

A third major lodge in Muncie, with much more information, was the Knights of Pythias. Accessed from the Ball State Digital Media Repository was a Golden Jubilee pamphlet from the Knights of Pythias Muncie lodge. This pamphlet was created in the early twentieth century and includes an historical section which details the founding of the Knights of Pythias in Muncie. Based on the pamphlet from the lodge itself, the following was discovered. It was instituted on August 14, 1873 as the Castle Hall of Welcome Lodge No. 37 by Grand Chancellor Samuel P. Oyler and other Grand Lodge Officers. However, the charter of the lodge was not granted until January 28, 1874. The Knights of Pythias initially occupied space in the third floor of the Stuart building, located at 114 East Main street. However, there were many transitions into other locations to hold the meetings. The lodge then moved to its own building which was built in 1904 and dedicated on March 17, 1905 by Grand Chancellor George W. Powell. The Knights of Pythias went through many obstacles and struggled to gain a foothold in Muncie. But, on November 29, 1907, the Eaton Lodge No. 493 was consolidated with the Welcome Lodge No. 37 in Muncie, which brought success and boosted the member count. It should be noted that, according to sociologists Jason Kaufman and David Weintraub, the national lodge of the Knights of Pythias had several controversies and a disputed history in terms of their goals.^[7] The widespread goals and ideals of the Knights of Pythias will be detailed in the following blog with its fraternal order counterparts.

An auxiliary of the Knights of Pythias, which had much more success in Muncie, was the Dramatic Order Knights of Khorasson. The Golden Jubilee pamphlet of the Knights of Pythias states that the Dramatic Order Knights of Khorasson “at one time had a large and most excellent Temple in Muncie.”^[8] The temple was named El Capitan Temple No. 94 and was instituted on July 12, 1900 at the Anthony block. It had the largest charter list of members of the time, three hundred and fifty members, and was one of the leading orders in Muncie.^[9]

Lastly, searching through the Ball State University Digital Media Repository showed a document from another fraternal order named the Improved Order of Red Men. The document examined was an official speaking leaf of the Independent Order of Red Men and was created on November 15, 1905. It outlined various officials in the organization as well as instructions and general information for its members.^[10] For Muncie specifically, the first Red Men Lodge, termed ‘wigwam’ was instituted on June 26, 1873 at the Willard block, Main and Walnut streets. The lodge was identified as the De Ember Tribe No. 30. Meetings were originally held in the Wysor Opera House hall and were then moved to a building on Walnut street, north of Jackson.^[11] However, the Improved Order of Red Men had several tribes in Muncie, all with separate members. Tribes included the Munsy Tribe, Twa Twa Tribe, Tomahawk Tribe, and several other smaller ones.

These important fraternal orders in Muncie will provide the basis for the following investigation. 

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^[1] Free and Accepted Masons Delaware Lodge No. 46 bylaws pamphlet, Archives and Special Collections, Ball State University Libraries. https://dmr.bsu.edu/digital/collection/DelFraOrd/id/25. Accessed November 7, 2019.

^[2] Sesquicentennial: Delaware Lodge 46, F & A.M., Muncie, Ind., 1843-1993, May 1, 1993, Archives and Special Collections, Ball State University Libraries. https://dmr.bsu.edu/digital/collection/FrmnVrnn/id/1329/rec/5. Accessed November 7, 2019.

^[3] Ibid.

^[4] Delaware County Fraternal Orders Collection: About this collection, Archives and Special Collections, Ball State University Libraries. https://dmr.bsu.edu/digital/collection/DelFraOrd. Accessed November 14, 2019.

^[5] General William Harrison Kemper. A Twentieth century history of Delaware County, Indiana. Vol. 1. Lewis Publishing Company, 1908, 509.

^[6] Theda Skocpol, Jennifer Lynn Oser. “Organization despite Adversity: The Origins and Development of African American Fraternal Associations.” Social Science History 28, no. 3 (2004): 367-437.

^[7] Jason Kaufman, David Weintraub. “Social-Capital Formation and American Fraternal Association: New Empirical Evidence.” The Journal of Interdisciplinary History 35, no. 1 (2004): 1-36.

^[8] Knights of Pythias Welcome Lodge No. 37 Golden Jubilee pamphlet, 1923, Archives and Special Collections, Ball State University Libraries. https://dmr.bsu.edu/digital/collection/DelFraOrd/id/73. Accessed November 14, 2019.

^[9] Ibid.

^[10] Indiana Redman, Vol. 1, No. 10, November 15, 1905, Archives and Special Collections, Ball State University Libraries. https://dmr.bsu.edu/digital/collection/DelFraOrd/id/132. Accessed November 14, 2019.

