Patrons of Husbandry – a website dedicated to the Granges located in Maine
Grange information
You’re invited to the Maine State Grange 150th Anniversary Celebration on June 29, 2024, from 1:00 pm until 4:00 pm. There will be a short program at 2:30 pm.
State Grange Headquarters is located at 146 State Street in Augusta, Maine. Please park between the Grange and the bank and use the side entrance.
Memories – Socialize – Get acquainted
Starling Hall is the oldest building in Maine known that was built to function specifically as a Grange Hall. First constructed in 1878 with a dedication ceremony on March 8th, 1879, the original structure was enlarged to its present dimensions of 32 feet by 65 feet in 1891. The Friends of Starling Hall (FOSH) aims to bring the structure into compliance with today’s code required for the building to be fully used as a public facility. Much work has been done, but much more is needed.
An important component of those efforts is their Annual (and largest) Online Auction Fundraiser. Bidding starts March 1st, 2024! All proceeds from this auction are dedicated to Starling Hall renovations.
We will have over 100 items up for auction! Please bid high and often on these quality items. The auction ends on April 12th, 2024 at 6 am.
Auction items can be picked up on Saturday, April 13th, 2024, from 7:30am -12 pm during our Breakfast and Bake Sale or call Lori at 207/576-9830.
Starling Hall is located in Fayette, Maine
by John Lowry, Master/President of Porter Grange
MEGO Alert! [My Eyes Glazed Over] Our recent post regarding Maine’s 207 area code inspired John to share some additional information. Sure, there’s some technology involved–but isn’t technology involved in just about everything these days?
It seems to be a point of pride for many communities and locations. I remember when, in Massachusetts, 617 was split to include 508, and all the businesses that objected to having a 508 number and be assumed to be “in the sticks.”
Addressing is a thorny and sometimes fun issue that exists everywhere there is modern telecommunications. Location is sometimes assumed and often desired but is not achievable. It used to be possible with the telephone companies and pretty much had to be in order to mechanically route between switching centers. You knew if it had a prefix of abc that it had to go down the wire toward abc or toward some device that knew where abc was. That’s not possible today, and you might be surprised to know that number portability has made the phone system very much like the Internet.
In general, there is a mapping function from the phone number to an IPv6 address, just as there is for a phone number and an E911 address, which is maintained by the user. You can usually find the IPv6 address in your phone if you poke around in settings.
For cell phones, once the phone is connected to a tower, its POTS number (truly called that by engineers for “Plain Old Telephone System” is recorded in a database, but the phone is assigned an IPv6 address. So when you make a call, the system looks up the POTS number you are trying to reach and then finds the associated IPv6 address and establishes a route to the remote system. Some of this complexity, especially with the international calling schema, is what allows scammers to appear to call from someplace or someone you know. (BTW: the phone companies know how to fix this, but it will cost some money, so we consumers lose. The solution is called ingress filtering.
In any event, with number portability, you can keep your 207 number no matter where in the US/Canada you move to. And if enough people do it, then a new area code will have to be assigned for Maine just to handle all the people who move to… Florida?
In Internet terms, blocks of IPv4 addresses are assigned and even bought and sold. They have nothing to do with the location of whoever is visiting your website except statistically in the same way that 207 usually means Maine.
This is irritatingly pleasant to those of us who want to limit our information exposure and who use a VPN or … Starlink. (VPNs do work but are expensive and require some technical know-how). Starlink, in this part of the world, enters the big Internet in an “Internet hotel” in NYC. (An Internet hotel is basically a large building full of routers and connections to all the other big ISPs). So when I go shopping at a large online retailer like Lowes, Costco, etc., they always want me to choose my “home store,” which is invariably in Queens.
My 978 number is routinely used by the Mass state government and politicos who want me to know about COVID-19 vaccine availability or political candidates.
In any event, I’m guessing that you’re bored now. If not, you might look at https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/IP_address and https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Domain_Name_System.
