Monica and I had the privilege of visiting the Independent Order of Odd Fellows Lodge, located in Georgetown, California. The Odd Fellows are ubiquitous in the gold country, having been an early fraternal society in the state. The Georgetown Parlor has been meeting in the 1855 IOOF Hall since the 1880’s and their meeting room is like stepping back in time. The lower floor of the building, which is rented out by the lodge, has been used for various events for years. It’s a local landmark that has become a symbol of Georgetown and the surrounding region.
Georgetown Native Son’s of the Golden West, 1800’s, and their banner.
The historical photo above shows the Native Son’s of the Golden West on parade, holding their banner. The Native Son’s (NSGW) have used the IOOF hall as their meeting place since the beginning. The IOOF and NSGW are tied at the hip when it comes to Georgetown’s History and The IOOF Hall.
Native Sons of The Golden West banner from the 1980’s on display.
The NSGW Banner is in need of repair. The fabric is starting to come apart, as seen in the above photo lower left, blue fabric. Costs estimates to bring it back to museum standards is approximately $5000, of which the NSGW and IOOF are lacking at this time. The insurance on the old building just went up, and the difference will have to be made up somewhere. I wonder how we could gather the monies necessary to fix this treasured piece of Georgetown and California History.