09/26/2026
Have you ever wondered what is the iconic IOOF cornerstone on the southwest corner of Macedonia City Hall?
The IOOF Lodge (Independent Order of Odd Fellows) was established in Macedonia in 1881. The Odd Fellows sounds like a rather...odd...bunch, and that much is true. The first Lodge was in London in the 1600's, and apparently back then it was considered weird, or odd, for people to come together and actually help other people. Hence, the name.
Charter members of our local fraternal order had been members of other Odd Fellow lodges before coming to Macedonia, and included notable figures like Willoughby Dye, Dr E L Cook, Arestus Cale, E A VanVranken, Abraham Staggers and J D Rainbow.
In 1895, the Odd Fellows, in partnership with S D Lane and Charles McCready, constructed the brick building which is now the current City Hall. The Odd Fellows owned the second floor, while Lane & McCready's hardware was on the main floor. The Lodge rapidly grew, attracting the town's most prominent men who coordinated projects and events to help people in the community.
As with many fraternal organizations in the area, interest and membership in the Lodge declined, and by 1950 the charter was discontinued. The only evidence of the once-popular Lodge is the IOOF cornerstone and several artifacts in the Pioneer Trail Museum.
Despite its demise, the Macedonia IOOF Lodge played a huge role in our town's development and history.
Pictured: cornerstone of the original IOOF Hall (current City Hall), IOOF banner and other Odd Fellow priceless treasures on display in the Pioneer Trail Museum. We're open today 11 AM - 2 PM.