^[11] General William Harrison Kemper. A Twentieth century history of Delaware County, Indiana. Vol. 1. Lewis Publishing Company, 1908, 515.

With fraternal orders known, the next question was to find the appeal for men to join these orders. While each of the orders are unique in their own sense and have different objectives and characteristics, many had the same techniques of persuading men to join. The following will describe characteristics of the fraternal orders – their goals and advantages for members. 

Initially, the Free and Accepted Masons started out as being strictly masonry for those in the trade. Over time, though, the idea changed, and the Freemasons became much more spiritual. The Ball State University Digital Media Repository holds a souvenir pamphlet by the Muncie Freemasons that was especially informative. The Free and Accepted Masons souvenir pamphlet was from the Delaware Lodge No. 46 in Muncie. It outlined the various ranks of the lodge and gives the name of those individuals who occupied the ranks in 1905. Most importantly, the pamphlet details goals and ideals that all Freemasons hold, as well as a mission statement. The pamphlet states that the masons have become laborers in the spiritual field, “using the workmen’s tools as symbols of moral truths.”^[1] It goes on to say that the Mason is a cosmopolitan, knowing neither country, sect, or opinion, but recognizes the warm heart of all men across the world. Wherever a Mason must travel, they should never feel stranger and will be welcomed by their brethren. This sense of cosmopolitanism was common throughout Muncie during this period. What Middletown Read: Print Culture in an American Small City by Felsenstein and Connolly dedicated an entire chapter to the spreading cosmopolitanism ideal through the literature provided by the libraries in Muncie.^[2] Masons were also charitable, having a Masonic home in nearly each state that gives the needy a place to rest safely, as well as private Mason charities throughout the country.^[3]This charity also benefited members as well, who might have been in financial troubles. The Free and Accepted Masons Delaware Lodge No. 46 bylaws pamphlet outlines procedures for assistance to members who need financial support. The Charity Committee of Muncie Lodge would examine the conditions of those who applied for financial relief, having the authority to draw money to any member needing assistance.^[4] For many members this support acted as insurance, which was greatly sought then as it still is now. However, the Freemasons were socially and economically different from the other fraternal orders of the time. Mary Ann Clawson, a well-known sociologist who studies fraternal orders, found that the Freemasons were not as inclusive and do not represent the social composition of most fraternal orders of the time. She states that the Freemasons were the accepted elite of the fraternal world, “priding themselves on their venerable traditions, their greater selectivity, and their resistance to the recruiting practices employed by other orders.”^[5] Focusing on the Masons, she states, will lead to the underestimation of working-class men in fraternal orders.^[6]

This is not to say that other fraternal orders did not pride themselves on tradition. The Red Men, for example, strived to express their originality and beauty in ceremony.^[7] So too did the other fraternal orders at the time, such as Knights of Pythias and the Odd Fellows. All of these fraternal orders also sought to be charitable and assist their communities. Again, the Red Men sought to become the greatest fraternal order “in intrinsic merit, in fidelity to the sick, in the extension of charity and relief.”^[8] By providing economic relief to both their own members and the surrounding communities, fraternal orders were able to gain support and thus persuade more men to join. 

Knights of Pythias, Odd Fellows, and Red Men membership showed higher rates of working-class participation compared to the exclusive Freemasons. This is due to the openness of these fraternal orders, as well as the perks members can receive. Social connections are a major benefit of joining a fraternal order. Distinguished historian Jack S. Blocker explained that, for African Americans, fraternal orders initially developed with local roots during emancipation, but grew into regional and even national consociations. This process of unification, Blocker said, involved not only consciousness but also institutional and power connections through community building.^[9] This corroborates Clawson, when she states that “large numbers of working-class men were involved in social relations with men of other classes, relations which were both institutionalized and discretionary, which represented personal choice by all concerned about how and with whom to spend leisure time.”^[10] This social advantage of breaking down class barriers and forming groups that can form across the nation with a set of goals and common agenda was persuasive to many men to join fraternal orders. 

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^[1] Free and Accepted Masons Delaware Lodge No. 46 souvenir pamphlet, 1905, Archives and Special Collections, Ball State University Libraries. https://dmr.bsu.edu/digital/collection/DelFraOrd/id/18/rec/1. Accessed November 7, 2019.

^[2] Frank Felsenstein, James J. Connolly, What Middletown Read: Print Culture in an American Small City, (Amherst: University of Massachusetts Press, 2015). 

^[3] Free and Accepted Masons Delaware Lodge No. 46 souvenir pamphlet, 1905, Archives and Special Collections, Ball State University Libraries. https://dmr.bsu.edu/digital/collection/DelFraOrd/id/18/rec/1. Accessed November 7, 2019.

