Historical Notes: Chapter Ten

Mountain Grove in the 1890s

In 1897, when the Purple Knight visited Mountain Grove, the town was experiencing rapid growth following the arrival of the Kansas City, Springfield & Memphis Railroad (later the Frisco) in 1882. The settlement, originally called Hickory Springs when pioneers arrived in the 1850s, was officially laid out as Mountain Grove in 1882 and took its name from a grove of trees on elevated land (1,525 feet above sea level) that dominated the landscape.

The town emerged at the southern edge of the Salem Plateau in the Ozarks region of Wright County, Missouri. By the late 1890s, Mountain Grove had recovered from the devastation of the Civil War and was establishing itself as a regional agricultural center. The area's fertile valleys and abundant timber supported diverse farming, though the economy was still recovering from the disruptions of guerrilla warfare during the war years.

The Fraternal Orders

The late 19th century was the golden age of fraternal organizations in America, and Mountain Grove was no exception. Two prominent orders dominated social and civic life:

The Independent Order of Odd Fellows (IOOF)

The Odd Fellows established their first lodge in Missouri in 1835, and by the 1890s had spread to communities throughout the state. The IOOF was founded on the principles of friendship, love, and truth, providing mutual aid to members who fell upon hard times. Members paid dues that functioned as a form of insurance—the order would care for elderly or afflicted members, as well as widows and orphans.

The Odd Fellows were known for their secret rituals and mysterious symbols. One of the most striking was their use of human skeletons named "George" in initiation ceremonies—a reminder of mortality. Members who died could donate their remains to science with the understanding that their skeleton would eventually be returned to the IOOF for ceremonial use.

In 1894, Missouri's Grand Lodge began soliciting bids for a statewide Odd Fellows Home. Though Mountain Grove was not selected (the home was built in Liberty, Missouri in 1900), local IOOF lodges remained active throughout Wright County, with their distinctive three-link chain symbol appearing on buildings across the region.

The Freemasons

Freemasonry in Missouri dated back to 1807, when the Grand Lodge of Pennsylvania warranted the first lodge in what was then the Louisiana Territory. The Grand Lodge of Missouri was established on April 21, 1821—just months before Missouri achieved statehood.

By the 1890s, Masonic lodges dotted the Missouri landscape, with over 470 lodges and more than 25,000 members statewide. The fraternity drew prominent citizens including farmers, merchants, lawyers, and civic leaders. Famous Missouri Masons included Senator Thomas Hart Benton and would later include President Harry S. Truman, who served as Grand Master in 1941-42.

The Masons emphasized moral values, brotherhood, and charitable works. They operated with a hierarchical degree system, secret passwords, and elaborate rituals drawn from stonemason guilds and biblical symbolism. Lodge halls typically occupied the upper floors of downtown buildings, identifiable by the square and compass symbol.

Both the Odd Fellows and Masons provided crucial social networks in small towns like Mountain Grove, where belonging to a lodge meant access to business connections, social prestige, and financial security in times of need. For a traveling lecturer like T. Allen McQuary, recognition by these fraternal orders would open doors and establish credibility throughout rural Missouri.

Wright County Context

Wright County was formed in 1841 from Pulaski County and named after Silas Wright, a New York politician. The county seat was originally designated as Mountain Grove, though Hartville (the geographical center) eventually became the government center. By 1897, the county's population had rebounded from Civil War losses, with settlers drawn by abundant game, productive timber, and fertile valleys suitable for diverse farming.

The area saw a Civil War skirmish in Mountain Grove on March 9, 1862, and endured constant harassment from bushwhackers throughout the conflict. The Battle of Hartville on January 11, 1863, was one of the few formal engagements in the county. The McClurg fur company had established an early trading post at Mountain Grove in the 1840s-50s, and by the 1890s the town was positioning itself as an agricultural hub.