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We continue to add resources from the 150th State Session. These can also be found on the Program Books and Information Page.
By Walter Boomsma, MSG Communications Director
Like many Granges, Tranquility Grange is located in a somewhat “off the beaten path” rural area. Janice and I allowed the GPS to lead the way to through Lincolnville, Maine. While Grange Halls typically have some unique features, there’s always a comforting sense of familiarity when visiting. It’s not just the building itself; it’s also the people and the fraternal friendliness.
Despite those predictable features, Janice and I found ourselves surprised during our recent visit. No doubt this was because we were there for some “Sweet, Savory, and Song.” The sweet and savory included an opportunity to nibble on some very cosmopolitan finger foods. The song included a lively program of Grange music performed by Katherine Rhoda. Katherine’s program included her voice accompanied by keyboard, Marxophone and violin-guitar (play-by-number American fretless zither sold door to door in the early 1900s), Harpeleik, accordion… and a few I can’t remember the names of!
This program (it’s really much more than a concert) specifically featured Grange songs and shared some of the background and history of the Grange itself. Katherine’s knowledge of music is diverse and deep. But Grangers will quickly respect and admire her knowledge of the Grange. Her historical approach to the program clarified the Grange’s purpose and commitment to change, especially in the earliest days. There were moments when the audience wanted to find a pitchfork and start a march protesting or supporting something.
There were moments when the audience wanted to find a pitchfork and start a march protesting or supporting something.
Walter Boomsma
One particularly memorable song told the story of Lucy, a young woman who wanted to marry a farmer and had us chuckling. (No spoiler alert-you have to hear it.) Her parents were not supportive because her future husband was… a Granger!
This performance was a joint venture supported by Tranquility Grange and the Lincolnville Historical Society. An even more ambitious goal is the preservation of the hall itself. Erected in 1908, the hall is listed on the National Register, and many members of the Historical Society have joined the Grange. This recent concert is evidence of the determination to preserve the hall, the Grange organization itself, and the history of the ongoing contributions.
Katherine explains, “My hope is that sharing this music and history helps in some small way to cultivate community and to build upon the Grange history of working together for the common good, in keeping with the Grange motto ‘In essentials, unity; in non-essentials, liberty; in all things, charity’” She ended her performance by explaining the origins of the Grange Motto and asking the audience to repeat that motto with her not once, but twice.
While the concert ended, working together for the common good to cultivate community continues. In some ways, it may just be getting started.
What I find fun/rewarding about playing in Grange halls is uplifting and celebrating the Grange history of rural people working together for the common good, connecting with folks who are actively involved in their communities, and continuing my own education.
Katherine Rhoda
Katherine has two upcoming concerts scheduled:
For information about upcoming concerts, visit Katherine’s Website or Facebook Page!
The Fourth of July – also known as Independence Day or July 4th – has been a federal holiday in the United States since 1941; but the tradition of Independence Day celebrations goes back to the 18th century and the American Revolutionary War.
On July 2, 1776, the Second Continental Congress voted in favor of independence. Two days later, delegates from the 13 colonies adopted the Declaration of Independence, a historic document drafted by Thomas Jefferson.
The Declaration of Independence allowed Congress to seek alliances with foreign countries, and the fledgling U.S. formed its most important alliance early in 1778 with France. Without France’s support, America might well have lost the Revolutionary War.
The war waged by the American colonies against Britain, which began more than a year earlier in April 1775 at Lexington and Concord near Boston, would eventually end when British forces surrendered in Yorktown, Virginia. Yet the Declaration and America’s victory had far-reaching effects around the globe as other nations saw a small novel nation win its freedom from the greatest military force of its time.
From 1776 to today, July 4th has been celebrated as the birth of American independence with festivities ranging from fireworks, parades and concerts to more casual family gatherings and barbecues. This year’s Independence Day will be on Tuesday, July 4, 2023.
Reprinted with permission from a newsletter published by Senator Stacey Guerin, District 4.