^[4] Free and Accepted Masons Delaware Lodge No. 46 bylaws pamphlet, Archives and Special Collections, Ball State University Libraries. https://dmr.bsu.edu/digital/collection/DelFraOrd/id/25. Accessed November 7, 2019.

^[5] Mary Ann Clawson. “Fraternal Orders and Class Formation in the Nineteenth-Century United States.” Comparative Studies in Society and History 27, no. 4 (1985): 679.

^[6] Ibid.

^[7] Indiana Redman, Vol. 1, No. 10, November 15, 1905, Archives and Special Collections, Ball State University Libraries. https://dmr.bsu.edu/digital/collection/DelFraOrd/id/132. Accessed November 14, 2019.

^[8] Ibid.

^[9] Jack S. Blocker. “Building Networks: Cooperation and Communication Among African Americans in the Urban Midwest, 1860–1910.” Indiana Magazine of History 99, no. 4 (2003): 370. 

^[10] Mary Ann Clawson. “Fraternal Orders and Class Formation in the Nineteenth-Century United States.” Comparative Studies in Society and History 27, no. 4 (1985): 686.

Widespread fraternal orders ultimately had an effect on the Muncie community, both within the organizations and outside of them. The following will look into social, economic, and political effects that fraternal orders had on the city. The aforementioned breakdown and intermingling of social classes mentioned in the last blog was a key effect on the community. One other way to discover this effect is by finding members of the fraternal orders and discovering their occupations that may have been influenced by the ideals and social buildup of the organization. 

A common name to come across when searching the history of Muncie is Dr. Samuel P. Anthony. According to the Free and Accepted Masons bylaws pamphlet, Anthony was one of the first members of the Free and Accepted Masons lodge in Muncie and was the first Worshipful Master, with the original meeting place in his house.^[1] Anthony was a Freemason up until his death on July 22, 1876. Kemper cites Anthony as being “one of the oldest citizens as well as the wealthiest”^[2] and one of the most successful businessmen and best citizen the county ever had.^[3] Anthony practiced medicine for several years but amassed his fortune in his financial career.^[4] Kemper goes on to provide that Dr. Anthony was among the most liberal contributors and active promoters in the building of the first railroads in Delaware County. At one point, Anthony was also the president of the Bellefontaine and Indianapolis Railroad, which eventually became the Big Four.^[5] Dr. Samuel P. Anthony, as described by Kemper, coincides with Clawson’s statement that the Masons were not so much middle-class working individuals, but the elite and well-off. Additionally, Kemper’s description of Anthony matches the ideal that the Free and Accepted Masons strive for, being charitable and willing to help the community.^[6]Anthony was considered one of the best men, among the most liberal, and assisted the county in the building of the railroads. 

Among the elite Freemasons in Muncie was a familiar family for those attending Ball State University – the Ball Brothers. Specifically, George and Frank Ball were the two most active Masons of the five brothers. George A. Ball was raised a Master Mason in the Muncie Lodge No. 433 on December 15, 1898 and Frank followed shortly after.^[7] George was a glass manufacturer, investor, and a philanthropist. In his later years, George and his brothers undertook a series of philanthropic activities, such as presenting Ball State University to the state of Indiana.^[8] George and his brother Edmund, also a Mason, were Chairmen of Regular Committees for the Art Students’ League in 1907. The league “has given pictures to the public schools, and through its committee on civic improvement has done much to beautify the city.”^[9] Through their actions, it is evident that the Ball Brothers possessed in them the charitable nature and sense of civic duty required by the Freemasons. 

Not only the Free and Accepted Masons, but all other fraternal orders inspired men to be at their best and assist the community when possible. The Improved Order of Red Men, according to the Indiana Redman leaflet on the Ball State University Digital Media Repository, was especially proud to tote that their member, Leonidas A. Guthrie, had been elected mayor of Muncie in 1905.^[10] During his tenure Guthrie oversaw several advancements in Muncie’s development, as well as being a reform leader and philanthropist.^[11] According to his obituary, Guthrie was a well-respected man who helped Muncie through various means, politically and financially.

While the most notable and wealthy of the men in fraternal orders are recognized, there are many more who gave to their community and lived a charitable lifestyle. Searching through the member lists of the few major fraternal orders in Muncie showed that many of these men were charitable and if wealthy, philanthropists. Dozens of these men also felt a civic duty to assist their community through, whether it be a civil servant or an elected official. Many were state or county representatives, judges, or mayors. 

