The Pope County Museum will host a presentation on Saturday, June 10  at 10 a.m. titled “The Grange: A Fraternity of farmers that championed rural America.”

Agricultural historian T.J. Malaskee delves into the long forgotten history of America’s first fraternity of farmers, the Grange. 

The Grange was a radical post-Civil War Era movement that pushed for progressive measures to heal the nation through agriculture, education, equality, and social interaction as the United States saw growing tension between western rural farmers and eastern urban industrialists. The Grange—more formally known as the Patrons of Husbandry—was founded by Minnesota Farmer, Oliver H. Kelley in 1867 and the rural movement took off here in his home state, eventually reaching a membership of more than one million men and women across the country. 

Those attending can “find out more about this intriguing history and learn how the Grange has played a role in your life today,” it was stated in a news release from the Pope County Museum.