Only a handful of states recognize an upcoming state holiday that many others around the country know little about. Patriot’s Day is on Monday, April 17, and is celebrated officially only in Maine, Massachusetts, Wisconsin, Connecticut, and North Dakota. The latter two recently adopted the holiday in 2018 and 2019, respectively.
With origins stemming from Fast Day, a holiday tied to a time when Maine was still a Massachusetts territory before achieving statehood in 1820, Patriot’s Day (spelled Patriots’ Day outside of Maine) was officially adopted long after statehood in 1907 and originally celebrated on April 19. It was moved to the third Monday of April in 1969.
The holiday commemorates the battles of colonists against British soldiers in Lexington, Concord and Menotomy in Massachusetts on April 19, 1775, which officially began hostilities in the American Revolutionary War. In fact, it was the day referenced in Ralph Waldo Emerson’s “Concord Hymn,” in which he describes the first shot fired at Concord’s North Bridge as the “shot heard round the world.” Today, the holiday is also marked by the Boston Marathon, which has been held on Patriot’s Day nearly every year since 1897. Click here for more historical information about what the day celebrates.
Reprinted with permission from an e-newsletter published by Senator Stacey Guerin, Maine District 4.
By Walter Boomsma, MSG Communications Director
We get lots of questions about the history of the Grange–and specific Granges in Maine. (At one time, there were some 600!) So it seems like we have an opportunity to provide researchers and reporters with some historical resources. While searching for some myself, I was surprised and pleased at how often the Maine State Grange was listed as a source of information and resource for published articles. We’re putting the Grange back on the map in Maine!
You can help! I’ve created and posted a new page (Historical Resources) on the site listing sources of historical information about Granges in Maine. It’s fairly extensive but I’m sure there are more. If you know of any, please send the details!
Pages and posts like this help bring visitors to the site. More traffic means more interest, and sometimes that interest means more support for our local Granges. Everybody wins because that interest often turns into attendance at local Grange events and programs, as well as interest in membership. Help us open the door to the past and the door to the future.
Well, almost home. Since the Houlton Grange is closed and the hall is gone, it’s about as close as it can get, thanks to Jamie Millar, a Houlton Native who continues to support his hometown roots. How the 12 x 18 foot curtain ended up in an antique shop in Texas remains a mystery but it is now owned by the Aroostook County Historical and Art Museum. It hangs in the County Co-Op and Farm Store in downtown Houlton. An easel near the entrance of the store offers a brief history of the Houlton Grange.
The complete story and photos appear in the Bangor Daily News today.
We became aware of the story thanks to links to the Maine State Grange Website. The article incorrectly lists 1879 as the date Houlton Grange closed–probably a typo. But does accurately note that in 1924, the Houlton Grange was the largest in the world, with a membership of over 1,000.
By Walter Boomsma, MSG Communications Director
Some may recall that Vicki Huff and I were invited to speak at the Waterboro Maine Historical Society–headquartered in a former Grange Hall. Coverage of the event made the front page of The Reporter— “Your Community Newspaper” in the Waterboro area. It is always fitting and appropriate to see the words “Grange” and “community” together.
When I talked with Cynthia Matthews, the reporter who wrote the story, it was also rewarding that she was familiar with Porter Gange and some of its activities. Too often, the local Grange is the best-kept secret in an area–not only from the media but also from the people who might be interested in joining or supporting it.
The media business has changed dramatically over the past decade or two. We no longer see local reporters showing up at events or chasing down stories. (In this case, Matthews didn’t attend, but asked a friend to take photos, and she subsequently did her interviews by telephone.) I know many people are intimidated by the idea of writing articles for the media, but it’s not that difficult to develop relationships with reporters and editors. We can help them with “tips” and simply let them know what’s going on at the Grange.
Don’t forget, there’s a Communications Handbook available for free on the MSG Website. It lists a number of daily and weekly newspapers throughout Maine and lots of tips and tactics for getting your news and events published. If you’re having an event, make sure you publicize it! Don’t have a party and forget to invite people!