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^[1] Free and Accepted Masons Delaware Lodge No. 46 bylaws pamphlet, Archives and Special Collections, Ball State University Libraries. https://dmr.bsu.edu/digital/collection/DelFraOrd/id/25. Accessed November 7, 2019.

^[2] General William Harrison Kemper. A Twentieth century history of Delaware County, Indiana. Vol. 1. Lewis Publishing Company, 1908, 124.

^[3] Ibid., 50.

^[4] Ibid., 292.

^[5] Ibid., 51.

^[6] Free and Accepted Masons Delaware Lodge No. 46 souvenir pamphlet, 1905, Archives and Special Collections, Ball State University Libraries. https://dmr.bsu.edu/digital/collection/DelFraOrd/id/18/rec/1. Accessed November 7, 2019.

^[7] The Indiana Freemason, volume 61, number 7, December 1983, Hosted Digital Collections, Indiana Memory. http://cdm16066.contentdm.oclc.org/cdm/compoundobject/collection/p16066coll59/id/23191/rec/1. Accessed November 14, 2019.

^[8] “George Alexander Ball.” In Dictionary of American Biography. New York, NY: Charles Scribner’s Sons, 1977. Gale In Context: Biography (accessed November 30, 2019). https://link-gale-com.proxy.bsu.edu/apps/doc/BT2310018350/BIC?u=munc80314&sid=BIC&xid=d9710981. 

^[9] General William Harrison Kemper. A Twentieth century history of Delaware County, Indiana. Vol. 1. Lewis Publishing Company, 1908, 497.

^[10] Indiana Redman, Vol. 1, No. 10, November 15, 1905, Archives and Special Collections, Ball State University Libraries. https://dmr.bsu.edu/digital/collection/DelFraOrd/id/132. Accessed November 14, 2019.

^[11] Mary Ann Hooten-Bivens. “Worthy of Their Esteem: the Mayoral Years of Leonidas A. Guthrie as Reported in the Muncie Morning Star, 1905-1910” Thesis (Ph. D.)–Ball State University, 1992., 1992.

In order to answer the research questions, a variety of primary sources had to be referenced. Foremost, pamphlets and leaflets by the fraternal orders found on Ball State University Digital Media Repository, as well as visiting the archives at the Bracken Library in person. These sources provided the goals of the organizations, as well as important people. Second, utilizing journal articles from scholarly sources and notable historians, such as Blocker and Clawson, was also important. These secondary sources provided extra information that the primary sources did not include. While the information was not always directed at Muncie, it gave details of how fraternal orders effected communities on a national scale. Most importantly, the social impact the orders had in the breaking down of class barriers and allowing relations to form between men of various classes and standings. They also corroborated the primary sources, such as detailing in greater depth the individuals who were in the fraternal orders as well as the history of the organizations and their formation in Muncie. 

Specifically, A Twentieth Century History of Delaware County, Indiana by Kemper was most helpful in finding information on many aspects of this study. Volume 1 provided an extraordinary amount of information on the establishment and locations of various fraternal orders and specific groups within them. Additionally, it provided a slew of information on well-known figures in Muncie, such as Samuel P. Anthony and spoke briefly of the involvements of the Ball Brothers and Leonidas A. Guthrie in philanthropical and community organizations. By providing information about specific individuals in the fraternal orders, it allowed for real examples to be provided when explaining that the goals of the organizations were reflected in the acts of their members. 

Looking back on the process of the investigation, there were two early concerns. First, amounting such a large amount of information on fraternal orders seemed daunting. From initial searches of primary and secondary sources regarding fraternal orders in Muncie, quantity seemed slim. However, upon further searching and delving into the primary sources that were available, much more information was available than was first believed. While the pamphlets of the fraternal orders seemed to specify that they covered only some characteristics, they contained a lot more in various areas. For example, the bylaws pamphlet of the Freemasons was primarily detailing funeral procedure for deceased Masons. However, it included a section describing the history of the Freemasons in Muncie, which was much more beneficial to the investigation than the funeral procedures. The same goes for the Freemasons souvenir pamphlet that included a section detailing the goals and ideals of those who are Masons. 

The second concern was that, while bits of information was discovered from the primary sources, there were not enough details to substantiate the answers. Many of the secondary sources, such as journal articles, were not describing Muncie specifically nor did they include the same individuals being studied. To overcome this, the journal articles were used primarily to substantiate claims made more generally and with fraternal orders on a national level. Additionally, specific searching of secondary sources regarding Muncie during the period had to be done. Through this search, A Twentieth Century History of Delaware County, Indiana was found as well as The Indiana Freemason which gave additional details on Muncie’s fraternal orders and the Ball Brothers. Having this variety of sources made the investigation much easier and in turn, answering the research questions posed at the beginning. 

