ODD FELLOWS
The next two rows are of the I.O.O.F. (Independent Order of Odd Fellows) Temple on the corner of 7th and Elm.
Very Large 1905 Photograph
looking up Elm Street
The Odd Fellow's Hall in Mount Healthy
Mt. Pleasant I.O.O.F.
Newtown I.O.O.F.
& Universalist Church
The Odd Fellows began in Great Britain in the 18th-century and was chartered in North America in 1819. Originally chartered as a fraternal organization, with a ladies auxiliary called the Daughters of Rebekah, today both men and women can become members of the I.O.O.F. The members in the early days were called "odd" because of their practice of giving charity without expecting anything in return. It is known as "The Three-link Fraternity" for its tri-linked chain logo with the letters F, L, and T (friendship, love, and truth). Some of the lodge halls were very elaborate with the street level being rented out to retail establishments and the Odd Fellows occupying one or more of the upper floors.
KNIGHTS OF PYTHIAS
*
K. of P. Hall Norwood
Walnut St.
The Knights of Pythias building in Norwood was located at the corner of Main (Montgomery Road) and Waverly Ave.
MASONIC LODGE
Believe it or not the first Masonic
Lodge received its original warrant in 1791. They met in each others' homes
until a 2 story building at the n. e. corner of 3rd and Walnut was built in
1825. This site saw a larger building in 1846 and another in 1865, this building
you can see in the first non-post card image below. The next two cards show this
structure after a few modifications had been made over the years.
In the early
twentieth century there were 18 Masonic groups which organized to erect a
headquarters on the south side of fifth street between Broadway and Sycamore,
which is the building you see in the third row and photograph in the 4th row. Opened on January 23, 1928 It contains 3 connected units.
The eastern section has a 1,100 seat Scottish Rite amphitheater, the central
contains among other things the main auditorium. The western wing is the 2,500
seat Taft Auditorium (reduced to 2,293 wider seats with its 2011 refurbishment), named in honor of Charles P. Taft a Mason and chairman of
the building committee, brother of former President William Howard Taft and then
current Supreme Court Chief Justice. The 1st image is not a postcard.
The Price Hill Masonic Temple is located at Price & Purcell Avenues and was built in 1912. The lodge was formed in 1882 and still exists today. The 2nd image is a photograph showing what it looks like today.
Westwood Masonic
Hall
Linwood Lodge #567
Carthage Masonic Lodge
#573
Norwood Lodge #576
The 1st postcard above shows the laying of the cornerstone for the Masonic Lodge #573 in Carthage at the corner of 69th & Vine Sts. on September 23, 1928. The 2nd photo shows the building today (now used by the FITE, firefighter EMT training). The Lodge later merged with the Norwood lodge which is shown in the 3rd postcard and the newer building seen in the last photo.
Yeatman Masonic Temple
"The
Kilties"
Replica
The Kilties were, at the time the postcard was taken, a Scottish quartette that were apparently all Masons. "Chief" Nimmo was the leader and bass singer who also played the bagpipes. He was apparently a figure in the U. S. government law enforcement department, thus the "Chief" nickname. What the connection to Cincinnati was, I have no idea. The Caledonian Quartette in later years became a quintet as the non-postcard image above shows. The figure seated in the white coat was the piano player that was added.
Blaine Club
Back of card on
right
(No information)
Cincinnati Club in
Walnut Hills
These men are apparently lined up along a street in Carthage. The embossed circle on the lower right of the card says 'Dunn' maybe the photographer?. Underneath that it says 'Carthage'. On the back it identifies the 7th man down as 'Dad Smith'. The card states these are lodge members 1909. That's all I can tell you.
Elks Reunion held 7/18/1904.
The last image shows the back of these three cards
The Moose was founded by Dr. John Henry Wilson and a group of his friends in 1888 in Louisville, Kentucky, as a social and drinking club to rival the Elks. These cards were for the Silver Jubilee held in Cincinnati from July 28 to August 1 in 1913. As you can see from the 2nd card above these cards were sent out from all the Moose lodges around the country.
The Homeworkers Club. 2015 Marquis Street
Loveland's Kick-In Club at James Crossing