HISTORY OF ORANGE COUNTY
CHAPTER 6

SECRET SOCIETIES

Orleans Lodge, No. 153, was chartered a regular lodge of Free and Accepted Masons May 25, 1853. For eleven months prior to this it had been working under a dispensation, with John M. Riley, W. M.; John Baker, S. W., and William Craig, J. W., but when the charter was granted, John Baker was made W. M., William W. Manning S. W., and Thomas W. Knocks J. W. In addition to these five gentlemen, J. B. Hamilton, Wolfe Braun, John White. J. J. Salyards and Henry Lingle were members at the organization, making ten in all. This lodge was at one time large and flourishing. but owing to many members moving away it has been greatly reduced in numbers and finances. The present membership is twenty-five, among them being the following as officers: Edwin D. Laughlin, W. M. Jeruel Leonard, S. W.; Jacob C. Woner, J. W.: Jesse A. Irvine, Treas.; Thomas R. Webb, Sec. The total enrollment in this lodge is 170, and of these 120 have been made Masons by it.

Orleans Lodge, No. 296, of I. 0. 0. F., was organized November 29, 1867, with five charter members, W. C. R. Kemp, John D. Carter, S. B. A. Conder, W. F. Cloud and N. W. Britton. Eight persons were initiated on the first night of meeting, and from that time to the present this lodge has prospered in numbers and finances, having initiated 108 persons in all. It owns a nice cemetery and has $1,500 at interest W. C. R. Kemp was the first Noble Grand, that office being now filled by J. W. Higgins. Mr. H. T. Allen is the present Vice Grand, and W. C. R. Kemp, Permanent Secretary.

About the year 1849 an organization of the Sons of Temperance was effected, and nearly contemporaneous with this was one of the Daughters of Temperance. These existed for seven or eight years, and then expired, Beginning about the year 1855, the order of Good Templars had an up and down life here until 1870, but since that year no temperance society has been in existence at Orleans. On this account, however, it must not be concluded that it is not a temperate community, for it is as much or more so than most towns of its size. It now has but one saloon.

An organization of the Grand Army of the Republic was effected October 25, 1883, and was called Custer Post, No. 252. The following were the charter members: Stephen J. Glover, W. H. Pickler, M. V. Mallory, Abel Murray, William Brown, Thomas J. Bringle, Francis M. Johnson, Charles Sutherland, Reed C. Moore, D. W. Lee, Allen E. Talbott, John J. Cox, Volney T. Moore, John W. Ficklin and John Moore. Stephen J. Glover was the first Commander, Allen E. Talbott, Sr. V. C., and John W. Ficklin, Jr. V. C. The present officers are the same, excepting Thomas G. Mahan in place of Allen E. Talbott. In April, 1884, the name of the Post was changed to Spicely instead of Custer. The present membership is seventy-five, and it is in a good and healthy condition: is out of debt, and has money in the treasury.

NEWSPAPERS AT ORLEANS

The first newspaper at Orleans was established in 1851 by Giles Smith and John Baker, and was called the Commercial Review. It was neutral in politics with strong Whig tendencies, Mr. Smith being the publisher, and Mr. Baker, a man of bright intellect, the editor. These men conducted it with success until 1853 (February), when Mr. Baker resumed the practice of law.

The next enterprise of this nature was in 1854 and 1855, when W. L. Green published the Lost River Bulletin. This, too, was of but short duration here, for it was soon after moved to Paoli. A third effort to maintain a newspaper at Orleans was in 1877, when the Orleans Journal was begun as an Independent paper. Like its predecessors, it came to an untimely end after several changes in owners. The paper now published at Orleans is the Examiner. This was established in July, 1879, by H. J. Cooper, and has always been an ardent supporter of Republican principles. It is what is known as a five-column quarto, and was conducted by its founder until August, 1883. At that time it was purchased by Emmett Harris, who has since that date increased its circulation from 400 to 700, and improved the paper in both matter and "make-up." After so many efforts a paper has at length been permanently fixed as an addition to the enterprises of the town, and its esteemed and gentlemanly editor is worthy of the support of all citizens in the county.

PHYSICIANS AT ORLEANS

Probably the first physician at Orleans was Dr. Lynch Brooks, who came sometime in the twenties, and was for many years one of its leading citizens. Besides his practice, which was of the regular backwoods kind, he did considerable business in merchandising. Those old-time whims about "bleeding" for every ailment of humanity, and animality, too, for that matter, are gone and now considered among the things to be classed in the list of the "twin relics." Instead of the old style pocket lance with which every "doctor" was armed, and which answered every use of both cathartic and emetic, the modern "physician" comes with a fever thermometer and a bottle of quinine. That the earlier way was the easier on the patients there can be but little doubt, for then it was either get well or bleed to death - in either case getting rid of the doctor for a time. Now the feeble are not so fortunate, for by the skill of the physician they neither get well nor get sick, but that indispensable individual they have with them always. After Dr. Brooks came Drs. Prosser, Riley, Henry Lingle, Hoover, Wakefield, Charles and James Pearson, Tucker, and those of the present time who are elsewhere mentioned in this work.

THE RAILROAD

The only railroad at Orleans is the Louisville, New Albany & Chicago. This was built through the town in the winter of 1851-52, and was at that time called the New Albany & Salem Railroad. That was a time when railroads were comparatively in their infancy and ere many of the modern inventions were known that now hurry the commerce of a nation along with such impetuous velocity. The rails were of the old fashioned flat bar kind, and a trip to Louisville in a half day was then thought to be swift traveling. To secure the road at Orleans the citizens gave $40,000, all by private subscription, which, considering the time and size of the town, was a remarkably large amount. The largest donor to this sum was Benjamin Blackwell who gave $3,000. Many others gave liberally, among whom was the firm of Bradley & Allen, at that time doing the largest trade, it is said, that was ever done in the town. On account of having this railroad, Orleans is the most important town in Orange County in a business point of view. Being the only station of any consequence it is the real outlet for nearly all the produce in the county.

ORLEANS AGRICULTURAL ASSOCIATION

Under this name a society was organized at Orleans in 1880. It is a stock company with a membership of sixty and shares at $25 each. The objects of the organization were "to improve the breed of live stock and the quality of seed sown, to cultivate a spirit of rivalry or rather emulation among the farmers and mechanics, and to educate the people to appreciate the advantages of our goodly country and to make it blossom as the rose." Among the prominent and active founders were Benjamin F. Turley, Dr. E. D. Laughlin, Gen. W. T. Spicely, Newton Turley and John J. Lingle. The association has held four successful annual fairs, and the gross receipts for each year have been about $2,500. It is in a prosperous and flourishing condition and bids fair to be one of the lasting and beneficial institutions of the county. The present officers are: S. R. Tegarden, President; J. T. Monyhan, Vice-President; Henry T. Allen, Treasurer; Henry Reed, Secretary, and G. T. Wright, Superintendent.

NEXT