Independent Order of Odd Fellows (Dayton, Ohio) Records

The first Independent Order of Odd Fellows in Dayton, Montgomery Lodge #5, was instituted under a charter dated April 19, 1833. The Independent Order of Odd Fellows, Dayton Lodge # 273, was instituted April 20, 1855, and later became the I.O.O.F. Brotherhood of Railroad Trainmen. The Gem City Dayton Encampment #116 was instituted on May 21, 1869, by James Turner, G.P., and on July 16, 1891, Gem City, Dayton Lodge #795 was instituted. For a number of years the meetings were held over Schoener's Clothing store; then the Odd Fellows Temple, a fine sandstone structure, was erected in 1870. The occasion of the laying of the cornerstone on June 14, 1870, was attended with elaborate and extensive public ceremonies.

The Temple at this time was owned by Montgomery Lodge #5, Schiller Lodge #206, Wayne Lodge #10, and Dayton Encampment #2. The other lodges held their meetings in other localities in the city. Because some lodges were either absorbed into other lodges, or else changed their lodge numbers, it is not possible to keep complete track of their individual histories. The "History of the City of Dayton and Montgomery County, Ohio" by Reverend A.W. Drury, published a list of Odd Fellow Lodges in Ohio, which can be found in the Special Collections and Archives.

The Independent Order of Odd Fellows is a benevolent and charitable organization with high moral principles seeking to aid and improve the life of good men. Much of their philosophy was to aid and protect its members, with visiting the sick, aiding the distressed, educating the orphan and burying the dead. Throughout the years they have established over 60 retirement homes for the aged and orphans throughout the United States and Canada.

It is a worldwide organization having one sovereign leader. Lodges can be found in every continent of the world with a total membership of over one and a half million, and is the only fraternal society allowed by the United States Army to hold Memorial Services at the Tomb of The Unknown Soldier, in Arlington Cemetery. It supports and sends many young high school students every year to the United Nations.

The Independent Order of the Odd Fellows is one of the oldest and largest fraternal orders in the United States. Odd Fellowship was founded in England where it grew up during the 18th century. In England The Patriotic Order was followed by the Union of United Orders, and The Loyal Order. In 1813, various lodges of The Union Order organized the Manchester Unity of Odd Fellows. American Odd Fellowship was founded as the Washington lodge #1 in Baltimore in 1819, and the following year affiliated with the Manchester unity.

The name Odd Fellows has several origins. One old and apparently authoritative history of Odd Fellowship gives the explanation, "The common laboring man should associate themselves together and form a fraternity for social unity and fellowship and for mutual help. This was such a marked violation of the trends of the times (England in the 1700's) that they became known as 'peculiar' or 'odd', hence they were derided as Odd Fellows. Because of the appropriateness of the name, those engaged in forming these unions accepted it. When legally incorporated, the title Odd Fellow was adopted.