The Improved Order of Red Men

 by Susan Zehnder, Education Director

In August 1904, Michael J. O’Hara, in charge of records for the Improved Order of Red Men (IORM), left Elmira on a train for Utica where he planned to transfer and board another train destined for Buffalo.

Costumed IORM member 

The IORM was holding its annual state convention and delegates were gathering.  Elected in 1898, O’Hara had been a popular record keeper and he fully expected to be re-elected to the position. He wasn’t. He never made it to the convention.

A few days after not showing up in Buffalo, he surfaced in Connecticut at his brother’s house. He claimed he had met a fellow delegate on the train, someone he didn’t know. They chatted amiably and the stranger offered him a drink. Soon after taking a swig, he said, he passed out and never got to Buffalo. Because the record keeper held membership dues for hundreds of New York state IORM members, suspicions arose. Right away, local and national leaders arrived in Elmira to comb through his financial records. He was accused of various malicious activity. When things finally settled, O’Hara’s books were determined to be sound, and the hunt for the mysterious delegate ended. O’Hara returned to Elmira. 

Just what kind of organization inspired this strange event?

The Improved Order of Red Men was founded in Baltimore as a fraternal society in 1834. It claims to have ties to an earlier group called the Sons of Liberty who participated in the Boston Tea Party. These white men, dressed (they thought) like Indians and threw tea overboard into the Boston Harbor to protest British taxes. The IORM, while not open to indigenous members, used Indian-like names, rituals, and even regalia in their meetings, which they called Pow-wows.

Exclusive supplier to IORM

Their headquarters were called wigwams; state and national leaders were given the title of sachem, an appropriated indigenous title; local leaders and officers were called chiefs; and anyone not in the organization was a paleface. IORM Auxiliary women’s groups were called Daughters of Pocahontas. They were not looking to understand indigenous cultures, but took what they thought were native “activities” to further their group’s mission to support patriotism and American ideals. President Franklin D. Roosevelt was an honorary member.

Franklin D. Roosevelt in IORM headdress

While this cultural appropriation wasn’t unique to secret fraternal societies of the time, the IORM was one of the largest to do this. In 1921, its membership numbers was estimated to be over 500,000 nationwide, and it was the nation’s fourth largest benevolent society. According to the IORM website, there were groups located in 46 states and territories.

Elmira area IORM members and families, circa 1902s

Elmira's City Directory for 1903, listed 11 groups, called tribes. Some of the names they operated under were Ko-bus, Tomoka, Wetamore, Massasoit, Mimosa, Manhattan, Ogoyago. The groups held social balls, raised money for polio care, marched in parades, held boxing matches, and provided events for children. They also paid benefits to members down on their luck and marked deaths in memorial services. A splinter group of the national IORM broke off to form the Haymakers, these were men who advocated for more fun and mischief because they thought the IORM was getting too serious. Elmira had a group of them too.  One well-known member of the IORM was Matt Lockwood.

Accounting book with notice of M. Lockwood's death

Locally, the number of groups dwindled to four, then two, and finally none by the end of the 1950s. State groups, though, continued to gather and frequently used the Mark Twain Hotel in Elmira for annual state conventions. These multi-day events often included tours to Corning Glass or hosting speakers, like Dr. Erl Bates, a professor from Cornell University. Bates had established Cornell’s Indian Extension Program and a scholarship program for Haudenosaunee women. He spoke to the 1952 convention about the history of the Haudenosaunee or Iroquois nation. 

Nationally, membership continued to fall. Attempting to address this, the organization admitted non-white members in 1974. Today national membership hovers around 15,000. The national headquarters shifted from Baltimore, MD, to Waco, Texas. Today, there is a museum in Waco dedicated to the group. Its collection boasts a writing desk from Aaron Burr, a ring once belonging to Rudolph Valentino, and a blanket attributed to Geronimo. Today's members include five groups that still meet in New York State. They’re located in Johnstown, Lockport, Rochester, Vestal, and Watkins Glen.

So what became of Michael O’Hara?  He remained a member of the local IORM but never served in any leadership role again. After a few years, he left Elmira and moved to New York City, still a member of the IORM.

In 1931, Edward A. Davis, chief of the great wampum went missing after police started looking into his financial dealings. Davis was the national treasurer at the time. He left a farewell (suicide) note to his wife. His suitcase and hat were discovered on a boat, but no one remembered seeing him. Davis was never found. Guy Vinton of Rochester, stepped in and took over the duties of chief of the great wampum.

