Seven Hundred Odd Fellows Parade in Tacoma
Seattle and state lodges celebrate the order's 74th anniversary with a massive parade and theater exercises.
Seven hundred Tacoma Odd Fellows, 400 from Seattle and about 400 from other cities in the state, plus 300 Rebekahs, participated in the parade today to celebrate the seventy-fourth anniversary of the order. After the parade and exercises at the Olympic theater, the cantons of the Department of the Columbia elected line officers. Capt. J. M. Dougan of Tacoma was chosen colonel; Capt. C. O. Bellon of Walla Walla, lieutenant colonel; and Maj. H. E. Holmes of Seattle, major. Mayor H. S. Huson welcomed the visitors to Tacoma, noting it was the first perfect day of the year, and declaring that 'the grand old mountain spreads away the clouds and bids you welcome.'
“The grand old mountain spreads away the clouds and bids you welcome.”
Fraternal orders like the Odd Fellows were the lifeblood of civic socialization in the late 19th century, functioning as precursors to the modern social club or professional network. While these organizations have faded in visibility, the 1893 celebration highlights the deep, long-standing connections between the rival cities of Seattle and Tacoma, which frequently competed for regional prominence.
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