History of the Jr. Order

History

Around 1852 Gideon D. Harmer, a representative form Reliance Council #40 (OUAM), called upon Wm. M. Weckerly, State Council Secretary, informed him that several young men of his acquaintance were desirous of organizing a Junior Order, and asked his opinion and assistance in aid of the movement. He met with every encouragement; and Mr. Weckerly wrote the first ritual, constitution, and by-laws and presented them with several blue silk collars for their officers. Under their fostering care, Washington Council #1 of the Junior Order of United American Mechanics was instituted, on the 17th of May 1853, at the Concord School House, Germantown, PA. Subsequently they subscribed their names to the following:

Preamble

We, the undersigned, Americans by birth, having viewed the disadvantages under which Americans labor from the effects of foreign competition and foreign combinations, not only by the different articles of foreign manufacture being imported into the several Sates of the Union, thereby depriving the mechanics of American birth from realizing that material benefit from their labors which they should; but the present system of the importation, into this country, of paupers by the actions of the Old World has been and is, carried to such an extent that, if some remedy is not very soon applied, the Americans by birth will become paupers themselves-and form past experience and present appearance of the future, instead of the evils abating, there is a certainty of their increasing; therefore we feel ourselves bound, by the duties we owe our country an our countrymen , to provide for the protection of Americans, by forming ourselves into an association to advance such objects and carry out such principles as shall best promote the interests and shall secure the happiness of ourselves and our countrymen; in addition to which is added the praiseworthy duty of aiding our brothers in distress. Therefore, for the purpose of advancing such objects and principles, we pledge ourselves, as Americans, to use every fair and honorable means consistent with our sacred duties, and, in accordance with the paternal voice of the Father of Our Country, "Beware of foreign influence," agree to be governed by the following constitution.

The objects of the Order were set forth as follows: -

1. To assist Americans in obtaining employment. 2. To encourages Americans in business. 3. To establish a sick and funeral fund. 4. To prepare the youth of America to become members of the Order of United American Mechanics, and other American orders, when they arrive at the proper age. 5. To use such means, when able, as will prevent the present system of emigration of foreign paupers to our land.

The names attached to this declaration are Geo. Keyser, Isaiah B. Scott, Henry Smith, Chas. P. Haupt, Jno. J. Heffner, Samuel J. Colladay, Daniel Pastorious, Chas. Kleaver, Philip H. Klonegar, Chas. Waters, Isaiah Dewees, and Henry Gravenstine. Of the above, Chas. P. Haupt is now a member of Washington Council #1 of PA. Upon being asked for his recollection of he occasion, he replied, --

     "It is almost forty-three years since the organization of Washington Council #1, Jr. O.U.A.M.; but I will give you, from memory, all the facts I can. Washington Council #1 was started in May 1853 in the council chamber of Reliance Council #40, (Sr.OUAM) in the second story of the old Concord School House, an old building of Revolutionary fame, on Main Street above Washington Ave., Germantown. The leading spirits were two zealous members of Reliance Council, Gideon D. Harmer and Elliott Smith, who spent much time in trying to get the American youth in line. I can recall the names of the young men who first met for the purpose of starting the Council, viz., Geo. Keyser, Isaiah B. Scott, Chas. Waters, Isaiah B. Dewees, Henry Smith, Peter Stroup, Philip Klonegar, Chas. Kleaver, Daniel Pastorious, John J. Heffner, Samuel Colladay, Henry Gravenstine, Jackson Rupley, Chas. P. Haupt.
     "Daniel Pastorious was elected our first Councilor. He was a lineal descendant of Francis Daniel Pastorious, the founder of Germantown under William Penn. They were all Germantown boys, with one exception, that being Philip Klonegar, who was from the City (Philadelphia). I think his father was a member of the Senior Order, a printer by trade, and he printed our Ritual. Soon after we started we participated in a parade of the Senior Order a Norristown, PA. I remember the occasion well. We had no time to order regalia, so we bought linen, and our sisters and mothers made them. They looked very neat; the collars were bound with red and blue ribbons. We took some eighteen members with us, and made an excellent impression.
     "After a few months we were in pretty good shape, and had a charter drawn up, and, as many had dropped out, those remaining put in their names. Soon after the charter was drawn up we secured several good members in the persons of Jacob Pullinger, Marshall C. Hong, Heisler Scholl, John Flue, and others whose names I cannot now recall. We thought we must have a new flag, so we appointed a committee for that purpose, and started out among our friends of Reliance Council. We secured some forty dollars, with which we purchased a nice silk flag and an eagle. It is still in good condition and is in the possession of Washington Council, and is much revered. Soon after, we moved our quarters, along with Reliance Council, to the Town Hall, it having just been finished. We tried to get new members, but it was up-hill work, and we became discouraged. At last we determined to disband. Our old friends, Harmer and Smith, actually met one night with a list of the proportionate amount due each member, when Isaiah B. Scott, half dead with consumption, made a strong appeal to try a little longer, and Elliott Smith coming upon the scene with his strong appeal, we tore up the paper and did try, and you now see the great result arising therefrom.
     "The next move we made was to Maxwell's Hall on Rittenhouse St. I soon after became twenty-one years of age and joined Reliance Council. I was the first Junior who went into the Senior Order and was followed by Geo. Keyser, Jacob Pullinger, Heisler Scholl, and John Flue, all joining while I was still a member of Washington Council. Of the charter members the following have since died: Geo. Keyser, Henry Smith, Henry Gravenstine, Chas. Waters, Isaiah B. Dewees, Isaiah Scott, and Chas. Kleaver.   As to the first officers, Daniel Pastorious met with us only a few times, and I think we organized under the charter as follows: Councilor, Henry Smith; Financial Secretary, Chas. Kleaver; Recording Secretary, Samuel Colladay; Treasurer, Chas. P. Haupt. The other officers I cannot remember. I was Treasurer from the start of the Order, and served six months after I joined the Senior Order, which was in July 1855."

This testimony from the only living member of the originators of the Order shows that Reliance Council #40 as a body was not entitled to the credit of bringing our Order into existence; that credit must be given to Messrs. Harmer, Elliott, and Weckerly, who did the work individually and not in a representative capacity. The members of the Council, however, were always good friends of the boys, as may be evidenced by the money collected among them for their first flag; and some of our older members can bear evidence to the fact that for thirty years they were loyal, and that they reaped to benefits in the number of Juniors who joined the Council.

Taken from, "Official History of the Junior Order United American Mechanics" by Edw. S. Deemer, P.A. Shanor, H.J. Deily -Copyright 1896 by Lee C. Hascall.