In 1938, O’Hara ran against Vinton for the position of great chief of records but ended up withdrawing his name. Vinton, unopposed, won.

The American Hellenic Educational Progressive Association

by Erin Doane, Senior Curator

In June 1955, nearly 1,000 people attended the 19^th annual district convention of the American Hellenic Educational Progressive Association (AHEPA) at the Mark Twain Hotel in Elmira. AHEPA was founded by eight men in Atlanta, Georgia on July 26, 1922 in part as a reaction against the rise of xenophobia and the Ku Klux Klan in the United States. The organization helped Hellenic immigrants and their families build new lives here and guided them in the process of becoming American citizens and responsible members of their communities. Elmira’s chapter of AHEPA was formed in 1926.

Elmira Chapter No. 111 AHEPA fez donated by Mark Greven

AHEPA is a secret Hellenic fraternal, non-partisan, non-political, non-sectarian organization that encourages the emulation of ancient Greek culture and ideals including civic responsibility, reason, moderation, and a focus on education. Its creed, as summarized by District Governor Kimon A. Doukas in 1955, was:

• to promote loyalty to the United States of America
• to marshal into active service the noblest attributes of Hellenism
• to champion the cause of education
• to instill progress in every one of our members and
• to keep our Order united and benevolent

At that time, membership was open to any male of good moral character over 21 years old who was a resident of the U.S. and could read, write, or speak English. AHEPA is still an all-male society but there are auxiliaries - Daughters of Penelope for women, Sons of Pericles for boys, and Maids of Athens for girls.  Being of Greek descent was not a condition for membership. Harry S. Truman, Franklin D. Roosevelt, Robert F. Kennedy, Herbert H. Humphrey, Gerald R. Ford, and John H. Glenn, Jr. were all AHEPA members.

President Roosevelt and the national officers of the order of AHEPA Greek American society, 1936, Harris & Ewing, from www.loc.gov

Elmira’s Chapter No. 111 of AHEPA began in 1926 with 26 members. It is one of 30 chapters in District 6. The group first met in rented rooms in the Gladke Building on E. Water Street. From the very beginning its members were involved in political and social activism. They supported charitable endeavors, assisted victims of disasters abroad, and offered educational and service programs for both adults and young people.

In 1939, on the precipice of World War II, the local chapter played host to the district convention at the Mark Twain hotel for the first of four times (1939, 1948, 1955, and 1966). At the meeting, past supreme president of AHEPA Dean Alfange of New Yok City urged members to “promote and encourage loyalty to the United States, its flag, constitution and laws.” He added that “Greeks are doing their part in meeting civic responsibilities and fighting the twins of reaction, Communism and Fascism.”  Throughout WWII, the Elmira chapter lived up to this call to action by selling U.S. war bonds - $40,000 worth in just April 1943 alone - and raising funds for Greek refugees.

Officers of Elmira Chapter No. 111, AHEPA, 1955
Seated l to r: James Siotes, John Knapp, Peter Patros, Edward Sindone, Peter H. Theopheles
Standing l to r: George Apostolou, Tom Greven, Perry Vasil, Peter T. Greven, John K. Diveris, Gus Greven

In 1950, Elmira’s AHEPA chapter moved into a new hall at 129 E. Chemung Place. At that time, the group had 102 members from Elmira, Corning, Ithaca, Waverly, Sayre, Athens, Towanda, and Watkins. The hall had a temple, a spacious dining hall for dinners and dances, a reception hall, a smaller meeting hall, and a kitchen. Nearly 500 people attended its dedication on December 17. Not only did the club used the hall for its own activities, such as church services, club socials, and meetings, it also rented the space to outside groups for suppers, receptions, holiday parties, and other private events. AHEPA gave up the hall in the late 1970s and it later became home to the Teamsters Union Local 529.

Elmira Chapter 111 AHEPA hall, Elmira Star-Gazette, October 29, 1950

The Elmira chapter was very active in the 1950s and 1960s, raising money for educational and health programs within the Greek-American community and serving as a social club for its members. Mentions of the chapter in local newspapers decreased throughout the 1970s. While the chapter still exists today, it is inactive except for some members attending regional and national conferences. 

