Fraternal Order of Eagles Silver Photograph

Silver image measuring 5 x 6-3/4; circa 1930 of a group of fraternal members standing in formation of the Lacrosse, Wisconsin chapter (Eagle's Aerie 1254). On February 6th, 1898 the Fraternal Order of Eagles was founded by six theater owners sitting on a pile of lumber in Moran's shipyard in Seattle Washington. Competitors in the theater industry, they met to discuss a musicians strike. After deciding what to do on that issue, they decided to bury the hatchet and form an organization dubbed 'The Order of Good Things'. The first meetings were held on the stages of various local theaters and after the business was settled a keg of beer was rolled out and all enjoyed a few hours of social activities. A few weeks later as their numbers grew they chose the Bald Eagle as their official emblem and changed the name to 'The Fraternal Order of Eagles.' The membership formed a Grand Aerie in April 1898, secured a charter, drew up a constitution and by-laws and elected it's first president, John Cort. Most of the first Eagle members were connected with the theatre, actors, stagehands, playwrights, etc., and as they went on tour they carried the story of the new order with them across the United States and Canada. This is the reason the Eagles grew so quickly and all the way across the country. Many cities in the east have low aerie numbers such as New York #40, Philadelphia #42 and Buffalo #46.

$40  No. 1725  Questions?