Overall, this investigation was fruitful and enjoyable. It provided the ability to learn more about the history of Muncie, as well as an area that piqued interest, being fraternal orders. While some knowledge was previously known about fraternal orders throughout the nation during the time, it was not substantial and detailed. This project allowed the three difficult questions to be answered and provided much more information about fraternal orders in Muncie, as well as across the country, than was anticipated. Picking to investigate fraternal orders was an exciting choice and fairly unique, as many people seem to overlook their existence and impression on communities throughout the country during the nineteenth and twentieth centuries. Perhaps through this investigation, readers will have a better grasp on what fraternal orders are, their goals and benefits, as well as the impacts they had on Muncie between the years 1870 to 1915. 

Primary Sources 

Fraser, Marie. Ball brothers. Circa 1900-1919. Ball State University Campus Photographs Collection, Ball State University Libraries, Archives and Special Collections. Accessed November 14, 2019. https://dmr.bsu.edu/digital/collection/photo/id/4118/rec/1.

Free and Accepted Masons Delaware Lodge No. 46 bylaws pamphlet, Archives and Special Collections, Ball State University Libraries. https://dmr.bsu.edu/digital/collection/DelFraOrd/id/25. Accessed November 7, 2019. 

Free and Accepted Masons Delaware Lodge No. 46 souvenir pamphlet, 1905, Archives and Special Collections, Ball State University Libraries. https://dmr.bsu.edu/digital/collection/DelFraOrd/id/18/rec/1. Accessed November 7, 2019.

Indiana Redman, Vol. 1, No. 10, November 15, 1905, Archives and Special Collections, Ball State University Libraries. https://dmr.bsu.edu/digital/collection/DelFraOrd/id/132. Accessed November 14, 2019.

Kemper, General William Harrison. A Twentieth Century History of Delaware County, Indiana. Vol. 1. Lewis Publishing Company, 1908. 

Knights of Pythias Welcome Lodge No. 37 Golden Jubilee pamphlet, 1923, Archives and Special Collections, Ball State University Libraries. https://dmr.bsu.edu/digital/collection/DelFraOrd/id/73. Accessed November 14, 2019.

Secondary Sources

“George Alexander Ball.” In Dictionary of American Biography. New York, NY: Charles Scribner’s Sons, 1977. Gale In Context: Biography. Accessed November 30, 2019. https://link-gale-com.proxy.bsu.edu/apps/doc/BT2310018350/BIC?u=munc80314&sid=BIC&xid=d9710981.

Blocker, Jack S. “Building Networks: Cooperation and Communication Among African Americans in the Urban Midwest, 1860–1910.” Indiana Magazine of History 99, no. 4 (2003).

Clawson, Mary Ann. “Fraternal Orders and Class Formation in the Nineteenth-Century United States.” Comparative Studies in Society and History 27, no. 4 (1985). 

Delaware County Fraternal Orders Collection: About this collection, Archives and Special Collections, Ball State University Libraries. https://dmr.bsu.edu/digital/collection/DelFraOrd. Accessed November 14, 2019.

Felsenstein, Frank, James J. Connolly, What Middletown Read: Print Culture in an American Small City, (Amherst: University of Massachusetts Press, 2015).

Hooten-Bivens, Mary Ann. “Worthy of Their Esteem: the Mayoral Years of Leonidas A. Guthrie as Reported in the Muncie Morning Star, 1905-1910” Thesis (Ph. D.)–Ball State University, 1992., 1992.

Kaufman, Jason, and David Weintraub. “Social-Capital Formation and American Fraternal Association: New Empirical Evidence.” The Journal of Interdisciplinary History 35, no. 1 (2004): 1-36.

Putney, Clifford. “Service Over Secrecy: How Lodge‐Style Fraternalism Yielded Popularity to Men’s Service Clubs.” The Journal of Popular Culture 27, no. 1 (1993). 

Sesquicentennial: Delaware Lodge 46, F & A.M., Muncie, Ind., 1843-1993, May 1, 1993, Archives and Special Collections, Ball State University Libraries. https://dmr.bsu.edu/digital/collection/FrmnVrnn/id/1329/rec/5. Accessed November 7, 2019.

Skocpol, Theda, and Jennifer Lynn Oser. “Organization despite Adversity: The Origins and Development of African American Fraternal Associations.” Social Science History 28, no. 3 (2004): 367-437.

The Indiana Freemason, volume 61, number 7, December 1983, Hosted Digital Collections, Indiana Memory. http://cdm16066.contentdm.oclc.org/cdm/compoundobject/collection/p16066coll59/id/23191/rec/1.