Members of AHEPA (l to r) unidentified priest (non-member), Mr. Steve Anthony, Mr. Mike Labatos, Mr. Pete Greven, and Mr. Constantine (Dean) Pappas.
Photo provided by Christine Pappas

AHEPA is still very active as a national organization more than 100 years after its founding. Since 1922, over 500,000 members have been initiated and there are over 400 active chapters in 11 countries on three continents. It still adheres to its founding values, providing over $1 billion in humanitarian aid to people throughout the world and awarding over $1.8 million in scholarships to Greek-American youth.

 

100 Years of History

By Erin Doane, Senior Curator

On November 7, 1923, the Elmira chapter of the Sons of the American Revolution held a meeting. At that meeting, the organization’s president Dr. Arthur W. Booth proposed the creation of a historical society to preserve historic objects, documents, and stories. The first official meeting of the Chemung County Historical Society took place two weeks later with 75 people in attendance.

The Historical Society’s first home was in two rooms on the upper floor of the Steele Memorial Library on the corner of Lake and Church Streets (now the Chemung County Chamber of Commerce). The rooms quickly filled with donations from the community. Members of the society presented talks about local history and created displays of historic objects in the library for the public to enjoy.

Chemung County Historian Clark Wilcox stands in one of the
Historical Society’s rooms in the Steele Memorial Library, 1947

The Historical Society received its charter from New York State in 1947. Shortly after, they began searching for a stand-alone building to house the collections and provide more space for displays. In 1953, the Historical Society moved into 425 East Market Street and Frances Brayton was appointed as its first professional curator.

The Chemung County Historical Center on Market Street, 1950s

It was around this time that Historical Society also began searching for the mammoth tusk that had been found by Judge Caleb Baker along the Chemung River in 1778. (Read all about that tusk and the Historical Society’s search for it here) While they were not able to find the original, they were able to get a similar mammoth tusk from the American Museum of Natural History in New York City.

Mammoth tusk on display at the Historical Society, 1950s

 The Historical Society relocated again in 1965 to 304 William Street.

The Chemung County Historical Center on William Street, 1976

The mammoth tusk and all the other historic objects, documents, and photographs that had been donated over the previous 40+ years were moved into their new home. Many of the objects were used in new exhibits focused on topics we still explore in the museum today - life here in the 1800s, the Civil War, local organizations and schools, and, of course, Mark Twain. Materials that didn’t go on display went into storage. Unfortunately, one of the main storage spaces in the building was the basement, which proved disastrous during the 1972 Flood. (click here to read how the Historical Society reacted to the flooding)

The mammoth tusk on display on William Street, 1976

The Chemung County Historical Society moved one more time to its current location at 415 E. Water Street. The building was originally home to the Chemung Canal Bank starting in 1833. After the bank moved into new headquarters, the building housed law offices and apartments. It underwent major renovations in the late 1970s and opened to the public as the Chemung County Historical Society in 1982. In 1986, the Historical Society received accreditation from the American Alliance of Museums (AAM). It was reaccredited most recently in 2021. Less than 5% of museum in the United States are accredited by the AAM. In 1992, further renovations to the building took place. An addition that includes the Howell Gallery, the Frances Brayton Education Room, and the Barn Gallery, as well as a new entranceway, was added to the main building.

415 E. Water Street, late 1970s

The Chemung County Historical Society currently operates the Chemung Valley History Museum and the Booth Research Library. Our mission is to deepen our understanding of history and to provide an appreciation of our community’s place in state and national history. We’ve done this over the last 100 years by collecting, preserving, interpreting, and presenting the history of our community and we plan to continue this mission for the next 100 years.

And, yes, the mammoth tusk is still on display.

The mammoth tusk at E. Water Street, 2014

 

The Elmira Garden Club

By Susan Zehnder, Education Director

Every season planters in front of our museum are creatively arranged by members of the Elmira Garden Club. We always appreciate their work.

While our museum has been located on East Water Street for close to thirty-nine years, the Elmira Garden Club has been going strong and part of the community for ninety-two years. The idea of a club began as an inspiration of a local high school senior. James H. Draper, Jr. later said he always enjoyed flowers and gardening, and wanted to start a club similar to garden clubs popping up in other cities.

 

Garden Club founder James H. Draper, Jr. 1928

In early 1928, James placed an ad in the paper hoping to find other like-minded people. Fifteen people responded, and convinced he could find more, James placed a second ad. When another fifteen people showed up, the group had thirty members and the club began. The group met at Steele Memorial Library and elected James Draper as the club’s first president. He held this position for the next four years, during which time membership grew to more than sixty-five people. Soon after it began, the club affiliated with the Federal Garden Clubs of New York, broadening its scope.

