MT. VALLEY GRANGE was originally established Aug. 6, 1889 in the log cabin home of an early pioneer settler of Chelatchie Valley. In May 1936 one acre was purchased to build the hall that is seen today. Photo courtesy of Mt. Valley Grange
Mt. Valley Grange in Amboy is celebrating its 125th anniversary on Sat., Sept. 6 and area residents are invited to attend. A noon potluck kicks off the event.
According to Grange secretary, Georgene Neal, Boy Scout Troop 349 will deliver a flag presentation and Washington State Grange Master, Duane Hamp and his wife, Chris, will be in attendance. Quilting, spinning and tatting demonstrations are part of the day's activities.
There’ll also be a history skit broken down into 5-25 year periods representing the length of time Mt. Valley Grange has been in existence. Membership awards will be handed out to three 50-year members, one 60-year member and one 75-year member. James Courtney joined the Grange in 1939 and continues to be active in legislative issues and community outreach.
The Clark County Cloggers will perform their energetic folk dancing followed by square dancing for everyone called by Bill Lundin of the Hazel Dell Grange with his wife, Linda, assisting.
Granges can be traced back to 1868 when President Andrew Johnson expressed a strong desire to improve agricultural conditions after the Civil War. With the focus moving from heavy farming to heavy industrial, granges evolved into a more community-focused environment but continue to be strong advocates for farming and policies that affect agriculture.
Mt. Valley Grange was established as the 79th grange in the territory on Aug. 6, 1889 – one month before Washington became a state – in the log cabin home of Charlie Pitchford, who was an early pioneer settler of Chelatchie Valley, now known as Chelatchie Prairie.
The push to expand granges in Washington was made to strengthen their voice in how the state would be set up. While granges numbered in the thousands back then, 310 continue to be active today.
Neal shared that 16 charter members comprised the original Grange. The first Master was A. Protzman and dues were 10 cents a month. In 1892, Mt. Valley Grange moved into its first hall and in May of 1936 one acre of land was purchased from Jake Jines in the amount of $142.50 to build the Grange that stands today.
The main hall was also to serve as the area gymnasium so lines were painted on the floor for a basketball court. The ceiling was lowered when games were no longer held in the hall but during a March 2013 renovation the lines were added back onto the floor for historical preservation.
With the addition of an upgraded kitchen and commercial dishwasher in the basement, members are able to donate the Grange to local groups like the Lion’s Club for their annual Mother’s Day breakfast and Fire District No. 10 for their Valentine’s Day Sweetheart Dinner as well as rent the hall for memorials, birthday parties, weddings and family Christmas parties.
Grange member community service efforts extend to Words for Thirds, which is a project where members give dictionaries to Yacolt Primary School third graders each year, annually hosting the Gee Creek Rest Area in May and September and Care Cloths, where small personal items like toothpaste and shampoo are wrapped in a wash cloth and ribbon and given to the Amboy Food Bank and Share House in Vancouver.
Since February 2014, Mt. Valley Grange has been hosting 30-40 seniors at their Wednesday Meals on Wheels lunch. Service begins at noon and the Grange is kept open for those who wish to stay and play card games. They’ve also had someone from the fire department conduct blood pressure checks in the past and music is performed on occasion.
Of the 55 members, a core group of 10 attend monthly meetings and organize Grange events. Brothers Dave, Jerry and Darrell Johnson are in charge of the care and maintenance of the building and they can be found assisting Meals on Wheels every week, as well. Elinor Collins makes many of the caps, scarves, mittens and lap robes given to cancer and Alzheimer patients and church missionary program.
Community programs such as a disaster preparedness class given by Fern Prairie Grange member, Linda Rafn, are open to the public and just one more way the Grange is displaying its desire to meet the needs of a changing population while retaining its roots in service to the people.
At the yearly Washington State Grange convention, Mt. Valley shines. They received first place for Hall Improvement in 2012 and 2013 as well as first place for Community Service in 2013 and 2014.
“I enjoy the people that are there and I enjoy working together on projects and doing things for the community,’’ Neal said. “We actually do quite a bit and even individual members do quite a bit.”
Mt. Valley Grange is located at 40107 NE 221st Ave., Amboy. For more information or to join, call (360) 247-6347 or (360) 247-5744.
AT A GLANCE
What: Come help Mt. Valley Grange celebrate 125 years of community service
When: Sat., Sept. 6, noon
Where: 40107 NE 221st Ave., Amboy
Details: Flag presentation, history skit, entertainment by Clark County Cloggers, living history demonstrations, and square dancing.
Contact Georgene at (360) 247-6347 or Dave at (360) 247-5744 for more information
