Alex Paul
The historic Holley Grange, a presence in East Linn county since 1903, will merge with the LaComb Grange, due to a dwindling membership and escalating insurance costs.
Holley Grange secretary/treasurer Dave Howard said local membership had dropped to about 21.
“Our insurance, which had cost about $230 per year, was to go up to $1,000 just for liability,” Howard said. “We previously were insured by Grange Mutual but it went out of business. There was only one company on the open market that would insure us.”
Howard said reasons for the insurance issues are caused in part by the age of the building as well as the fact that it is used only intermittently.
“Our hope is that in time, we can revive it,” Howard said. “We really regret this happening but hold out hope that people in the area will realize the importance of community organizations and rally to support all of them.”
LaComb Grange has approximately 62 members and was founded in 1945.
Its president is Waldo Smith and secretary is his wife, Maxine. They have been Grange members for 50 years.
“We focus on community service,” Mrs. Smith said. “We make quilts and donate them to victims of house fires. We also clean up the local cemetery and sponsor the Scio FFA chapter. We also have an information booth at the Linn County Fair.”
Persons who would like to learn more about the LaComb Grange can contact Mrs. Smith at 258-3259.
The Holley Grange has had a long and colorful history, celebrating its 100th anniversary on January 26, 2003.
Founded in 1903 with 12 members, the Grange soon began an annual community fair that continued to the end.
Holley Grange charter members included Dave and Ruthie King, Dave and Ann Hildreth, J.R. Springer, Harvey and Mary Hailton, Tom and Minta Philpott, D.C. Swan, Ralph Robnett and Jake Hardesty.
The Grange Hall was constructed by members on land donated by Norvel Rice.
In 1978, when the Grange celebrated its 75th anniversary, it had 148 members.
Jake Hardesty was the first Grange master. In 1978, Buss Robnett was the Grange master.
At one time, the Grange Hall was used as a high school and in 1948, when the Holley school burned, housed classes for a term.
The Holley community fair started in 1905.
The Grange system began in the 1860s after the Civil War to assist southern farmers get a new start. Today, the Grange has 25,000 members in Oregon and 250,000 nationwide.