Founded to promote, instruct, and assist area gardeners, its members also strived to conserve and protect forests and waterways for wildlife and recreation. At one early meeting, Chemung County 4-H leader Frank Essick spoke in favor of Elmira’s new club. He let them all know they could count on the endorsement and resources of Cornell University’s College of Agriculture.

Early club activities included an annual flower show, and garden workshops for novice and experienced gardeners.

 

Dahlia show display at Arnot Mall, September, 1969

Meetings often featured speakers, who presented a variety of garden-related topics. In 1935, the club was instrumental in introducing an important conservation organization to the area, the Audubon Society. Formed in 1905, they are a non-profit environmental - and one of the oldest - organizations to use science, education and grassroots advocacy to advance its conservation mission.

The Garden Club was also actively involved in keeping Elmira beautiful, and received national recognition for their outstanding civic beautification projects.

While club meetings continued to be held at Steele Memorial Library, an opportunity arose for them to obtain their own clubhouse, which included available space to garden. The building at Fulton and Pleasant Streets had once housed the hospital for Civil War families and was later used as an orphan asylum. It had been abandoned and vacant since the 1930s.

 

Elmira Garden Clubhouse

Agreeing to care for the building and grounds, the Elmira Garden Club took it over and nine years later were able to purchase the property. The year was 1943. The USA was involved in WWII, and not surprisingly the featured garden that year celebrated Victory Gardens.

In addition to annual flower shows, Elmira Garden Club activities have included planting window boxes at the Post Office, assisting City Planners with mini-park landscaping, plantings at Mark Twain’s and Hal Roach’s gravesites, and container gardens at the Arnot Art Museum. Members have been involved in beautifying gardens surrounding the SPCA in Big Flats, and gardens at Riverfront and Wisner Parks.

Over the years, club membership has fluctuated. Numbers have been as high as 150 and as few as 27. Today, according to Garden Club President Karen Coletta, there are eighty-three active members. The group meets at their clubhouse located at 426 Fulton Street, gathering at 6:30 pm on the first Thursday of each month, from April through December. All are welcome to join their hands-on workshops, and hear invited guest speakers. More information can be found on their website. 

Founder James Draper, Jr. was a member of the Elmira Garden Club until he died in 1967. By then he had served as director of the sixth district of the Federated Garden Clubs of New York State which had jurisdiction over similar garden clubs in Broome, Chemung, Onondaga, Chenango, Cortland, Delaware, Otsego, Schuyler, Tioga, Tompkins and Madison counties. He had also organized the Garden Club Workers of Western New York, and served as its president for two years. Well-known as a gardening expert, he wrote a gardening column for the Sunday Telegram as well as other New York newspapers and various home magazines. Reading the entry in his 1928 senior yearbook we can almost imagine a gardener, though he writes ‘undecided’ for his direction.

In addition to our outdoor planters, the Elmira Garden Club supplies the Chemung County Historical Society with holiday wreaths, and arranges flowers for our annual Great Car Thing fundraiser in early June. We are lucky to benefit from their hard work and grateful for what they continue to do. 

Enjoying the flowers at The Great Car Thing, June 2019

Zonta Club of Elmira at 100 Years

Zonta International is celebrating its 100^th Anniversary in 2019. The Zonta Club of Elmira was one of the organization’s first clubs established in 1919. For the last hundred years, the club has served our local community, sponsoring activities for children, awarding scholarships, and working with other charitable organizations.

Zonta Conference at the Mark Twain Hotel, 1959

Photo courtesy of Elmira Zonta

On November 8, 1919, the Confederation of Zonta Clubs was founded in Buffalo, New York. Representatives from Elmira were there for the creation of the first five clubs. The Zonta Club of Elmira was made up of women who had been members of the Elmira Business Women’s Club and it had 18 charter members. Zonta was created as a club for professional and executive business women. Membership was based on business classification, similar to men’s clubs like Rotary and Kiwanis, with two women per job description being allowed in the club. Zonta International’s job book lists more than 11,000 classifications.

Elmira/Southport Cinderella softball team sponsored by Zonta

Photo courtesy of Elmira Zonta

From the very beginning, the local Zonta Club has lived up to the code: “To honor my work and to consider it an opportunity for service.” In the same year it was founded, the club hosted a Christmas party at the Home for the Aged. In the 1920s, it became involved in Near East and European Relief Funds and hosted a celebration for the wives, daughters, sisters, and children of immigrants who had become naturalized citizens.

Zonta has supported legislation concerning the welfare of women and children through the years and has held “baby showers” to collect items to support the Southern Tier Pregnancy Resource Center.

The club also awards scholarships to Chemung County students who are planning to attend college or graduate school during the following year. The student’s record of community service is one of the most important factors in deciding who will receive the scholarships.

Zonta Club bicentennial parade float, 1976

Photo courtesy of Elmira Zonta

In 1965, Elmira’s Zonta Club announced its intention to establish a boarding house for retired members who were in need of decent, inexpensive housing. Three years later, it purchased the building at 742 W. First Street, which had previously operated as a nursing home. By the time the Zonta House officially opened in 1972, new subsidized apartments had reduced the need for housing, but it served as the headquarters for the club. Elmira’s Zonta House is the only one of its kind in the United States. The club continues to use the house for weekly meetings and monthly public lectures. The club also runs the Ida V. Shop on the property.

The Zonta House, 742 w. First Street, Elmira

Photo courtesy of Elmira Zonta

Learn more about the Zonta Club of Elmira at their website and on their Facebook page.  

The Kanaweola Bicycle Club

by Erin Doane, Curator

In the 1890s, the bicycle craze swept the nation. There were some 9,000 bicycles in Elmira alone in 1898. With a population of around 35,000, that was roughly one bicycle for every four people. Bicycles were relatively inexpensive, easy to operate, and a lot of fun to ride. It’s no wonder that they became so widely popular. The Kanaweola Bicycle Club was formed as a social club for bicycling enthusiasts in Elmira.

Kanaweola Bicycle Club at the Elmira Reformatory, July 4, 1895

In the beginning, the club’s activities were focused on cycling, as one would expect. Members would go on tours and daytrips to places like Watkins Glen, Corning, Big Flats, Pine City, and Millport. The club also hosted bicycle races where cyclists from around the region competed for prizes including sweaters and fancy hosiery. A race meet on Decoration Day in 1891 began with a parade of decorated bicycles that started at the Kanaweola clubhouse on West Gray Street. All wheelmen were invited to participate.

Kanaweola Club on an outing to Painted Post, June 6, 1897

While I’m not sure if the club ever accepted women as official

members, they participated in club activities.

The clubhouse at 214 West Gray Street had a shooting gallery in the basement and pool and billiard tables on the second floor. In 1899, the club decided to move their clubhouse to rooms in the Y.M.C.A. building on E. Market Street. That same year, they amended their constitution to limit membership to 300. They also raised membership dues by $1 and set dues for foreign members at $6 a year. In 1900, the club moved into the Realty Building on E. Market Street. The new clubhouse included a parlor, reading room, billiard room, and gymnasium.

Interior views of the Kanaweola Clubhouse, 1901

Clockwise from top left: parlor looking toward reading room;

parlor looking toward billiard room; gymnasium; billiard room

While cycling was a major activity for the club, in the winter, it was difficult and unpleasant to go on bike outings. To stay active, the club hosted weekly get-togethers. The newspaper is filled with announcements for “smokers” at the Kanaweola clubhouse. At a smoker “every member who is so inclined will bring his pipe and cigars will be found at the clubhouse.” On December 5, 1895, the club hosted a “tramp” smoker at which the club members were expected to dress in tramp or farmer costumes. Prizes were awarded for best makeup. In 1900, they even hosted a “ladies’ smoker.”

Kanaweola Bicycle Club “tramp” smoker, c. 1895

In the late 1890s, the club got involved in other sports beyond cycling. They fielded a football team, a basketball team, and an indoor baseball team. In 1901, they held a bowling tourney, and in 1907 boxing became very popular at the club. In fact, it was boxing that brought about the dissolution of the Kanaweola Bicycle Club. New leadership in the club decided to construct a stage and wresting ring in the gymnasium at the clubhouse and promoted professional boxing matches in the space. That made it impossible for members to use the gym for any other sports like basketball, handball, or wrestling. Poor decisions like that led to financial troubles which led to the sheriff closing the clubhouse and auctioning off the property in 1908.

Star-Gazette headline, March 11, 1908

One last bit of information: “Kanaweola” is said to mean “head on a pole.” It was the name of a Native American village at the junction of the Newtown Creek and the Chemung River. Legend has it that in the 18^th century, a tribal chief was found guilty of treason and his head was placed on a pole there to serve as a warning to others. 

Kanaweola Bicycle Club at Fitch’s Bridge, 1890s